26th Kerala Law Academy National Client Consulting Competition 2026, Thiruvananthapuram (Hybrid; Justice P. Govinda Menon Memorial Ever Rolling Trophy)

The Kerala Law Academy Law College, Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram is a Bar Council of India recognised law college affiliated to the University of Kerala. Its Moot Court Society runs a long-standing calendar of national advocacy competitions, of which the National Client Consulting Competition has been held annually since 2000.

The 26th edition is played for the Justice P. Govinda Menon Memorial Ever Rolling Trophy. In the organisers' words, the competition “promotes greater knowledge and interest among law students in practical laws and consulting functions of law practice” and “encourages participants to develop interviewing, planning, and analytical skills in the lawyer-client relationship as interviewing and advising areas form a significant part of most lawyers' work”. It is designed as a valuable educational interchange between students, law teachers and legal practitioners.

The 2026 edition is run in a two-stage hybrid format. The Virtual Preliminary Round is conducted online in October 2026, and only the qualifying teams advance to the Offline Advanced Rounds held from 12 to 14 November 2026 at the Kerala Law Academy Law College Campus, Peroorkada, Thiruvananthapuram.

• Open to all law colleges, law schools, law universities and faculties or university departments of law in India recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• Participation is strictly limited to LL.B. students currently enrolled in either the three-year scheme or the five-year scheme.
• Students pursuing post-graduation in law (LL.M.) and students undergoing correspondence courses are not eligible.
• Multiple teams from a single college or institution may participate, provided explicit written permission (for example, an authorisation letter from the Principal or Dean) has been granted.
• Each team shall consist of exactly two students, acting as co-counsels. Solo participation is not permitted.
• Any change in team composition after Phase 1 registration is strictly prohibited unless exceptional circumstances arise, subject solely to the discretion of the organisers.

The competition simulates a law office consultation in which two law students, acting as lawyers, are presented with a client matter. Students receive a brief written memorandum identifying the general nature of the client's problem, then conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client. During the interview the counsels are expected to elicit the relevant information, explore the client's preferred outcome, outline the nature of the problem and present a means (or a range of alternatives) for resolving it. The interview is followed by a post-consultation period in which the students, in the client's absence, analyse the interview and discuss the legal and other work to be undertaken.

• Session length: 35 minutes in total, comprising a 25-minute interview and a 10-minute post-consultation period.
• Stage 1 (Virtual Preliminary Round): conducted online on 6 October 2026. Full details are shared with registered teams soon after final registration closes.
• Stage 2 (Offline Rounds): qualifying teams compete in live sessions at the KLA campus, interacting with live clients provided by the organisers, followed by an immediate question-and-answer or critique session by the judging panel.
• Structure: five rounds in all — Preliminary, Pre-Quarterfinal, Quarterfinal, Semifinal and Final. In order of merit the top 16 teams go to the quarterfinals, the top 6 to the semifinals and the top 2 compete for the championship. These numbers are subject to change based on the number of participating teams.
• Judges: panels of two or three judges in the preliminary and quarterfinal rounds and three judges in the semifinal and final rounds, drawn from practising lawyers, judges, counsellors and psychologists. At least one judge on each panel shall be a practising lawyer.
• Score reset: scores from the Virtual Preliminary Round do not carry over. The Offline Pre-Quarterfinal Round commences with a clean slate.
• Tie-breaker: the team with the higher score in “Analysis and formulation of the problem with precision” advances; if the tie persists, the score in “Teamwork” is considered.

The official memorandum for the virtual preliminary round will be emailed to all registered teams on 3 October 2026. The memo may contain intentional vagueness; it is the duty of the counsels to elicit the relevant facts from the client during the interview. No clarification requests regarding the facts of the memo will be entertained.

The subject matter of the problem will primarily be based on Family Law, Law of Torts, Property Law, Contract and Specific Relief, and Intellectual Property Rights. Incidentally, it may also touch upon elements of penal laws and constitutional law.

The clients in each preliminary round will have the same problem, and the preliminary rounds may take place simultaneously.

The competition is judged on the following exhaustive criteria, totalling 50 marks per judge.

• Establishing the working atmosphere and professional approach.
• Eliciting the problem of the client and the tools used in doing so.
• Identifying the client's goals, expectations and needs.
• Analysis and formulation of the problem with legal precision.
• Suggesting practical alternatives.
• Allowing the client to make an informed choice.
• Effective conclusion of the counselling session.
• Teamwork and coordination between the co-counsels.
• Management of the ethical and professional relationship with the client, dealing with emotional as well as legal needs.
• Post-interview session, that is the interaction among counsels analysing the case.

Immediately after each team's post-consultation presentation the judges may give the team a critique of its handling of the consultation, focused on these assessment criteria and lasting not more than ten minutes.

Provisional registration (virtual preliminary round). Interested teams must email the organisers for provisional registration on or before 15 September 2026 at clientcompetitionkla2026@gmail.com. A non-refundable Stage 1 registration fee of Rs 3,000 per team covers evaluation of the preliminary round. On successful payment and form submission teams receive a Team Code and a confirmation email. A copy of the transaction (screenshot or photograph) must be emailed to the same address, and the Rs 3,000 must be transferred on or before the last date of final registration.

Final registration. Teams must complete final registration on or before 28 September 2026 by submitting the duly filled proforma through the organisers' online registration form.

Offline rounds (selected teams only). Results of the virtual preliminary round are announced soon after the round, and selected teams receive an official Selection Mail. Selected teams must pay the Phase 2 offline registration fee — Rs 2,500 per team without accommodation, or Rs 3,000 per team with AC dormitory accommodation, covering offline participation, food and optional accommodation — strictly within three days of receiving the selection email.

Waitlist mechanism. If a selected team fails to pay the Phase 2 fee within the three-day window, its slot is automatically forfeited and passed to the next team on the merit waitlist. No extensions will be granted. All registration fees are non-refundable.

• Team codes: each team is assigned a Team Code on Phase 1 registration. In the virtual round participants must state only their Team Code (for example, “We are Team Code 15”). Mentioning the institution's name, wearing college IDs, using proxy names or displaying institutional logos leads to automatic disqualification. Offline, teams are identified exclusively by their Team Codes.
• Online preliminary rounds: reading from any prepared document or using any electronic gadget or device at any stage will result in disqualification.
• Offline rounds: carrying or referring to notes, books, printed materials or any other reference material is strictly prohibited. Bare acts and books may be carried into the court room only to set the atmosphere, not for reference.
• Spectators: not permitted during the Preliminary, Pre-Quarterfinal and Quarterfinal rounds. Other teams, participants and observers may watch the semifinal and final rounds. Mobile phones are handed over to ushers at the commencement of each round.
• Clients: provided and briefed by the organisers. Teams are strictly prohibited from interacting with the clients before their designated round.
• Dress code: strictly formal for both online and offline rounds. Men — black suit with white shirt and black tie. Women — white shirt with black trousers or skirt and black jacket, or white salwar kameez with a black jacket. Gowns and advocate bands are strictly not permitted at any stage.
• Appeal Committee: the organisers reserve the right to alter the format, schedule or rules in unforeseen circumstances. Disputes must be submitted in writing to the Appeal Committee within one hour of the incident; the decision of the Committee, consisting of the Principal and senior faculty members, is absolute and final.

The official rules and regulations list the awards as follows: the winning team receives the Justice P. Govinda Menon Memorial Ever Rolling Trophy together with a cash prize; the runners-up receive a trophy and a cash prize; and the Best Counsel, Second-Best Counsel, Best Client and Second-Best Client receive a trophy with a cash prize or certificate. The Best Client and Second-Best Client awards apply to the offline rounds only. The official rules do not state the value of the cash prizes, so no amounts are reproduced here.

All participants who successfully complete final registration and take part in the preliminary rounds receive an e-certificate of participation. Those who attend the offline rounds receive physical certificates.

1. Email the organisers at clientcompetitionkla2026@gmail.com on or before 15 September 2026 for provisional registration, with your team details.
2. Transfer the non-refundable Stage 1 fee of Rs 3,000 per team and email a screenshot or photograph of the transaction to the same address, on or before the final registration date.
3. Complete final registration on or before 28 September 2026 by submitting the duly filled proforma through the organisers' online registration form. You will receive a Team Code and confirmation email.
4. Watch for the official memorandum on 3 October 2026 and appear for the virtual preliminary round on 6 October 2026.
5. If selected, pay the Phase 2 offline fee within three days of the Selection Mail and report at the Kerala Law Academy Law College Campus by 2:00 p.m. on 12 November 2026 for desk registration and the inaugural function.