Mooting

Mooting

The main opportunity to moot at Middle Temple comes from our annual Rosamund Smith Competition.

Other opportunities include an annual moot with Pepperdine University, held at the Royal Courts of Justice and the Middle Temple Vis Moot team who enter the Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Details are below.

In addition, we need students to act as timekeepers for the Rosamund Smith Competition - see details below.

Rosamund Smith Mooting Competition

Every year Middle Temple hosts a mooting competition for its student members. It is open to both Bar Course and CPE/GDL students. The competition is run on a 'knock-out' basis, and students compete in teams of two. The team that wins the moot will go through to the next round. Whilst the initial rounds will be held online and are not open to spectators, the semi-finals and final take place in Hall before a dinner, usually in front of a large audience. At every round, the judge of the moot will be a barrister or a judge.

Each finalist will win a wig and gown. In addition, they usually take part in a fully funded mooting exchange with a US university (either Pepperdine University in California or University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill).

An Introductory Evening will be held on Monday 2 December 2024, 17:30-20:30 to provide useful information and tips for registered participants before the competition gets underway. Applicants for the competition will be able to book a place nearer the time via the main events page on the Middle Temple website

The first rounds of Moot Heats will begin in January and continue into May. The semi-finals and the final will be held in Hall before dinner in June and October respectively.

The moot problem will be provided 2 weeks ahead of each moot to give ample time to work on it alongside your studies and other commitments.

How to enter the competition

To be eligible to enter you and your partner must both be members of the Middle Temple and current students on either the Bar Course or the GDL for the whole of the academic year 2024-25 (if you have completed the course in the previous academic year and are still sitting exams you are not eligible).

Where possible you should find your own mooting partner before applying to enter the competition. You do not both have to be studying at the same university, although it can help as it means you have similar schedules.

By entering the competition you undertake to compete it every round until such time as your team is knocked out of the competition. Depending on how far you progress through the rounds this can amount to a significant time commitment.

Heats of the 2025 competition are scheduled to take place as follows (subject to change):

Round 1: 20 - 30 January (Excluding 24)
Round 2: 24 - 27 February
Round 3: 24 - 28 March (Excl 27)
Round 4: 19 - 22 May
Round 5 (Semi-Finals): 16 & 23 June
Round 6 (Final): 20 October

Applications will open on 16 September 2024 and will close at 10am on 15 November 2024.

APPLICATIONS ARE CLOSED

Mooting with Pepperdine University

Middle Temple usually organises moots with Pepperdine University, an American University with a branch in London. The Pepperdine competition takes place in the Royal Courts of Justice every year and provides the mooters with a truly memorable experience.

Pepperdine University School of Law invite interested students from Middle Temple to take part in the annual Royal Courts of Justice Moot Court Competition to be held on Wednesday 20 November 2024 at the Royal Courts of Justice from 18:15 to 20:15, followed by refreshments at a nearby pub. Please note that this event is not a qualifying session.

Each year we ask for applications to take place and then choose at random a number of Middle Temple student members to compete. Each Middle Temple student will be paired up with a Pepperdine student. Full details are provided on the invitation letter.

APPLY FOR THE PEPPERDINE MOOT

Applications close at 17:00 on 10 October 2024. If you have are chosen to participate you will be contacted and put in touch with your Pepperdine partner.

The Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot

The prestigious Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot is being held in Vienna, Austria, in April 2025, and Middle Temple is taking a team of students to compete!

The competition lasts for one week, and attracts over 360 teams from around the globe. Further details, including dates, can be found at: https://www.vismoot.org/

As part of the Middle Temple team, you will be competing against international teams of law students and trainee lawyers and arguing your own case before some of the world's leading arbitrators. You do not need to be aiming for a commercial law practice: previous team members have gone on to practise in a range of different areas.

You will receive regular coaching sessions from October 2024 to April 2025 and help to prepare two written memoranda. You will also participate in at least two London-based pre-moots, and potentially travel to other European cities for pre-moots. The final moot competition in April is intense, stimulating and great fun.

The biggest benefit from taking part will be the confidence boost to your advocacy skills. Many former team members have said how it helped them with pupillage interviews, as well as winning them CV points for actual advocacy experience.

The Middle Temple team

There are up to 6 places on the team. 10-12 shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview. Interviews will be conducted by the coaches, and will be held online in the late afternoon and evening of Monday 7 and Thursday 8 October 2024 – applicants should ensure that they are available on those dates. Successful applicants will be informed of the exact date and time by email. Please note that it will not be possible to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Comments from previous team members have included the following:

In contrast to many submission advocacy exercises set by BTC providers and the more common moot problems, participation in the Vis Moot gave us the chance to grapple with a larger, more complex and more realistic commercial problem, allowing us to develop and fine-tune written and oral arguments over a number of months. In that regard, the Vis Moot is excellent preparation for pupillage at the Commercial Bar, particularly for those seeking a career in international commercial arbitration…I feel absolutely confident that my participation in the Middle Temple team assisted me in securing pupillage the following year.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

The Middle Temple has a history of success. Previous teams have reached the final rounds in Vienna and have won the London pre-moots, with individual mooters also receiving winning scores.

Applicants must be student members of Middle Temple. We are looking for individuals who are hungry to learn, and a team which is committed to working hard and to winning. In particular, we will be looking for evidence of:

Team working skills;
Strong organisational and time management skills;
Academic ability;
Drive and determination.

Experience of debating, mooting or other public speaking is desirable but not essential.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

Under the tuition of Zara McGlone (4 Stone Buildings) assisted by Alfie Lewis (Littleton) you will:

Receive advocacy training from leading experts in arbitration;
Develop an astute understanding of international commercial law;
Learn which arguments work and which don’t
Learn to draft professional memoranda;
Learn to manage your time effectively; and
Begin to understand the realities of case management.

We are flexible about the place, format and time of the coaching sessions and can accommodate team members who work or who are based outside London, as in previous years.

HOW DO I APPLY?

Please prepare an email statement of:

A maximum 80 words on why you want to be part of the Middle Temple Vis team; and
A maximum 200 words, setting out how you meet the criteria described in 'What are we looking for?'

Send this with a copy of your CV (maximum 2 pages), and your Middle Temple membership number, to: z.mcglone@4stonebuildings.com by midnight on Wednesday 2 October 2024.

Moot Judges

Practitioners of at least 5 years’ Call up to and including retired professionals can act as Moot Judges in the annual Rosamund Smith Mooting Competition.

Initial rounds are held in private on weekday evenings. The first two rounds are conducted remotely on Zoom, the following third and fourth rounds take place in the Rutledge Suite, Ashley Building.

It is not necessary to have any prior legal knowledge or experience in the subject matter of the moot. Each problem comes with a ‘crib’ for moot judges, and only a very short decision on the law is required – a few sentences summarising the legal outcome is fine. The more important part of the judge’s role is the evaluation of the mooters’ performance, with constructive feedback.

Moot judging is a great opportunity to support and engage with students, and we know they find this interaction with practitioners invaluable. Those of us who have acted as moot judges have found it enjoyable and worthwhile.

If interested please get in touch with Geoff via g.brown@middletemple.org.uk.

Moot Timekeepers

The Inn requires volunteers to act as timekeepers for the Rosamund Smith mooting competition which runs from January through to October every year.

Undergraduates are welcome to volunteer for the role. This can be a great way to get first hand experience of moots and an opportunity to interact with (often very senior!) members of the profession.

Moots are scheduled for 17:30 and last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes. There is no formal dress code required for the timekeeper. Early rounds will be held online, so you can timekeep from home!

Timekeepers for the semi-final and final rounds are also invited to stay for the dinner in Hall after the moot.

Membership of the Inn is not a requirement, but students currently studying for the LLB, LLM or GDL are given priority.