In its earliest form, mooting can be traced as far back as 1485 CE when it was organized by centres of legal education – the Inns of Court. As is the case now, moots were used to teach law students the details of oral advocacy and to provide a forum to refine their skills through situational practice. Moots have regained their significance in the “black letter” world of legal academia, as a means of exposing students to the clinical and experiential aspects of the legal profession. [Source: “The Essential Guide to Mooting” Irwin Law]

Mooting is best described as a synthesis of public speaking, debate and a thesis defence. Teams of two present an argument that they have created in advance before a panel of judges and respond to questions from the bench with regard to their arguments.

There are two sides in a moot, the appellant and respondent, and generally three judges (though panels can have up to nine for the final round in some competitions). Judges will interrupt and ask questions of the mooters while they are speaking. Mooters are not able to refuse the questions from the judges in lieu of their own arguments and must conclude within the allotted time. The ability to answer questions well and demonstrate a mastery of the case at hand is what makes an excellent mooter. No prior experience or legal skills/knowledge is required for the moot as there is plenty of time to prepare and it is best described as an exercise in oral advocacy skills.