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Best barristers in Britain!

MMU victory at Courts of Justice

MMU's trainee barristers are the best in the business after triumphing in the UK advocacy finals at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Teams from all UK universities which offer the Bar Vocational Course gathered in London to test their skills of cross-examination and client advocacy and MMU came out on top, beating City University in the semi-final and the College of Law in the final.

The judge even said they performed better than a number of experienced advocates!

"This is great news for us, as City had won the title for the last three years," said Advocacy Subject Leader and team coach Mike Smith. "As winner, MMU School of Law will now host the mock trial competition in 2010."

Brilliant

The four-strong team of Catherine Bisset, Lee Speakman, Sarah Fahy and Justin Jarmola are among 170 trainee barristers at the School, 70 of whom are part-time.

Catherine, 21, who will work for a legal charity in South Africa before going into pupillage, said: "The whole weekend was brilliant. We had a really strong team and it helped that we switched roles in each round unlike most other teams so we didn't become complacent!

"Winning the competition is an amazing confidence boost and I'd like to think that Chambers will see it as a great incentive to take us on. We're all excited about being called to the Bar."

Sarah Fahy, 23, from Northwich, said: "The experience really reminded me what the buzz of advocacy is all about. We gelled very well as a team and our success is in part due to the first-class advocacy training that we have received at MMU.

Criminal trials

"The compliments and criticisms that I received have certainly made me a better advocate," added Sarah, who has a pupillage lined up in Birmingham and hopes to specialise in criminal trials.

Mike Smith, a barrister himself, said he wasn't surprised by the MMU performance: "We emphasise understanding and analysis of a case before even allowing the students to stand up and speak. The students are trained to work out why, in simple straightforward terms, they should win the case.

"They are taught to methodically evaluate the strengths and weaknesses. All students practice performance, have it carefully critiqued, and training is supplemented by tuition from local practitioners, so it's pretty comprehensive."

Barry Harwood, Senior Lecturer in Law, who accompanied the team to London said: "The Judge was very impressed with the standard of the advocacy and said in her 22 years of practice at the Bar that the standard of the students and the quality of the advocacy teaching was equal, and in some cases better, than many who had been at the Bar for some time, and who were experienced advocates."

For more about MMU's talented and highly-employable final year students, click on Talent@

Published Tuesday, 12th May 2009