Bristol Mooting Finals at the Royal Court of Justice Mark the End of the Prestigious 2015-2016 Herbert Smith Freehills Mooting Competition

The Hon Sir Richard Field, Mr Justice Mostyn, Kuang You Ang (Runner-up), Tej Singh (Finalist), Mr Justice Holman, Molly Greenslade (Finalist) and Emily Jelly (Winner), Second Years’ Finals at the RCJ, London

Adam Johnson (HSF Partner), Hebe Trotter (Final Year Runner-up), Conrad Marinkovic (Final Year Winner), Georgia Tetlow (First Year Winner), Raina Hayles (First Year Runner-up) and Judge Barry Cotter QC, First and Final Years’ Finals, Bristol Law School

Julian Goering and Tom Murrell (Final Year Students, Senior Masters of the Moot), Rosa Shand and Lucy Bennett (Second Year Law Students, Mistresses of the Moot)

14 March 2016

The second years’ Mooting Law Finals took place on March 9, 2016 at the Royal Court of Justice in London. The students argued their case before a stellar bench consisting of Mr Justice Mostyn (Bristol Law Alumnus), The Hon Sir Richard Field (Bristol Law Alumnus) and Mr Justice Holman.

Second year law students, Molly Greenslade, Emily Jelly, Tej Singh and Kuang You Ang, gave an excellent performance that was praised by the judges and the audience. Emily Jelly won the finals and Kuang You Ang was the runner-up. All the students enjoyed a drinks reception engaging with the judges and HSF alumni who attended the event.

The event was generously funded by the Bristol Law School that gave a unique opportunity to the mooters and thirty more law students to attend the finals in the Royal Court of Justice and learn how to improve their advocacy skills from experienced and highly qualified judges. The four mooters were also privileged to be trained by Professor Michael Ford QC, who should be thanked for the support he offered to the students.

Apart from the memorable experience the Bristol Law Students had in the Royal Court of Justice, they also enjoyed a very inspiring presentation by Dan Schaffer, Emily Blanshard, and Philip Pfeffer at the Herbert Smith Freehills offices. The presentation offered invaluable insights into the life of trainees, the careers of successful litigators, and the internally renowned practice of Herbert Smith Freehills.

The finals held in London preceded by the first and final years’ Mooting Law Finals held at the Wills Memorial Building on March 2, 2016. The first years’ finals was judged by Judge Barry Cotter QC, who decided that Georgia Tetlow should win the prize for the best first year mooter and Raina Hayles for the second best. Adam Johnson (HSF Partner) judged the final years’ final round and congratulated Conrad Marinkovic on winning the final years’ mooting competition and Hebe Trotter on being the runner-up. The finals were very well-attended by students, academic staff, and HSF representatives, and were followed by a drinks reception and a dinner provided by Herbert Smith Freehills.

The annual undergraduate Mooting Law competition has been one of the most popular and successful extra-curricular activities of the UBLC and the Law School. The competition could not have been such a resounding success without the generous sponsorship and long-standing support offered to the Bristol Law students by Herbert Smith Freehills. The prestigious city law firm, and especially Dan Schaffer (HSF Partner, Bristol Law Alumnus), should be thanked for the sponsorship, training and networking sessions they have been offering to the Bristol Law students as part of the Advocacy Programme of Bristol Law School.

Sofia Galani, the Law School’s Mooting Academic Advisor, said: ‘Bristol Law School is privileged to have engaged alumni who are keen to support the academic and professional development of our students. I would like to thank Mr Justice Mostyn and my colleague, Dr. Oliver Quick, who helped us organise our Finals in the RCJ. We are also lucky to attract students of the highest calibre who can organise events at a high professional standard. I am very grateful to have worked next to my very competent students, Julian Goering and Tom Murrell (Final Year Law Students, Seniors Masters of the Moot) and Lucy Bennett and Rosa Shand (Second Year Law Students, Mistresses of the Moot) and I would like to thank them for all their hard work to make this year’s competition such a resounding success’.