The Annual Mooting Competition started with two great events at the University of Bristol Law School.

The Launch Night and the first drinks reception took place on Monday 5 October before 100 enthusiastic students. The event offered an exhibition moot for students interested in finding out what a moot is. The success of the Launch Night was followed by another successful training session that took place on Thursday 22 October before an audience of more than a 100 students. The training session gave students an in-depth understanding of how to develop advocacy skills, build a strong argument, and engage with the Bench. Both the sessions were generously sponsored and supported by Herbert Smiths Feehills. The sessions were led by Ian Gatt QC, Head of the Advocacy Unit, HSF. Rupert Lewis, Disputes Resolution Partner, HSF and Bristol alumnus, and a number of HSF trainees also attended the events and advised our Law students on how to improve their advocacy skills and apply for training contracts. In addition to the training, the students received a detailed handout on ‘How to Moot’ prepared by Ian Gatt QC and Rupert Lewis.

The events could not have been such a success without the generous sponsorship of HSF and the amazing support Dan Schaffer, Head of Pensions at HSF and Chair of the Law School’s Advisory Board, has been offering to our students. The UBLC Mooting Team, led by our second year students, Lucy Bennett and Rosa Shand, and final year students Julian Goering and Tom Murrell, are to be congratulated on organising such a professional and well attended event.

The Mooting Academic Advisor, Sofia Galani, would like to thank HSF for sharing their expertise and knowledge with our students, and the mooting team for all their hard work. She wishes all the mooters the best of luck in the competition that starts next week!