Aphelion Legal Solutions
Leveraging Global Legal Talent SM
Chennai, India:
Aphelion Legal Solutions was the primary sponsor of the 1st Annual National Pro Bono Enviro Moot Court Competition hosted by the School of Excellence in Law of the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University. The event was held April 4 – April 6, 2008 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
The event was designed to promote the art of advocacy amongst law students in India as well as to draw attention to two major issues: 1) India’s need for pro bono advocacy to protect the rights of the poor and 2) the growing importance of environmental protection amidst unprecedented growth in the Indian economy. The specific moot court problem was drafted by students of the School of Excellence in Law and pitted two fictional nations against each other in a dispute before the International Court of Justice. The areas of law explored by the problem included the law of state responsibility, oceans law, and the law governing the transfer of emissions credits amongst parties to the Kyoto Conference.
The panel for the final round consisted of:
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Mrs. Justice Prabha Sridevan of the Madras High Court
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Mr. Justice M. Jaichandran of the Madras High Court
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Mr. Justice S. Nagamuthu of the Madras High Court
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Dr. A. David Ambrose, Department of Legal Studies, Madras Law University
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Mr. Hiren P. Patel, CEO, Aphelion Legal Solutions
Other notable attendees included Mr. Chief Justice A.P. Shah of the Madras High Court and Mr. Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya of the Madras High Court.
During the closing ceremonies, Mrs. Justice Sridevan, Mr. Justice Jaichandran, Mr. Justice Nagamuthu, and Mr. Patel delivered addresses to the students on topics ranging from the importance of environmental awareness, the state of legal education in India, the relationship between the quality of legal advocacy and the quality of judicial decision making, work-life balance in the legal profession, and the need for advocates to extend their services to the unrepresented classes in India.
The Hindu provided local press coverage of the event.
Right: Mrs. Justice Prabha Sridevan, Mr. Justice S. Nagamuthu, Mr. Hiren P. Patel, and Professor N. Manohar stand during the Indian National Anthem.
Far Right: Aphelion CEO Hiren P. Patel addresses competitors and other attendees during the closing ceremonies.