Beyond moot and academic
In 2011, students from City University of Hong Kong's (CityU) School of Law were the biggest winners in moot court competitions. The university trumped HKU and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in the Hong Kong regional round of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and were the champions in the 2nd International ADR Mooting Competition. Together, these wins represented the school's best-ever performance.
Assistant Professor Rajesh Sharma, who is also mooting director of CityU, is the man widely credited for surpassing previous limits. "I am really pleased with our students. [Their winning performances] show that the quality of teaching and learning is as good here as anywhere in the world," he says.
Speaking of his secrets in training students, Sharma confides that a winning formula is a simple one of hard work and self-confidence. "There is no shortcut to success, you have to work and work. The preparation for a moot competition is long and tough. When students despair, I inspire them with the success stories of alumni. I make them believe that they can do it," Sharma adds.
The time and effort that CityU students spend on the competition is remarkable. Sharma recalls that once, during a preparation session, the team was still going strong at four in the morning. "At the time, a young man was furiously attacking the case of a female teammate. The girl was exhausted but defended her case brilliantly. I was deeply impressed with the persistence and quality of both performers," he says.
Maintaining inspiration and confidence among students is one of Sharma's key duties. "I shared books and movies [with the students] on how people overcome great difficulties. I find the movie