Oxford Mooting

College Mooting

Intra- and inter-college moots have been a part of legal education in many colleges for the better part of the last century. Recent years have also seen increasingly widespread and intensive use of mooting as a teaching tool in seminars and tutorials. The following information relating to college mooting in Oxford has been provided by college law student societies.

St Catherine's

The annual St Catherine's College Mooting Competition is held on an area of criminal law. In the past, it has been judged by legal luminaries such as Catz alumnus His Honour Judge David Waksman QC (1979, Law).

Magdalen

The Atkin Society conducts an Annual Dinner Moot each Trinity term, involving both undergraduate and postgraduate students. A member of the House of Lords or the Court of Appeal is invited to judge the moot, which, together with the dinner that follows, is sponsored by Macfarlanes LLP.

Moots are also routinely incorporated into the tutorial programme in constitutional law, contract and tort.

Merton

The Halsbury Society conducts two annual mooting competitions. The FE Smith Memorial Mooting Competition is open to first-year students and held in Trinity term. It is preceded by a mooting master class and, usually, a demonstration moot involving second-year lawyers. The second-year mooting competition is conducted in Hilary term. It generally incorporates a dinner and drinks reception, and is sponsored and judged by a law firm. The Society also organises a number of ad hoc (generally inter-college) moots each year, some judged by tutors and others by students.

New

New College generally conducts three mooting events each year: an introductory moot for new undergraduate students, a mooting master class and a contract or tort moot held during the course of teaching these subjects. Second-year students usually take part in the first moot to demonstrate the format to new undergraduates. The topic is generally a problem in criminal law and the moot has, in the past, been judged by a senior lecturer or practitioner. A senior practitioner is also invited to conduct the mooting master class, which is open to all undergraduate law students of the College. The final moot involves the first-year undergraduate class, and focuses on contract or tort. The New College Law Society also invites alumni to conduct informal mooting workshops from time to time.

Pembroke

Pembroke law students participate in a contract law mooting competition in the course of teaching in that subject. The college law society also endeavours to arrange workshops with representatives of law firms from time to time.

St John’s

The Holdsworth Society conducts a moot in Hilary term each year, open to all undergraduate law students at the University. Participants may, but need not, come from the same College; places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Sixteen teams compete in the first round of the four-round competition, which takes an elimination format. The moot problem typically involves tort, contract or land law, and is designed to be interesting and challenging for mooters of all standards and all levels of experience. Members of the High Court have judged the final in past years, and it the competition is traditionally sponsored by Herbert Smith.

St Peter’s

While St Peter's law society does not currently conduct any regular mooting events, mooting is incorporated into contract law teaching, with tutorials on consideration and promissory estoppel generally conducted as moots.

Worcester

While Worcester does not have any annual mooting competitions, a number of ad hoc inter-college moots are arranged each year.