Exeter wins national mooting competition

The final which took place between the University of Exeter and the Open University, required the students to adopt the role of barristers in a mock trial. The Open University was defending a decision that had already been taken in a case and Exeter was appealing it. Tom Windsor, second year undergraduate at Exeter opened the cross appeal, followed by Julian King from the Open University. They then continued the moot with Richard Wilcock taking his turn before Christopher Cook, from the University of Exeter addressed the judges.

Law Society members, Keith Etherington and Michael Franks acted as moot judges and put the mooters skills to the test, firing question after question in rapid succession. The judges concluded that the University of Exeter was this year’s winner, due to their ability to answer the judge’s questions in a quick and concise manner.

The experience for Tom Windsor was extremely rewarding, he said ‘Winning the national mooting competition will help with future applications to barristers chambers. I think we won because we knew our material inside out, we had scrutinised every singe case for hours before hand so we could pinpoint important elements for the judges without having to waste time looking for it.

He added, ‘I have mooted for two years now and it certainly assists my understanding of my degree modules. The diverse areas you are forced to wade into make you ultra-critical naturally and you develop the ability to identify the crux of cases very quickly.’

Throughout the academic year, University of Exeter law students organise events with guest judges sometimes drawn from the academic staff or from the local professional judicial and legal communities. Both Tom and Christopher recognise the importance of this type of support and appreciate the benefit of the moots on campus, which contributed to their national success.

Professor Melanie Williams, Head of the School of Law at the University of Exeter was most impressed with the top position secured in what is a highly competitive and demanding mooting competition. She said, ‘This is an outstanding achievement, as the participants will have familiarised themselves with a complex range of legal arguments and principles and schooled themselves in responding to challenges to their arguments. A good advocate must draw together the most powerful arguments for their own ‘side’ and be able to anticipate the very best arguments likely to be raised by the opposing side. The judge may decide to challenge the advocates either on a point of law, or on a point of style and advocacy.’

She added, ‘Winning the competition reflects a significant achievement on the part of the advocates and the School of Law is delighted with their success.  Mooting forms an integral part of School activity at both campuses and there have been successes at both campuses in various internal and external heats.’

Tom and Christopher were awarded celebratory shields and both students won an online subscription to The Weekly Law Reports which are considered to be the most respected place to find cases. The competition was sponsored by The Law Society Charity, SAHCA, Cambridge University Press and Justis Publishing.