The BPP Advocate of the Year Competition is an annual advocacy competition for students considering a career at the Bar. The first heat takes place online, with the finals held at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey.
Kent Law School students have enjoyed success in the competition, with several reaching the finals in recent years. Recent graduate Sidra Ahmed reached the final of the latest competition alongside her Kent Law School classmate Shanelle Shim. Here, she tells us how she got involved and what the experience was like:
‘I graduated from Kent’s three-year LLB Law course this summer, having come from Canada as an international student. Throughout my studies, I got involved with the Lawyering Skills programme as much as I could.
In my second year, I heard about the BPP Advocate of the Year Competition, an annual mock trial competition. It particularly interested me because it was different from the usual mooting competitions. I see myself becoming a barrister, so gaining this kind of experience was especially valuable. Although I wasn’t sure I would get through, I built my advocacy skills by taking part in mooting and mock trial extracurricular modules, as well as external moots. In my final year, I found myself auditioning for the competition.
Luckily, my good friend Shanelle Shim auditioned too, and we were both selected to represent the University of Kent. We received a case problem and were assigned specific roles for the first, online round. Mine included conducting a client interview and cross-examining a witness. Although the competition was judged individually, I made sure to coordinate with Shanelle as much as possible because my success depended on hers too.
We also received support from Darren Weir, which helped me feel more confident. The competition uses professional actors to simulate a real-life trial, adding to the pressure. Our hard work paid off: we both reached the finals, having topped the regional rounds.
The final took place at the Old Bailey and involved two cases: one civil and one criminal. As in the regional rounds, we were given a case problem, but this time our partners were selected for us. Each participant took on two roles across the cases. There was more to prepare, and I knew I was competing against some of the strongest student advocates across England and Wales.
By the day of the competition, I felt prepared but nervous. I was extremely proud to have made it that far. The BPP team was incredibly welcoming and supportive. We also had the chance to network with other participants and the judges, many of whom were BPP lecturers and experts in the field.
The competitions seemed to go by quickly, so you really had to put everything you had into each performance. Although I didn’t place, the experience was like nothing I had done before. I learned how to adapt my communication style and work with someone I had never met. Perhaps most importantly, I learned that I have what it takes to succeed. I also get to say that I have argued in the famous Courtroom 1 at the Old Bailey!
My time at Kent is something I will never forget. I threw myself into extracurricular activities and built a skill set I never thought I’d have. Some of my favourite memories come from building strong relationships with my lecturers and other staff.
In particular, I bonded with my seminar leader for Critical Introduction to Law, Guevara Leacock, and went on to take his Law of the Dead Hand class. Inheritance law wasn’t on my radar, but the class sparked an interest I didn’t know I had.
Now that I have graduated, I feel incredibly confident in my abilities—and I have the experience to back that up. I hope to keep learning through work experience and eventually go to Bar School. My advice would be to take part in things that challenge you and build relationships with the people around you. Shanelle and I have remained good friends and regularly talk about our dreams and plans. I treasure our friendship and hope everyone leaves Kent with strong, lasting bonds.
To the pair competing in this year’s BPP competition: I have every faith that you’ll go far.’
Thanks to Sidra for sharing her experience, and good luck to this year’s competitors.
