Erin McEwan: On why mooting is some of the best interview prep you can do

This week's guest piece comes from Erin McEwan, an upcoming BPC student and one of Inclusie’s Social and Community Leads. She represented her university in numerous international mooting competitions and served as Senior Mistress of Mooting, mentoring other students through their first rounds.

If you're thinking about a career in law, you've probably heard the word mooting thrown around. Maybe you've even seen it and thought, "I have absolutely no idea what that is."

Put simply, mooting is a simulated court hearing where you take on the role of a barrister and argue a hypothetical legal case before a judge. You'll usually work in pairs, one side acting as the appellant and the other as the respondent. You're given a legal problem, have to research the relevant law, prepare your arguments and then present them orally in court.

And yes, you really do get to stand up and say things like "May it please the court…"

But before you panic at the thought of standing up in front of a judge, here's the most important thing I can tell you: mooting is not as scary as it sounds.

What skills does it actually give you?

Advocacy and communication. Mooting gives you the chance to practise speaking persuasively and clearly, structuring an argument and explaining complicated legal principles so someone else can actually follow. You also learn to control your nerves and become comfortable speaking without simply reading from a script.
Legal research and analysis. You're given a problem and it's your job to work out what the legal issues actually are, finding relevant cases and legislation and working out how they apply to the facts in front of you. This is one of the biggest things I took away from mooting: knowing what a case says isn't enough, you need to understand why it matters to your argument.
Thinking on your feet. You can prepare your submissions for hours, but you cannot prepare for every question a judge might ask. During a moot, judges can interrupt with questions or challenge your argument, and you have to listen carefully and respond without losing your train of thought. It's amazing practice for pupillage, training contract and paralegal interviews.

Why do employers care about mooting?

It shows you can research independently, identify legal issues, analyse authorities, construct a logical argument, communicate persuasively, respond to challenge and remain professional under pressure. Mooting also gives you a real example for interviews. Instead of saying "I am a confident person," you can explain how you started out nervous, what you did to prepare, how you responded when challenged, and how your confidence developed. That makes for a much stronger answer.

My biggest piece of advice? Just give it a go.

When I first started mooting, I knew I wanted to become a barrister, but that didn't mean I automatically felt confident arguing in front of people. My first experience was a learning curve. I went on to compete with my partner through the university competition, reaching the quarter-finals, before later taking on the role of Senior Mistress of Mooting and helping other students get started. One of the most rewarding parts was seeing how quickly people's confidence changed, from a nervous first sentence to a completely different person a few rounds later. You don't have to be good at it when you start. You just have to be willing to try.

How do you actually moot?

1. Get to grips with the problem. Work out exactly what the legal questions are and which side you're representing.

2. Research, research, research. Find the relevant legislation and case law, and understand how the authorities support your argument. Don't just collect cases, know what they decided and how you can apply that to your facts.

3. Build your submissions. Turn your research into a clear argument: tell the judge your point, explain the relevant law, apply it to the facts, and explain why your side should succeed.

4. Prepare for judicial intervention. Don't see interruptions as something going wrong. Listen carefully, pause, answer the question and return to your argument. If you genuinely don't know the answer, don't panic or make something up. Explain what you do know and work through the issue logically.

5. Practise your delivery. Know your arguments well enough to use point cards rather than reading every word. Speak clearly and slowly, make eye contact, and remember that pausing is completely fine.

Final tips

A few things I wish I knew before my first moot: bring water (if you need a second to think a sip buys you a moment; this works for interviews too) and make eye contact rather than hiding behind your notes.

And finally, don't wait until you feel confident. Confidence comes from doing the thing that initially makes you nervous.

Mooting might not be for everyone, and that's okay. But you won't know until you try it, and if it isn't for you, then you have a great example of why being a barrister is not for you. It’s also fantastic prep for thinking on your feet in interviews!