Break Through The Bar

When you first start university, you’ll quickly hear about “advocacy opportunities” outside of your lectures-things like mooting, mock trials, negotiation competitions, and debating. 

At first, they might sound like a lot of extra work on top of your studies. But these activities can be some of the most rewarding experiences of your degree, and they often play a key role when it comes to applications and interviews later down the line.

What Are Advocacy Extracurriculars?

• Mooting: A mock appeal where you argue legal points in front of a “judge” (often an academic, barrister, or solicitor). It focuses on legal research, written submissions, and oral argument.
• Mock Trials / Advocacy Competitions: Simulated trials where you take on roles such as barrister, solicitor, witness, or judge. These help you practise courtroom skills and case strategy.
• Negotiation and Mediation Competitions: These centre on settlement discussions, client handling, and problem-solving rather than courtroom argument.
• Debating: While not strictly law-specific, debating societies sharpen your ability to think on your feet and construct persuasive arguments.

Each of these activities develops skills you won’t always get from lectures alone: confidence, public speaking, teamwork, and strategic thinking.

Why Do They Matter for Applications?

When you apply for vacation schemes, mini-pupillages, training contracts, or internships, you’ll almost always be asked about your extracurricular involvement. Recruiters are looking for evidence that you have the skills to succeed in practice, not just on paper. Advocacy competitions provide:

• Concrete examples: Instead of saying “I’m good at public speaking,” you can say “I presented legal arguments in a moot before a High Court judge and responded to judicial questioning.” That makes your application stand out.
• Evidence of commitment: Taking part in moots or mock trials shows genuine interest in law beyond the classroom. It demonstrates initiative and motivation, qualities employers prize.
• Transferable skills: Research, teamwork, persuasion, time management, and resilience under pressure are all developed in these competitions. 

How They Come Up in Interviews

Interviewers often use your extracurriculars as a starting point for questions. For example:

• “Tell me about a time you had to persuade someone of your point of view.”
• “Have you ever had to think on your feet in a high-pressure environment?”
• “What experience do you have of teamwork in a legal setting?”

Or they can even be as specific as “Have you done any mooting?” (that was a Bar Course selection interview question I had)!

If you’ve mooted or taken part in a mock trial, you’ll have ready-made, authentic answers. You can talk about how you prepared your arguments, how you dealt with difficult questions, or how your team collaborated under time pressure. 

The Insight They Give You

Beyond applications, advocacy extracurriculars give you a real taste of what life as a barrister or solicitor-advocate might be like. You’ll learn:

• How to structure legal arguments clearly and persuasively.
• The importance of anticipating and addressing counter-arguments.
• How judges and opponents can challenge you- and how to stay calm in response.
• What areas of law interest you most, based on the problems you argue.

This insight can help you decide on your career path, and it often sparks the motivation to keep going through the tougher stages of your degree.

Final Thoughts

Advocacy extracurriculars are more than just add-ons to your CV, they’re training grounds for the skills that will carry you through your legal career. They make you more confident, give you authentic experiences to talk about in applications and interviews, and deepen your understanding of the law in action.

So, if you see an email or poster about a moot, mock trial, or competition, say yes. You might not be very good at it at first, but you might discover a passion, gain invaluable skills, and give yourself a serious advantage when it comes to pursuing your future career.