Been There. Done That

What to do on the day

So the big day arrives - do you skip classes and spend hours in front of the mirror practising or just carry on as normal?

Our sage souls share strategies. Includes:

  • Don't panic!
  • Plan time
  • Resisting temptation to search legal databases for that special case
  • Talk to yourself (be careful with this one!)

Common mistakes (we made them so you don't have to!)

Our mooters share their screw-ups in order to save your blushes. There should be an award for that surely?

Topics convered include:

  • Modes of address
  • Listening to the judge
  • Resisting the casual
  • Phrases to avoid
  • Dealings with the judge

What to do when the panic sets in....

This happens to everyone at some point; that moment where your mind empties, the sweat prickles on the back of your neck everyone is looking at you expectantly. All the argument and authorities retreat into a remote dusty corner of your brain.

Unsurprisingly our mooters had a lot of tips to share on this one:

  • Ask for clarification
  • Develop rapport with judge
  • Pause
  • Resist any anttempt to lie or fudge; judges don't take this kindly
  • Move on if floundering
  • Remember judge's questions might be trying to guide you, not humiliate you

Some reassuring words...

Reassurances include:

  • It gets easier!
  • It's not personal
  • It doesn't matter if you don't win (really?)

Thanks are due to...

All our mooting clips were made with the help of our fantastic students - giving freely of their time to help others.

For the roundtable discussion clips we thank our GDL students of 2009-2010: Andrew Barns-Graham, Thomas Bradfield, Tessa Buchanan, Anita Davies and Thomas Hope. Big thanks go to our top man behind the camera Steve Parkes.

The spoof clips were made with Mike Purdue (judge), Mike Clarke and Rob Tiffen many years ago.

The real action was filmed as part of our Crown Office Moot 2010-2011.

Big thanks to all those who took part: Sara Beech, George Fitzgerald, Gareth Thomas, Edward Waldegrave, Alistair Godwin, Rebecca Taverner, Daphne Stamatopoulos, Jada Badu-Animboah, James Bull, Samuel Phillips and Beatrice Riley.

Huge thanks are also due to those from Crown Office Chambers who not only gave up their time to judge the different stages of the moot but also allowed us to use the footage. We are grateful to:

Elizabeth Boon David Myhill Siobhan Lambertsen

A final thanks to The Hon Mr Justice Edwards-Stuart, who judged the final of the Crown Office Moot and Steven McCombe for his filming expertise and tireless editing.