The Advocacy Club
Constitution
Aims
The society aims to create a practical and supportive space for students to develop their advocacy skills beyond traditional mooting. It will encourage students to become confident, persuasive and adaptable advocates by giving them regular opportunities to practise speaking, questioning, analysing and responding under pressure. The society will run a range of activities, including speed moots, judgment discussions, advocacy exercises, case analysis and peer led sessions. These will allow students to explore how effective advocates prepare a case, identify the strongest arguments, respond to challenges and communicate clearly with different audiences. A key aim is to make advocacy accessible to students regardless of their previous experience. The society will encourage students to learn from one another, receive constructive feedback and develop their skills in a low pressure environment. It will also seek to invite practising barristers, solicitors and other legal professionals to share their experiences and provide insight into advocacy in practice. Ultimately, the society aims to help students develop the practical skills, confidence and judgement needed to become stronger advocates, while giving them a greater understanding of how advocacy operates in the legal profession.
Existence
Law students spend years learning how to find the law, understand it and apply it. Far less time is spent learning how to communicate it. Advocacy is often something students are expected to develop through mooting, presentations or simply by becoming more confident over time. But for many students, particularly those with little or no experience, knowing where to begin can be difficult. The existing mooting opportunities at Surrey are valuable, but mooting is only one form of advocacy. There is an opportunity to create something broader and more accessible. This society would give students a space to practise the skills that sit at the heart of legal practice. Being able to stand up and make an argument is important, but so is knowing which argument to make, responding when a judge challenges your reasoning, asking the right questions, communicating with a client and remaining clear when put under pressure. These are skills that can benefit students regardless of whether they ultimately become barristers. Solicitors, advocates, mediators, negotiators and many other legal professionals rely on the ability to communicate clearly, think strategically and persuade others. Analysing a judgment is different when you are asked to explain the reasoning aloud. Reading a case is different when you have to identify the strongest argument and defend it. Learning about client communication is different when you have to respond to a difficult or unexpected question yourself. These practical exercises can make students more confident in applying the law, rather than simply knowing it. The society would provide a low pressure environment in which students can practise, make mistakes, receive feedback and improve. Someone who has never mooted should be able to attend their first session without feeling that they are already behind. And, most importantly, it will be fun! Come along, have a go and see how much fun it really is to be an advocate. You might even find yourself experiencing a little of that Suits style courtroom drama after all.