What is mooting?

Moots are mock trial competitions used to prepare trainee lawyers for the atmosphere of court hearings. They are a brilliant tool to improve advocacy, research and public speaking skills and strengthen your ability to produce and defend complex arguments. Participating in mooting is a highly rewarding experience. Students are able to enhance their skills, engage with stimulating and challenging legal issues, build teams with their peers and appeal to prospective employers.

Whilst similar to debates in many respects, moots are much more focused on using analytical skills to build and justify arguments rooted in legal precedents and factual evidence. You will therefore gain with a deeper understanding of law and the ability to confidently engage with topical legal issues. You will also have to face questions from a judge - a unique and unrivalled experience where your argument is tested by a highly informed and skilled mind. In competitions, judges are often current justices of The Supreme Court or judges at the High Court or Court of Appeals.

Mooting at St Andrews

Mooting at St Andrews is a unique experience, as we are the only University Mooting Team without the benefit and assistance of a Law Faculty. A large role in the team is therefore played by our older, more experienced members and dedicated alumni, who are integral to helping you produce cohesive, forward-thinking arguments and improving your skills. This makes mooting with us a much more hands on experience than you would find anywhere else. Our framework is designed to encompass those at all stages and this year, we are seeking to make our moots more accessible than ever before through our Advocacy Development Program.

Mooting is typically done in pairs, with a junior and senior speaker (counsel) working closely together against their opponents. We like to encourage and build strong and dedicated teams of peers and so will be hosting many opportunities throughout the year to get to know the team, be it through weekly training sessions, pub nights or team dinners.

In addition to interactive training sessions, we offer our mooters the chance to take part in competitions, internal and national. In previous years, we have frequently competed (and secured some spectacular victories) against prestigious universities such as Oxford and Bristol and in contests such as the Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition.

How to get involved

If you would like to get involved or have any queries about mooting, please get in contact with the Master or Mistress of the Moots by emailing them at:

Rachael Herz: rmh82st-andrews.ac.uk

Michael Arianas: mca4@st-andrews.ac.uk