100% success for law student mooting

The past year has been a triumphant one for the law department in the area of student mooting, with Dundee law students achieving a 100% success rate in reaching mooting finals. The department has played host to a number of prestigious mooting events over the last few months, including the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Competition and the University's own mooting event.

Lady Cosgrove, one of the most senior judges in the country, presided over the final of the University’s mooting competition, which involved the consideration of an issue from Scots criminal law. Second year law students Alison Blair and Lucy McGhee mooted against first year law students Michael Duffy and Steven Lampert. They debated the right of an individual found in possession of a knife in a public place to argue that they had no intention of breaking the law.

David Cabrelli, lecturer in the law department and organiser of the mooting competition said, "We were delighted to welcome Lady Cosgrove to the department. A competition like this is essential, as it gives our future lawyers a chance to get their teeth into a controversial case involving difficult questions of criminal law."

The department also hosted the regional semi-final of the Donald Dewar Memorial Debating Competition, organised by the Law Society of Scotland for schools throughout Scotland.

The competition, which has been running for a number of years, encourages school children to develop their debating skills, an essential requirement for all lawyers. David Brand, Director of the Diploma in Legal Practice in the Law Department, commented, "Good communication skills and the ability to effectively present a particular argument are essential attributes for lawyers, but are also necessary for all spheres of activity in modern society. This competition encourages school children to develop these skills and perhaps consider law as a career in an atmosphere of friendly, inter-school rivalry."

Third year law students Jennie Hamill and Katherine Hart represented the University in the final of the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association Moot. The competition required students to consider the legal implications of a company dumping non-hazardous waste on derelict land.

The two students beat off stiff national competition to be one of only two teams selected by environmental law practitioners to appear in the final, alongside students from Nottingham Trent University.

Law lecturer Sarah Venn said, "In previous years, the finalists have been postgraduate students from European Universities; for the students to get to the final was a fantastic achievement and the department was delighted to see their hard work rewarded."