The aim of the London Universities Mooting Shield is to provide a friendly and supportive
atmosphere for members of the participating universities can develop their mooting skills.
The competition is unique: no other competition focuses solely on London Universities, and
it’s one of a very few to operate for all but the last round on a league, rather than a knockout
system. Each team competes an equal number of times, ensuring every team member gains
as much experience as possible.
Mooting
For a short history, the word ‘moot’ traces its origins to very early Anglo-Saxon, where it meant ‘meeting’. Moots became commonplace in the 15th century and were then used as a way of testing and practising legal arguments, to draw out the most convincing, being able to put these tried and tested arguments to the court in the hope that the case would stand a better chance of succeeding. The combined university based competitions of the eight universities taking part see upwards of 600 students competing each year, active participation in mooting is a crucial activity for any intending barrister and develops key skills useful for solicitors and other professions.
The Competition
LUMS was developed in 2007 by the student Masters of Moots at the universities taking part; it is very much a competition run with students in mind. Promoting a good ‘work-life balance’ is one of our objectives: a social event takes place after every round, where participants have the opportunity of meeting their judges in a less formal setting, as well as getting to know mooters from other teams, developing valuable contacts over a well-deserved break from moot preparation and studying.
Each team features up to four members, and although the rounds are close together (every 2-3 weeks) the workload can be easily divided. The competition rounds are often scheduled to take into account lectures on certain evenings, essay deadlines, exams and unusually timed reading weeks. Each of the participating universities has a say in how the competition is run, giving teams a stake in the competition, as opposed to being mere participants.
“All of this establishes the LUMS ethos: cooperation and teamwork, commitment and dedication, and an academic-social balance.”
Awards
The Grand Champions are awarded the coveted London Universities Mooting Shield, together with various prizes donated by our sponsors. Prizes are also given to the competition’s consistently best advocate, to the competitor benefitting their team, and to the team who has captured the spirit of the competition.
Mooting
For a short history, the word ‘moot’ traces its origins to very early Anglo-Saxon, where it meant ‘meeting’. Moots became commonplace in the 15th century and were then used as a way of testing and practising legal arguments, to draw out the most convincing, being able to put these tried and tested arguments to the court in the hope that the case would stand a better chance of succeeding. The combined university based competitions of the eight universities taking part see upwards of 600 students competing each year, active participation in mooting is a crucial activity for any intending barrister and develops key skills useful for solicitors and other professions.
The Competition
LUMS was developed in 2007 by the student Masters of Moots at the universities taking part; it is very much a competition run with students in mind. Promoting a good ‘work-life balance’ is one of our objectives: a social event takes place after every round, where participants have the opportunity of meeting their judges in a less formal setting, as well as getting to know mooters from other teams, developing valuable contacts over a well-deserved break from moot preparation and studying.
Each team features up to four members, and although the rounds are close together (every 2-3 weeks) the workload can be easily divided. The competition rounds are often scheduled to take into account lectures on certain evenings, essay deadlines, exams and unusually timed reading weeks. Each of the participating universities has a say in how the competition is run, giving teams a stake in the competition, as opposed to being mere participants.
“All of this establishes the LUMS ethos: cooperation and teamwork, commitment and dedication, and an academic-social balance.”
Awards
The Grand Champions are awarded the coveted London Universities Mooting Shield, together with various prizes donated by our sponsors. Prizes are also given to the competition’s consistently best advocate, to the competitor benefitting their team, and to the team who has captured the spirit of the competition.