Birmingham Law School students to practice their advocacy skills in front of Justices at the UK Supreme Court

Students from Birmingham Law School at the University of Birmingham are being given the chance to put their advocacy skills to the test at the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom.

Between February and May 2019 the Birmingham Law School will be one of 12 graduate law schools and university law societies holding the final of their internal mooting competitions at the Court, presenting to and judged by a Supreme Court Justice.

Theresa Lynch, Director of Advocacy at the Birmingham Law School says: "It is a privilege to facilitate a variety of advocacy activities: from client interviewing and negotiation to debating and a bespoke mooting module. The standard of student advocacy is inspirational and the Camm Cup finalists, due to appear at the Supreme Court, is but one illustration of this.”

Moots, mock proceedings in which two parties argue a point of law of general public importance before a judge, are designed to give students the chance to practice their advocacy skills by delivering a structured legal argument and making use of their legal research skills.

In keeping with the Supreme Court’s procedure, institutions are required to submit skeleton arguments and bundles ahead of their moot, with students adhering to the standard legal deadlines.

Every Justice, including the President Lady Hale and Deputy President Lord Reed, will take part in the Supreme Court’s Moot Programme – taking it in turns to hear finals and decide winners.

Professor Lisa Webley, Head of Birmingham Law School says: “Birmingham Law School is proud to provide an extensive programme of legal extra curricula activities for its students, including advocacy and opportunities to give advice and assistance to clients in one of our fifteen pro bono projects.  Students have the chance to learn from clinical legal specialists, Birmingham lawyer partners and to compete alongside peers, The Supreme Court moot is the culmination of one of our internal mooting competitions and a great chance for students to experience advocacy in front of a senior judge.” 

Birmingham Law School organises a range of mooting opportunities and all students can take part. With the support and guidance of Academic Staff, students are trained in the skills of mooting and regularly participate in both internal and external competitions. Birmingham Law School also offers an optional final year mooting module providing a further chance for students to develop these skills. The Harding Moot Room is a dedicated facility for the practice of advocacy skills, which helps ensure that advocacy is central to the legal education which Birmingham Law School provides.

For more information or interviews, please contact: Hasan Salim Patel, Communications Manager (Arts, Law and Social Sciences) on +44 (0) 121 415 8134 or contact the press office out of hours on +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

• For almost 100 years Birmingham Law School has led the way in legal education and research. One of the world’s finest law schools, it continues to provide our students with innovative, challenging and research-driven education. The research contributes not only to the legal profession, but also to business, governance, public policy, NGOs, and the arts, as well as to the discipline of law per se. Located in the country’s first civic university, we are a global, diverse and civic law school committed to excellence in all of our endeavours.
• Birmingham Law School provides an expansive range of programmes, for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies and employ a range of approaches in teaching and research, from the theoretical and doctrinal to the empirical and applied. The research is recognised on a global stage, and the academics are frequent participants in legal debates and contribute to the policy-making process. They provide students with more than just a degree, and enable them to develop the skills required to enhance their employability.
• The Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) presents students with opportunities to increase their knowledge of law in action through Pro Bono, Mooting and over 50 law-specific career events each year. CEPLER's work is one of the many things that have led to Birmingham being recognised as the University of the Year for Graduate Employability in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016.
• The University of Birmingham is ranked among the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from over 150 countries.
• More information about the Supreme Court Moot Final Programme is available on the UKSC website.