Opportunities
Our competitions are prided on inclusivity and accessibility. Split into beginners and advanced competitions, every participant is given an equal opportunity to compete and improve at their own rate. Our legal competitions are renowned within our law school for the detailed and attentive feedback provided to each participant from our dedicated committee members, and the rewards offered in the later stages of the competitions.
Each competition is organized and judged by our selected committee members, who have partaken in the competition previously and know the ins and outs of their particular competition.
There are a total of seven competitions to partake in: Mooting, Negotiations, Client Interviewing, Mediation, Legal Triathlon, Commercial Enterprise, and Mock Trial.
Our Mooting competition is consistently popular across all years. In the later stages of the competition, external judges are invited to provide competitors with expert feedback and guidance. While mooting, there is a focus on legal research and public speaking skills, as well as the ability to clearly and concisely structure arguments.
By competing in our Negotiations competition, students improve their negotiation abilities and develop transferrable skills such as teamwork. Furthermore, by providing competitors with feedback at the end of each round, they can improve and develop continually. Negotiation skills are crucial in any corporate environment.
Our Client Interviewing competition was developed in response to feedback from law firms and recruiters that graduates struggled in client-facing scenarios. Therefore, by providing our members with the opportunity to practice client-based interactions, they develop practical skills invaluable to a legal career.
In our Mediation competition, competitors develop skills such as empathy to reduce the risk of hostile interactions and reach amicable solutions. Competitors must also work effectively in their teams to establish a good rapport with the clients. In the past, sponsors have also delivered courses or lectures on mediation to aid competitors.
Our ‘Legal Triathlon’ is a three-stage competition involving client interviewing, negotiations, and a first-instance trial on a specific area of law. The competition imitates the problems that a solicitor would face daily, and in Triathlon, competitors represent a single client throughout and correspond with the opposing competitors between rounds
Our Commercial Enterprise competition is a unique opportunity for members to compete with a non-law focus. Commercial Enterprise encourages business expertise and experience in a fun and creative way by tasking competitors with establishing a business from start to finish. Throughout the competition, the Enterprise Centre helps students develop sound and realistic business modules. The first round is forming a business plan, followed by marketing skills, a commercial awareness round, and the final encompasses a Dragon’s Den style pitch of the competitors’ overall business proposal.
Our Mock Trial competition was introduced to allow students to develop their skills and feel the realism of being in court. The skills students develop enable them to excel in legal research, apply laws to a specific scenario, and build their advocacy skills. In later rounds, external judges are invited to judge and offer their guidance to competitors.
The Commercial awareness Essay Competition is our newest addition, designed to develop the commercial awareness of our members. Participants are asked to submit a short response to an essay question, targeting commercial awareness.
If you would like to sign up for one of our seven competitions for the academic year 2023/24, the Law Society will be hosting its competition sign-up event on September 27th 2023. Each of our competitions has beginner and advanced tiers for all abilities. Sign ups will take place in the Earlham Hall Common Room between 1pm-4pm.
The successful running of our competitions would not be possible without the help we receive from our sponsors. Each of our competitions requires a sponsor to reward our talented winners. However, providing prizes is not the only meaningful way to get involved. We also offer sponsors to make non-monetary contributions by coming in and delivering workshops and lectures. If this interests you, please click the button below to contact us.
Competition sponsors and organising committees, 2023/24.
Sponsor: Flagship and East Anglian Chambers
Head: Grace BlackmoreAdvanced Coordinator: Tom CrabbBeginners Coordinators: Lottie Denny and Caitlin O'Hara
Sponsor: Eversheds Sutherland
Head: Kieran MylreaAdvanced Coordinator: Flora OsobiBeginners Coordinators: Stefan Ciobanu and Lewis Jepson
Sponsor: Herbert Smith Freehills
Head: Tia ChapmanAdvanced Coordinator: Grace GloverBeginners Coordinators: Hannah Zaton and Ceylan Yildrim
Sponsor: Flagship
Head: Oliver BaileeAdvanced Coordinator: Eve Sutherland-HurrenBeginners Coordinators: Wills Adam and Fleur Read- Riseley
Sponsor: Fosters
Head: Sam ReeceCoordinators: Holly Thompson, Barnaby Hernden and Lauren Windle
Sponsor: Leathes Prior and Martin Plowman
Head: Hana PowerCoordinators: Achilles Malathounis and Liv White
Sponsor: Birketts
Head: Ben JonesCoordinators: Natsha Gilyead and Abigail Smith
Sponsor: Allen and Overy
Head: Yvette Ng