Meet our new COMBAR scholar, Moayad Karar
Oxford Law student Moayad Karar has been awarded a prestigious scholarship from the Commercial Bar Association (COMBAR) to pursue the Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) at Oxford.
Moayad, who studied Law as an undergraduate at Oxford, now continues his legal journey at postgraduate level with the support of the scholarship.
Henry King KC, Chair of COMBAR, said: “We are delighted that Moayad has taken up our scholarship and are pleased to be supporting him in his studies and in his future ambitions, both through our scholarship and through our mentoring programme.”
We spoke with Moayad about his background, his legal interests, and his ambitions for the future.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your background and what led you to study law?
I was born in Ireland to Sudanese parents, and since then I’ve moved around a fair bit, spending time in Ireland, Sudan, Scotland, and now Oxford. Living in different legal and political systems has definitely shaped my interest in the law. I was struck by the contrast between the different impacts the law had on people’s lives across these countries. And of course I was a very argumentative child, which I suppose made law a natural fit!
Q: You studied Law at Worcester College, Oxford, including a year abroad in Paris. What stood out most from your undergraduate years?
I loved my time at Worcester. I was lucky enough to have had a great lineup of tutors – including such wonderful people as Leah Trueblood, James Edwards, Aiden Lerch, Hilary Hogan, Menelaos Markakis, Donal Nolan, and Hasan Dindjer – to whom I am sincerely thankful. But I also came away with a lot of questions that I didn’t have time to fully explore at undergraduate level. That’s a big part of why I wanted to continue with the BCL.
Q: What do you hope to focus on during your BCL studies?
The BCL offers a unique chance to take a diversity of options, and to go deeper into various areas of law before heading into practice. I’m hoping to study Restitution of Unjust Enrichment and Commercial Remedies, two subjects that are hugely important in private law and that raise big theoretical issues, which I’m particularly interested in. I’m also excited to study the Principles of Civil Procedure and the International Law of Armed Conflict, which I haven’t had the chance to explore previously. For me, the BCL is about trying to answer these questions I’ve been carrying with me since undergrad.
Q: What are your reflections on receiving the COMBAR scholarship?
Simply put, without the scholarship I wouldn’t be doing this. Coming to study at Oxford as an undergraduate changed the course of my life in a big way, and although I am only just starting the BCL course, I’m certain this scholarship will do the same. It will give me opportunities I definitely wouldn’t have had otherwise, and I’m truly grateful to COMBAR and to the Faculty for that.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
I’m still keeping an open mind, but the commercial bar is something I’m especially drawn to. I like the idea of being at the forefront of legal problems as they arise in real people’s lives. At the same time, I’m also interested in academia – particularly in applied legal theory. I suspect I’ll keep having these questions that need answering! Ideally, I’d like to combine both: contributing to scholarship while also being engaged in practice and working with the law more directly.
Q: And outside of Law, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I enjoy playing football and cooking, though I’m not sure I’m particularly good at either. I spend a lot of time with my family, including my wonderful niece and newborn nephew. I also do some charity work connected to Sudan. This year, I hope to raise money for scholarships, like this one, for Sudanese students around the world.