Story of a CJI and four Advocates who had approached him to be designated as Senior Advocate.

This imaginary story intends to explain a key quality which judges keep looking for in arguing advocates.

All the four advocates were well qualified, well experienced and well talented advocates.

All of them were well desrving. But CJI had power to designate only one of them as Senior Advocate.

He decided to test them and he took them in a jungle. He gave them bows and arrows and said “This is a test of your archery skill. Look around and tell me what you would like to shoot at with your arrows.”

One advocate looked around and saw a tree some 1000 mtrs away. He said I will aim and shoot that tree.

Second advocate said, in that tree, on one branch someone there is a white handkerchief tied on one branch. I will shoot that branch of tree.

Third said, on that tree, a sparrow keeps jumping from one branch to another. It is a moving target. I can shoot that.

Fourth advocate said, I can shoot an eye of that very moving bird.

The then CJI, designated the fourth advocate as Senior Advocate.

Point of the story : In every case, there are some obvious arguments. If you can see them, you are like first advocate.

In every case there are some hidden but straw arguments. These are brilliant arguments but they do not turn around a case. These are like arguments of second advocate.

In every case, where opponents are strong and manipulative, the key points can keep shifting from one side to another side. These are moving targets. The third advocate can deal with these type of arguments.

Among the shifting arguments, there is one key argument which can conclude the whole debate. To find this argument and to shoot at is like skill of the fourth advocate. (This story is revised version of ancient story of Arjuna and Dronacharya from Mahabharata)