The custom-built Moot Court offers students invaluable opportunities to take part in mooting activities.
Mooting
The University of Exeter boasts an excellent, and growing, mooting programme, which provides undergraduate and postgraduate students with the opportunity to participate in a broad range of competitions.
Mooting is a vital part of every law student’s education. Whether you intend to practice as a solicitor or a barrister, the advocacy skills that a moot teaches are invaluable.
What is a moot?
A moot competition is a simulated legal argument before an appellate court. Mooters must research the law relevant to the problem, prepare written submissions and present their argument orally to the moot judge. Moot problems may be about any area of law, but often focus on issues that are contentious or on developing areas of law. To win, you do not necessarily have to win the legal case, but must make the best presentation of your legal arguments.
"Competing in mooting in my first year at university was a huge benefit to me. In addition to the academically challenging experience of having to research areas of law that I had never encountered before, crafting persuasive arguments in those areas meant that I was able to develop transferrable skills that I would later use in essays and exams. Personally, success in mooting meant that I was able to have greater confidence in my abilities – in both legal research and in public speaking. Whether you are involved at an international or national level, or simply wish to compete amongst fellow students, the experience of mooting can be invaluable for nurturing crucial skills that will be utilised for the entirety of your law degree."
Beth, Law LLB
Why moot?
The benefits of mooting are manifold. Mooting affords participants the opportunity to develop their understanding of the law and improve their skills in legal research and analysis. Mooters learn to develop and defend legal arguments and to work closely with their teammates towards a common goal, in a way that serves to increase confidence and improve public speaking skills. Mooting allows for interaction between students and members of academic staff, practitioners and judges, in a rewarding environment.
“Truthfully, I was totally terrified to even have a go at mooting, but once I had started, I couldn’t stop. For me, mooting wasn’t just a tick-box exercise for applications, it allowed me to explore vast and even niche areas of law, to develop complex arguments and most of all to gain confidence in my ability. The Landmark Chambers Property Moot was probably my favourite competition, the opportunity to be in a real Chambers, being judged by real barristers was daunting, but equally wonderful.”
Olivia, Law LLB
Research and resources
Mooters have a dedicated minilibrary hosted at the Law School at their exclusive disposal. This contains books on mooting and public speaking, as well as specialised monographs on the topics relevant to the ongoing mooting competitions. We also have dedicated staff at the library devoted to helping our mooters with their research.
We recommend that mooters use guidance on Law reports available on the library website and arrange sessions with the Lexis/JustCite representatives as necessary. Mooting teams may borrow law reports or other reference material from the Law Library provided they make prior arrangements. Lists of materials should be submitted to the enquiry desk in Information Central (level -1) the day before so that the books can be processed by the library.
The Law School includes the ‘Amory Law Wing’, a purpose built technology-rich learning space which provides a highly professional environment for students. The facilities include a custom-built Moot Court for simulated legal hearings and four large executive boardrooms designed to support group learning. The Moot Court and boardrooms are equipped with the latest technology, including high-spec video conferencing.
Facilities
The custom-built Moot Court offers students invaluable opportunities to take part in mooting activities.
We host mooting competitions and help students to prepare for national mooting contests.
The Moot Court is equipped with the latest technology, including high-spec video conferencing.
Competitions
The Law School, in co-operation with student partners, has re-designed our mooting activities in order to encourage participation and give each student an excellent experience of advocacy. The mooting programme runs on three levels, organised by the Director of Mooting in collaboration with students from a variety of Law Societies.
Internal Mooting Competitions
There are two internal mooting competitions that run every year:
The Newcomers Mooting Competition: run in the first term, consisting of a number of heats and a final moot to determine the winner. All first-time mooters, whether from Law or non-Law backgrounds, are welcome to compete. It is designed to be an encouraging and supportive environment for our students, judged in the first instance by senior Law students who are experienced mooters themselves. It will be accompanied by a dedicated series of training sessions, covering key aspects of mooting. The prize for the winner is a judicial shadowing experience and a cash prize.
The Exeter Moot Court: run from November throughout Spring, consisting of series of rounds and a quarter-, semi- and final to determine the winner. This competition is for students who have mooted before and want to challenge themselves by competing across a wider selection of legal topics and against students from all levels. The judging panels consisted of students, members of staff and practitioners and competitors are assessed on their legal drafting skills, their oral advocacy and their ability to respond to judicial intervention. The final round is held in a prestigious Exeter venue and is a major event in the Law School’s academic calendar.
“As a complete newcomer to mooting, I competed in Exeter Moot Court, Exeter’s internal competition, in my first year of study. I found the format of the competition very accessible, with workshops prior to the first round helping me get to grips with the basics of mooting, as well as the Mooting Officers, who judged the early rounds of the competition, being supportive and approachable. The fact that the competition started out fairly easy and got progressively more complex allowed me to develop my skills and confidence over time, ultimately reaching the quarter-finals. I then helped organise and run the mooting programme in my second year of study, hoping to continue to make mooting accessible to those of all abilities. From running internal moots to entering international competitions, I think Exeter has something for people of all levels, which makes the mooting programme feel very inclusive while still having opportunities of a very high quality.”
Emma, Law LLB
National Mooting Competitions
Exeter Law School sends teams to a wide variety of national competitions. Law Societies from across the University are able to contribute to the selection of the competitions and lead the organisation of the teams. Supported by excellent Mooting Coaches, these competitions provide an excellent opportunity to moot at a high level as well as meet other students from across the UK and build a network in the legal community.
The Law School has recently entered:
- The Fetherstone LGBTQ Moot
- The Blackstones Land Law Moot
- The Mackay Canadian Law Moot
- The National Speed Mooting Competition
- ESU-Essex Court Chambers National Moot Competition
- National Moot Competition on Commercial and Maritime Law
- OUP/ICCA National Mooting Competition
International Mooting Competitions
The Law School also runs an annual International Mooting Team. Admission onto the team is competitive and the experience of being on the team is invaluable to any student wishing to pursue a career in advocacy. The Law School provides extensive support to these teams in the form of coaching, including the provision of multiple practice moots before the competitions. Academic staff members, as well as barristers and solicitors, help teams improve their ability to construct legal argument and develop their advocacy skills through various workshops, and practice moots.
The Law School has recently entered:
- The Jean Pictet Competition
- Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot
- Philip C Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition
- International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot
- Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot
“Having competed in this year’s Philip C. Jessup International Moot Competition was exhilarating and so rewarding. As it is the world’s largest moot, Jessup shaped my mindset and taught me more than just the law. It brings out the best in a person, given the amount of skill, precision and commitment it demanded from students. Moreover, working in a team of 5 taught me invaluable lessons on teamwork which ultimately fostered some life-long friendships. We were also coached by some of the best lecturers from the Public International Law faculty, most notably, Professor Hitoshi Nasu. I would highly recommend getting involved with the University for an external moot for a more wholesome law school experience. All the best to future mooties!"
Ashley, third year
