Lord Briggs inspires the first University of Chichester cohort of law students in Supreme Court Mooting

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, 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.

Mrs Dugdale expressed how passionate students were on the day.

She said: “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, Miss Dugdale 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.