Hannah Lewthwaite and Charlotte Watson, pictured below, who study Law LLB, beat opponents from the University of Surrey during the first round of the OUP (Oxford University Press) and the Inns of Court College of Advocacy (ICCA)’s National Mooting Competition last month.
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This popular competition gives undergraduate students the chance to practice their advocacy skills.
Mooting is the oral presentation of a legal issue against an opposing counsel before a judge, and is one of the closest experiences a student can have to giving representation in court while they are training.
Students who practice mooting increase their own skills and confidence as well as their employability in a competitive job market.
Dr John Morrow, Senior Lecturer at Chester Law School, said: “I actively encourage students to get involved with mooting – not only does it boost their personal skills and career prospects but it helps with study too.
“Charlotte and Hannah have done the University of Chester proud already in this competition and we wish them all the best in the next round. I hope that Charlotte and Hannah’s win will inspire more students to try mooting.”
Charlotte, from Rochdale, said: “I got involved with mooting as I want to advocate within the courts as a job and mooting has allowed me to practice that skill. The more I mooted the more I enjoyed it, from the competitiveness with other teams to the teamwork with my partner.
“It allowed me to further my understanding on topics and develop knowledge on areas which are not taught on a law degree. It has also improved my research skills which has led to an improvement in my grades.
“I’m excited to be through to the next round in the competition, especially since I will be graduating this year so this will be my last chance to compete. But at the same time I am nervous as it means the standard of the other mooters will be high and the scenarios will become more difficult.”
Hannah, from Preston, added: “The OUP moot has allowed me to contextualise my academic learning and drastically build my self-confidence within my assertions when talking to individuals with significant authority.”
The second round of the competition, which will be held online, takes place today, April 7, and will see Charlotte and Hannah face former champions Birkbeck College, University of London. If the pair are successful they will earn with a place in the semi-final.
