Leading barristers’ set, No5 Chambers, is sponsoring the 2016 Environmental Law Mooting Competition which will be held before High Court Judge Mrs Justice Frances Patterson on March 8 at King’s College London’s Dickson Poon School of Law.

The competition is organised each year by the United Kingdom Environmental Law Association, UKELA, and is a great opportunity for those interested in developing their advocacy skills. Entrants don’t have to be an environmental law expert to enter, but they do need to be an enthusiast for mooting.

Many law schools sign up to extra-curricular mooting activities in which students take part in simulated court proceedings.

The term ‘moot’ traces its origins to Anglo-Saxon times when a moot was a gathering of prominent men to discuss matters of local importance. Moot court does not involve actual testimony by witnesses, cross-examination or the presentation of evidence, but is focused solely on the application of the law to a common set of evidentiary assumptions.

Nina Pindham, a Planning and Environment barrister with No5 Chambers and Master of the Moots, said entry to the competition had been exceptionally strong this year.

“Numbers were up this year, and we are delighted with the quality of entries,” she said. “All semi-finalists have now been notified and we look forward to welcoming them to the conclusion of our two mooting competitions.”

Prizes on offer this year include:

• A trophy for each winning team to take back and display at your institution

• A prize of £150 from No5 Chambers for each winning team, as well as an offer of a one-month internship at No5 Chambers for the winners of the Senior Competition and an offer of a one-week mini-pupillage at No5 Chambers for the winners of the Junior Competition

• Free membership of UKELA for all finalists for one year

In preparation for the competition, No5 organised and ran a number of training sessions in London, Bristol and Birmingham.

No5 Chambers is one of the largest sets of barristers’ chambers in the UK with more than 240 members including 33 Queen’s Counsel.