The Law School runs a mooting (advocacy) programme where students argue cases in simulated courtroom surroundings before local barristers and judges.
A moot is the debate of a point of law in a fictitious court room setting, in which participants present oral arguments in relation to a specific area of the law in a formal setting before a judge. The parties to the hypothetical case are each represented by two students who carefully present legal issues in a way that is most advantageous to their argument.
You will 'moot' at least once in your first year, but you can also go on to participate in national and international competitions and events. The student law societies also run a variety of mooting workshops.
The competitions provide an opportunity to develop many of the skills needed to pass law exams. Southampton students have recently enjoyed extraordinary success in this. In the past, our students have participated in a range of competitions, including:
The OUP & ICCA National Mooting Competition
Landmark Chambers Moot Competitions
UK Law Students Association (UKLSA)
ESU - Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition
The University of Leicester Medical Law Mooting Competition
Thomas Finlay Mooting Competition
DMH Government Law College Int’l Moot Court Competition
Inns of Court National Competition
GNLU International Moot Court Competition
MootSoc Internal Mooting Competition
The International Maritime Law & Arbitration Moot
Dentons Negotiations Competition
Students can also join various student societies which organise additional mooting opportunities. For example, the Bar Society perform mooting during Induction, arrange internal competitions throughout the year and also support students engaging with national and international competitions. Competing externally is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow students across numerous institutions, building a valuable network of peers and contacts.
There are a number of extra-curricular activities available to Law Students, I became involved in mooting during my first few weeks at Southampton and have had the opportunity to represent the Law School in a number of regional and national competitions. As well as providing me with a number of transferable skills this aspect of my time at Southampton has allowed me to interact and gain advice from legal professionals such as barristers and judges.