A moot is a mock trial of a legal issue. Mooting provides students with the opportunity to argue a fictional case as if representing a client. Birmingham Law School organises a range of mooting opportunities and all students have the opportunity to participate.
Students receive full support for mooting from members of the Academic Staff and the relevant student members of the Mooting Committee, and a workshop is run each year to introduce students to mooting.
The Moot Room is a dedicated facility for the practice of extra-curricular mooting activities, which helps ensure mooting is central to the legal education which Birmingham Law School provides.
We have recently introduced an optional mooting module into the final year of the LLB programme providing our students with another opportunity to get involved in this area.
Internal mooting
Birmingham Law School operates three mooting Competitions: the Alumni Competition for first year students; the Camm Cup, sponsored by No. 5 Chambers, for second and final year students and the Postgraduate Competition.
Each year many teams of students from across all years at Birmingham participate. Competitive mooting is judged by highly regarded solicitors and barristers, thanks to the generous support of alumni who also provide informal debriefs.
The finals of each of the competitions are judged by eminent members of the legal profession. In recent years, we have welcomed members of the House of Lords, Lord Justices of Appeal and leading barristers as our judges.
External mooting
Birmingham Students regularly represent the University at regional and national competitions, with some notable success. In recent years, we have entered the Oxford University Press, Weekly Law Reports, Inner Temple Inter-Varsity and the Midlands Mooting Competitions. Last year our teams also participated in the English Speaking Union (ESU) Moot and the London School of Economics LGBT Moot.
There are also opportunities to enter the University in international competitions, such as the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Students compete in national and regional competitions (mostly held in January-March) to earn the right to advance to the White & Case International Rounds held every spring in Washington, D.C.
If you have any questions about mooting, please contact Miss Theresa Lynch.