National mooting champions graduate from Leicester Law School 

Two national mooting champions have graduated from the University of Leicester's School of Law. 

Ella Bailey and Amelia Gibson won the Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition, beating a team from the University of Swansea last month. 

Mooting is a legal role-play activity in which participants argue a legal case in front of a judge or panel of judges. 

The Essex Court Chambers National Mooting Competition is the oldest and most prestigious mooting competition in the UK. 

Mooting is very popular at Leicester Law School and helps students to develop essential skills such as: identifying relevant points of law, conducting independent legal research, drafting skeleton arguments, preparing bundles and speaking confidently and succinctly. 

Ella came to the University of Leicester through clearing, and Amelia had chosen Leicester as her insurance option. 

Ella said: "Despite us loving our time at Leicester, it wasn't our first choice of uni, so we thought, how can we make the most of it?

"So the first thing I did was force Amelia to sign up for mooting. We went and watched our first moot in first year and said, 'We could do that!'"

Amelia said: "I met Ella in the first week of uni and we went to watch the competition and we were like, 'Oh, maybe' and then Ella said, 'No, come on, it'll be fun!'"

Discussing how they both became interested in studying law, Amelia said: "I was debating in sixth form between psychology and law, but I didn't take law at A Level.

"But I really hated science and really did not like the science element of psychology, I liked the talking to people aspect, and I did English Lit, so I loved writing essays. 

"Then I did a legal work experience in sixth form, and I absolutely loved it and thought this was something I really wanted to do."

Ella said, "For me, I think it sort of happened all at once.  

"I remember being in my final year of A-Levels and just not really thinking properly about where I wanted to go. I hadn't visited any universities, by I'd taken history, law and politics at A-Level.

"It was debating topics that I really enjoyed and listening to other people's views.

"So when it came to the rush of applying to universities, I wanted to go somewhere where I could really get involved in the debating side of things. 

"I was narrowing it down between politics and law, but I realised after A Level Law, there was so much more to learn about it, and so I chose law."

Reflecting on their time at the University of Leicester, Amelia said: "I really enjoyed my time at Leicester!

"I think obviously on results day, it was disappointing for me to not get my first choice. But I always say to Ella, I wouldn't have done half of the things I have done if I hadn't met Ella or gone to Leicester. 

"I had a good experience mooting and with Leicester Law Society. It gave us a lot of opportunities, and I think that mooting is a lot bigger at Leicester than it is at other universities across the country. 

"I think I wouldn't have got the experiences that I have had if I hadn't gone to the University of Leicester, and I think that it has turned into a really positive experience."

Amelia continued: "I was very shy coming to uni, and if it wasn't for Ella saying 'Come on, let's do this,' I don't think I would have done many of the competitions. 

"My advice for future students is, get involved with absolutely everything you can, and even if you hate it and never want to do it again, at least you've given it a go. 

"I have become so much more confident since doing these mooting competitions. They've not just benefited me in the legal side of things, but in my own personal development.

"Just get involved and meet as many people as you can!"

Ella said, "I think coming through clearing or not getting your first option is always really daunting, but it has been a really good three years. 

"I think both of us got involved in Leicester Law Society pretty quickly, and it has been really, really beneficial."

Ella's advice for future students is: "Get involved in as much as you can, there isn't much that can go wrong with it. 

"You can only benefit from failing at something anyway, so get involved in as much as possible.

"Everybody is doing a law degree, and you need something that makes you stand out. These are the things that are required; they aren't just an extracurricular that is good to put on your CV, they are requirements."

Both Ella and Amelia won a prize of £1000 each, alongside a donation to Leicester Law School of £1000. Their names have also been engraved on the Silver Mace, which is displayed at the Dartmouth House offices of the English-Speaking Union. 

Ella and Amelia graduated from the University of Leicester on Tuesday, 15 July, at a ceremony at De Montfort Hall, Leicester. 

More information about Leicester Law School can be found here.