The Inner Temple Advocacy Prizes

The Inn runs multiple Advocacy Prizes per year, celebrating mooting and advocacy amongst the student and pupil cohorts, and working to prepare our members for a life at the Bar. We are exceptionally grateful to all the member volunteers who are integral to the success of these prizes, and we send our congratulations to all this year’s winners!

The Inner Temple’s Advocacy Prize for Pupils – Nicholas Jarman QC Prize

Each year, the Inn runs an Advocacy Prize for Pupils. Pupils are shortlisted based on their performance at the Pupils’ Advocacy Training Programme Residential Weekend.

The Pupils’ Advocacy Training Programme is a compulsory part of training, which pupils must complete before commencing their second six. The Inn runs two courses per year (Course A and B). Course A runs from October to November and Course B runs from January to February. At the residential weekend, pupils engage in a series of exercises designed to assess their ability to perform as an advocate using the Hampel Method.

To determine the winner of the £1000 cash prize (generously donated to the Inn by Mrs Julia Jarman, widow of Nicholas Jarman QC), shortlisted candidates participate in a mock trial final.

This year’s mock trial final took place at the Inn on Thursday 3 July 2025, featuring Ellie Mullet from 39 Essex Chambers (Prosecution) and Emily Jarron from 5 Paper Buildings (Defence).

The final was attended by the Master Treasurer, Mrs Julia Jarman, the deputy course directors for the pupils’ course, both of the candidates’ lead trainers from the residential weekend and members of the Inn’s Education and Training Department.

The competition was judged by Master James Dingemans, Master Anthony Leonard and Master Sarah Clake (Advocacy Training Committee, Chair).

After a series of performances, which included witness handling and a closing speech, the judging panel concluded that Emily Jarron (5 Paper Buildings) would be crowned winner of The Inner Temple’s Advocacy Prize for Pupils 2024/25.

The evening concluded with a drinks reception, and the winner was also formally announced at the Inn’s annual Advocacy Dinner for Trainers in July.

The Alexander Cameron KC Criminal Mock Trial

The Alexander Cameron KC Criminal Mock Trial is a three-round knockout competition, named in honour of Alexander Cameron KC, one of the UK’s leading criminal silks, who passed away in 2023. Participants must be members of The Inner Temple who have been called in the past five years but have not yet obtained pupillage. The winner receives a large monetary prize, as well as one-to-one mentoring and a mini-pupillage. The runner-up also receives a monetary prize and a mini-pupillage.

Round one of the competition took place online on Tuesday 14 January 2025. Round two took place online on Tuesday 21 January 2025. On 28 January, the final round took place at the Old Bailey. The final round was judged by Master Simon Heptonstall. Casey-Mae Kellett and Neel Rokad, the winner and runner-up, respectively, of the inaugural competition last year, played the key witness and defendant. After an intense final round, Bethany Birkett was announced as the winner of the 2025 Alexander Cameron KC Criminal Mock Trial competition, with Jesler van Houdt announced as the runner-up.

Three Raymond Buildings provided a cash prize to the two winners and the runner-up, totalling £1500, which was awarded by James Lewis KC. Special thanks were given to the sponsors of the competition – Three Raymond Buildings and 5KBW (notably Alejandra Llorente Tascon, who has played a crucial role in planning and organising the prize) – and the volunteer judges from the earlier rounds which took place online, including Master David Wood, Sarah Prager, Lavalina Sawmy, James Meredith, Helen Dawson, Lyall Thompson and Elizabeth Garcia.