One Essex Court is delighted to host a one-day mooting competition as part of its Women at the Commercial Bar programme. The competition will be held on Thursday 4 December 2025 in London, and the final round will be judged by Lady Justice Cockerill DBE. There is a £1,000 prize for the winning team, and prizes for semi-finalists, finalists and the best oralist.
What will the day look like?
All teams invited to the competition day will have at least two chances to moot, arguing either side of a problem. Scores from those two moots will be combined and the highest-scoring teams will go on to the semi-finals, the winners of which will enter the final.
For those teams who do not go onto the semi-finals, we are arranging panel discussions and meetings with barristers. The day is intended to provide all participants with both enjoyable mooting opportunities and an insight into life as a woman at the commercial bar.
Lunch will be provided and there will be a drinks reception in One Essex Court at the end at the day, at which the prizes will be awarded.
How can I enter?
Participants are required to enter the competition in teams of two speakers. Teams can also have an optional third member to act as an adviser. Advisers can assist with the preparation of skeleton arguments and attend on the day to support the speakers, but cannot speak themselves.
The competition is open to anyone interested in a career at the Commercial Bar who does not yet have an offer of pupillage, regardless of stage of education. (Qualified lawyers of any kind are not permitted to enter.) There is no limit on the number of teams from a particular university.
Registration
Please register your team here.
The problem for the first two rounds of the moot will be provided to registered teams on Thursday 9 October. Teams can register after that date and receive the problem, but will have less time to produce a skeleton argument.
In order to enter the competition, teams must submit a five-page skeleton argument on this mooting problem by Thursday 30 October 2025. The 16 teams who submit the best skeleton arguments will be invited to the competition day. Invited teams will be provided with the moot problem for the semi-finals and finals, and asked to prepare skeleton arguments in advance.
Further information
For teams attending the competition day, One Essex Court will pay reasonable travel expenses and (for teams attending from significantly outside London) reasonable accommodation expenses. We will circulate our expenses policy to invited teams.
The moot does not form any part of One Essex Court’s pupillage application process.
Please see further information and our Mooting FAQs below. If you have questions not addressed there, please email cperdreau@oeclaw.co.uk
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What is mooting?
Mooting is a mock court hearing, typically an appeal, in which a hypothetical legal issue or point of law is mooted. There is a ‘Appellant’ team and a ‘Respondent’ team who each argue for or against a legal proposition and usually prepare a written argument as well as making oral submissions. The aim is to persuade the judge to find in your favour.
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Why should I moot?
Mooting is a way to try out courtroom advocacy, which is a key part of a barrister’s job. It requires you to engage deeply and critically with a legal issue, work out which arguments support your position, anticipate counter-arguments and think about the best way to present them orally in order to persuade a judge to find in your favour.
We use many of these skills daily, both in and out of court, in our role as barristers and mooting can be a great way to explore these aspects of the job.
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Should I enter this competition if I have never mooted before?
Absolutely! Mooting is ultimately an exercise in persuasion – if you think you might enjoy a debate about a legal issue, you might enjoy mooting. We will also provide you will all the relevant cases for each moot problem in the competition so there is no need for you to be familiar with any particular area of law.
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What is a skeleton argument?
A skeleton argument represents the written submissions for a hearing. Barristers set out their key legal arguments in a ‘skeleton’. The aim is to guide the judge through your arguments, as well as let the other side know what arguments you will be making in support of your position. It should be a concise and clear document, adopting an appropriate formal style.
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Can I enter if I am not studying law?
Yes! This moot in particular is designed to test your advocacy, not your legal research skills. We will be providing all relevant materials to the teams, and further material may not be relied on.