Nina Goswami
A trio of law undergraduates at Kings College London (KCL) are just two points ahead of University College Londons mooting team in the first ever London Universities Mooting Shield (LUMS).
The student-led and run mooting competition for the UKs capital is reaching the last stages of its first year which culminates in a final moot at the offices of magic circle firm Allen & Overy next month.
KCL law student and co-founder of LUMS Krishan Thakker said the competition was hotting up with the moot still wide open as the competition works on a league system instead of knock-out rounds.
Were running it more like a football league, so everyone gets to battle it out with the other sides at least twice, explained Thakker. The two teams with the most points by the end of the league will go on to the grand final at Allen & Overy.
KCL leads at the moment with 64 points, followed by UCL on 62. The School of Oriental and African Studies is third with 48 points and the London School of Economics brings up the rear with 44 points.
These four colleges are the only London universities involved this year though it will be extended next year to include Queen Mary, University of London and the University of Westminster.
The jostling for position in the LUMS follows the UK round in the worlds largest moot, known as the Jessup.
Oxford University came out on top winning best memorials (written submissions) and student Colin Liew taking the accolade of best oralist in the final. KCL student Martyna Budzynaka, however, won best overall oralist.
University of Wolverhamptons team received the Spirit of the Jessup Award, which is given to the team which displayed the grit and determination the mooting competition tries to promote.
The international competition, which involves more than 580 teams from across 80 countries, will see two teams from the UK going to Washington DC to battle it out in the finals this April.
Last year KCL came second out of the 588 teams that participated.
