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30 March 2022

Students reach finals of Oxford IP Law mooting competition

Students from The Dickson Poon School of Law take 2nd place in the 19th Annual Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot.

The King's Oxford IP Law Moot 2022 coaches and team at Oxford University
From left to right: James Parish (coach), Juliette Sautelle (English Law and French Law LLB, 2nd year), Ishika Manglik (Law LLB, 4th year) and Cason Yong (Law LLB, 4th year), Jocelyn Bosse (coach)

Beating 28 other teams for a place in the final round, the King’s team was awarded the Allen & Overy Runner-Up Award for Oral Proceedings. The students were narrowly defeated by a team from University of Technology Sydney. Aspiring barrister, team member Cason Yong, was also recognised by judges for his talent, positioning in 3rd place for Herbert Smith Freehills’ Best Individual Mooter Award.

The oral rounds of the student law moot competition, hosted by the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre (OIPRC), were held in-person at the University of Oxford from 17th to 19th March 2022.

The team of undergraduate students from King’s comprised of Juliette Sautelle (English Law and French Law LLB, 2nd year), Ishika Manglik (Law LLB, 4th year) and Cason Yong (Law LLB, 4th year), who were coached by Jocelyn Bosse and James Parish, both Lecturers in Intellectual Property and Information Law (Education) at The Dickson Poon School of Law.

Juliette said:

“To have reached the Grand Final of the moot was one of the best experiences I have had to date. The highlight for me was mooting in front of some of the leading figures of the IP field: Lord Justice Kitchin (Supreme Court), Lord Justice Birss (Court of Appeal), and Lord Justice Arnold (Court of Appeal). I am very grateful to not only have reached the final of the competition, but also to have shared the experience with such wonderful teammates and coaches. Cason, Ishika, Jocelyn and James – thank you!”

Juliette Sautelle, 2nd year LLB student

Cason described the experience as an “intellectually stimulating, yet humbling experience”.

Cason said, “I am overjoyed that our collective effort and dedication were recognised, and that I got to explore the interesting complexities of copyright law that I wouldn’t have had the chance to do otherwise through my degree. The experience reinforced my passion to become a barrister, and served as a crucial reminder to myself that being a good advocate goes beyond mere persuasive speaking. Rather, successful courtroom advocacy, as I see it after the moot, is built upon rigorous background research, meaningful teamwork, a willingness to commit and a strong drive to persevere."

Ishika said, “The experience was brilliant! It is an excellently rewarding achievement. We worked extremely hard and the win is just a reassurance of our efforts. More than the win, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet law students from different parts of the world!”

On winning an individual award, Cason said:

“It was truly an honour and I am beyond grateful. The award definitely came as an unexpected win because I never imagined myself to stand out amongst the numerous brilliant advocates in the moot. I’d like to see it as a testament to our team’s joint contribution in preparing for the moot, as I would certainly not be able to advance this far without the gracious help of my team in providing me with a supportive and nurturing environment to grow as an individual mooter.”

Cason Yong, final year LLB student

This year’s problem question covered copyright law, passing off and geographical indicators of origin. The competition comprised of two parts: 2 x 3000-word written submissions (for the appellant and respondent), and the subsequent progression to the oral rounds in Oxford.

The team dedicated many evenings and weekends preparing for the competition with their coaches, which Ishika says was “intense but so rewarding”. Ishika explained, “Although the process was time consuming, it enabled me the opportunity to hone my research, oratory and communication skills.”

Juliette said: “The preparation process for the moot was incredibly valuable. Carrying out substantive research allowed me to gain a well-rounded perspective on IP law, because the problem question involved subject areas outside of the undergraduate syllabus, and the international premise of the competition meant we looked beyond UK law for relevant authority. The whole process has definitely cemented my want to pursue IP in my legal career.”

This is the first time a King’s team has reached the finals of the Annual Oxford International Intellectual Property Law Moot competition, with last year’s team being the first to reach the semi-finals.

In this story

James Parish

Lecturer in Intellectual Property and Information Law (Education)