'Learn to Moot' workshop series

 

ARU London recently launched its 'Learn to Moot' workshop series, a new extra-curricular initiative designed to introduce law students to the skills and experience of mooting and appellate advocacy.

 

The four-workshop series provided students with an opportunity to complement their academic studies with practical legal experience, supporting ARU London's commitment to enhancing student employability. During the workshops, students were able to apply legal knowledge to a realistic legal problem while developing the skills valued by employers across a wide range of professions.

 

Mooting involves presenting legal arguments in a simulated court hearing before a judge or panel of judges. The workshop series saw students being introduced to the fundamentals of appellate advocacy, including researching legal authorities, constructing persuasive arguments, preparing skeleton arguments and bundles, observing court etiquette, developing oral advocacy techniques, and responding effectively to judicial questioning. The series concluded with a practice moot that enabled the workshop participants to put the skills they had learned into action and to receive feedback on their advocacy.

 

All of the workshops were delivered by ARU London staff who combine academic expertise with professional legal experience, including qualified legal practitioners and colleagues who have undertaken professional legal training through routes such as the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and Bar Training Course (BTC). This combination of academic and practical perspectives ensured that students benefitted from practical insights into advocacy and legal practice, while also gaining a deeper understanding of the skills required in professional environments.

 

We would like to thank Dr Felix Oweka, Delon Jones, and Rawnak Nishat for delivering the workshops and supporting our students throughout. We are also grateful to Dr Elizabeth Izac-Hassan for creating the moot problem and moot pack, which provided students with a realistic and engaging advocacy exercise.

 

Most importantly, we would like to thank all of the students who participated in the workshop series. Their enthusiasm, preparation, and commitment helped make the launch of 'Learn to Moot' a success.

 

Following this successful launch, ARU London looks forward to running the 'Learn to Moot' workshop series in future trimesters as well as developing further opportunities for students to participate in mooting activities and competitions.