Lord Briggs inspires the first cohort of law students in Supreme Court mooting
- The first cohort of law students from the University were judged by Lord Briggs at Supreme Court mooting
- Only 12 law schools are allowed to conduct a final mooting at the Supreme Court each year after a rigorous application process
- As a first generation, Lord Briggs inspired the students by showing them what is possible even without a background in Law
University of Chichester law students headed to the Supreme Court for career defining moment as they take part in a mooting judged by Lord Briggs.
Established in 2009, the Supreme Court acts as the final court of appeal and plays an important role in the development of United Kingdom law. In its first year, the justices gave landmark rulings on large cases such as access to legal advice for Scottish suspects, the rights of gay asylum seekers, and the weight to be given to pre-nuptial agreements.
After the rigorous application process and internal mooting’s hosted at the University, only four were chosen to be judged by Lord Briggs.
Lecturer in Law Ms Charley Dugdale said: “Only 12 law schools in the country are selected each year. We hosted two internal rounds of the mooting competition and were honoured to have QC Vaughan Lowe assisting us in judging semi-finals. We encouraged students across all three years to participate which meant competition was of an extremely high standard.”
All law students were invited to the day which started with an insightful tour. They were guided through the history and architecture of the court rooms as well as the infamous library, leaving students and staff overwhelmed by the power of literature available.
Opportunities such as these can play an important role in building the future generations of lawyers to break down barriers to this profession for those from a non-traditional background.
Charley expressed how passionate students were on the day saying, “students were ignited by the visit to continue pursuing their careers in law. Lord Briggs was also a first-generation lawyer and this really helps to break down barriers for law students from non-traditional backgrounds to forge a career in the legal world.”
Whilst students toured the facilities, the Mooters tirelessly prepared the final touches to their bundles for The Right Hon Lord Briggs of Westbourne.
A pinnacle of any lawyer’s career, they managed to remain calm and composed throughout the hearing. Lord Briggs continued to test their composure, interjecting submissions to gain more information and query potential holes in their arguments.
Proudly speaking on the performance, Charley said: “I am incredibly proud of the students involved in this competition. They undertook large amounts of legal research on an area they had never studied and dealt with robust questioning from Lord Briggs with such composure and eloquence. They are all an absolute credit to the University, and I have no doubt they will go far in their legal careers.”
The hearing lasted almost an hour and ended with Lord Briggs’ verdict. He commended the students on their professionalism, especially in the presentation of arguments with him stating they were even better than some professionals. He also noted their excellent presence in the court room, commenting on the importance of eye contact and thoughtful, timely responses to questions.
Whilst this is an exclusive event, the University hopes to continue running opportunities such as these to prepare their students best for the legal world.
