It was gratifying to read about the final of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting’s annual mooting competition, held at the Law Society.

The profession’s support for fostering and encouraging essential skills for the next generation of lawyers was recently seen in the Worshipful Company of Arbitrators Mediation Skills Competition, which took place in London in January. Sponsored by leading City firms and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, this competition has grown from eight teams last year to 14. Teams from UK law schools competed in mediation sessions that involved complex commercial dispute and deal-making scenarios in the Rolls Building, as well as in the offices of Bird & Bird.

The winning London Metropolitan University team of Legal Practice Course students was given fully funded entry to the International Chamber of Commerce’s mediation competition in Paris. This February event involved mediating complex international problems with teams from around the world, while being evaluated by some of the world’s leading dispute resolution specialists. Some 66 international teams had the opportunity to interact with world-class mediators. We were pleased to be the first UK team in two years to get into the final rounds, coming 11th overall. I would urge members of our profession to consider ‘putting something back’ by getting involved in these and similar mediation competitions in the interests of promoting this growing area of legal practice.

William McKay, solicitor/mediator, senior lecturer (LPC), London Metropolitan University