Mooting is crucial for law students to gain exposure to legal practices and improve both their written and oral advocacy skills in the competitive profession.
High Court Judge Orben Sibeya and other legal practitioners shared their courtroom expertise during the official opening of the Law Association of Mooting and Advocacy in partnership with UNAM's faculty of law students.
Mooting is a mock trial of a legal matter during which students argue a fictional case.
This exercise is a simulation of a court hearing and requires analytical thinking, analysis of facts, research of relevant laws, and sharpening skills in presentations to present persuasive arguments.
Judge Orben Sibeya, while engaging the audience, stated that mooting has a large influence on legal matters and students can learn various principles to apply in the real industry should they take the exercise seriously.
"In mooting, you need to know the facts more than any other person; you need to know the law; that way, you will be able to argue on your feet. I implore you to remember that when you do moot courts, your success is dependent on preparation, which goes a long way with how you manage your time."
Narrating the evolution and principles of law, advocate Mbushandje Ntinda encouraged students to understand legislation and be bold enough to present unique arguments in court.
He says the industry has enough capacity to absorb law graduates as new areas of law are being developed.
"Advocacy and mooting: you must really be prepared to go the extra mile to go into uncharted territories and explore areas that no one thinks are possible, and we make them possible. We have new areas of law being developed; very soon you will hear the law on tendering. This was never a consideration for law before, but now most of our cases are about tenders, and the jurisprudence is developing so fast."
The Law Association of Mooting and Advocacy was established in 2020, creating a platform for law students to gain exposure to legal practices by providing first-hand practical insight into mooting and providing a forum for passionate debate.