Jus Consilium National Client Counselling Competition 2026 (III Edition) by Saveetha School of Law [Offline, Chennai]

Saveetha School of Law, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Chennai, was established in 2009 and works towards quality legal education and higher standards of legal research and training. Per the competition brochure, the school is ranked 13th among all India law universities and 1st in Tamil Nadu in the NIRF 2024 ranking, is accredited by NAAC with an A++ grade, is recognised by the Bar Council of India and is approved by the UGC.

The school offers undergraduate and postgraduate law courses, PhD programmes and an LL.D programme, and states that it is the only law institution in India practising the Choice Based Credit System for undergraduate law courses.

Jus Consilium is the flagship client counselling competition of Saveetha School of Law, now in its III Edition. It is a two-day national event that brings law students from across the country together to test their client interaction skills in a simulated professional setting.

Unlike a traditional moot court, Jus Consilium is built around the lawyer-client relationship. It emphasises active listening, legal analysis, emotional intelligence and ethical decision making. Teams are handed a legal scenario, must interact with a client, identify the core issues and advise with clarity and precision, and are then examined on that advice by a judging panel.

The competition is held in person at the Laser Court Hall, Saveetha School of Law, SIMATS campus, Chennai, on 16 and 17 September 2026.

Day 1 covers the inaugural ceremony, the preliminary rounds and the quarter finals. Day 2 covers the semi finals, the grand finale and the valedictory ceremony. The language of the competition is English throughout.

Accommodation and transportation are not arranged by the institution.

• Open to all law colleges, law schools, law universities and university departments or faculties of law in India recognised by the Bar Council of India.
• Participation is open to LL.B. students of all years of study.
• Each team shall comprise two students.
• A maximum of five teams per college or institution may take part.

Registration is two-tiered. Provisional registration opened on 25 July 2026 and closes on 5 September 2026, and is done through the official Google Form. On successful submission of the required details, teams receive an acknowledgement.

Provisionally registered teams are then sent a payment gateway link and a confirmation to complete final registration. The registration fee is Rs 2,500 per team and is non-refundable once paid. Non-payment of the fee within five days of the intimation to pay results in forfeiture of eligibility to participate. The last date to pay the fee and complete final registration is 7 September 2026.

• Preliminary rounds: all teams compete in two rounds, each on a different stream of law. Total time 25 minutes per team (18 minutes client consultation, 7 minutes post consultation). The top 8 teams on aggregate score advance.
• Quarter finals: 8 teams, 30 minutes per team (20 minutes consultation, 10 minutes post consultation). The top 4 advance.
• Semi finals: 4 teams, 45 minutes per team (30 minutes consultation, 15 minutes post consultation). The top 2 advance.
• Grand finale: the top 2 teams compete over 60 minutes per team (45 minutes consultation, 15 minutes post consultation) to decide the winner and runner-up.

The organising committee reserves the right to modify the duration of rounds during the event.

Rounds may be drawn from any part of the spectrum of laws, including but not limited to criminal law, civil law, contract law, family law, surrogacy law and the law relating to succession.

Judging criteria include professionalism, responding to the client's queries, identifying the client's goals and needs, precise problem analysis, suggesting alternatives, enabling informed client choice, developing a course of action, teamwork and ethics, and the ability to answer the judges on questions of law and fact. Ties are broken first on the aggregate of problem analysis and questioning technique scores, and failing that by an unbiased coin toss.

The organisers provide students to play the client in each round. Each client receives a packet with the consultation situation and a confidential memorandum on the client's background, character and concerns, and is briefed before the round. Judges may consult the client at the end of a round.

Teams are identified to judges only by a team code. Scouting is prohibited and leads to disqualification, as does disclosing identity or institution, seeking problem particulars from clients, or contacting judges uninvited. Props and office furnishings are not permitted, though books and materials may be brought in. Electronic gadgets, including phones, tablets and smart watches, are barred during the event.

Participants must wear professional courtroom attire: black trousers, a white shirt and a plain black blazer. Robes and neck bands are not permitted, and the attire must not carry any identification of the participant's institution.