Student Societies
Inner Temple Racial Equality Society
The Society has enjoyed another impactful year, delivering a range of events focused on professional development, networking and the wellbeing of its members.
In March, we hosted our first Advocacy Skills Training Session at the Inner Temple. Combining advocacy training with performance coaching, the session focused on physical presence, voice projection and managing nerves. Participants received tailored feedback in breakout sessions led by experienced barristers, leaving with greater confidence and enhanced advocacy skills.
Following the success of our wellbeing event last year, we continued the conversation in May with ‘Wellness First: Life at the Criminal Bar’. This year’s panel reflected on the professional journey from pupillage to tenancy and the challenges of senior practice. Drawing on their lived experiences, the speakers offered practical strategies for navigating the unique pressures of life at the Bar.
None of these initiatives would be possible without the invaluable support of our volunteers. We extend our sincerest thanks to the barristers who gave so generously of their time and expertise to our members.
We now look forward to the remainder of the year as we prepare for our upcoming South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month celebrations. These events have become cornerstones of the Society’s annual programme, and we anticipate further meaningful dialogue across the profession.
Finally, we express our gratitude to the Master of the Society, Selva Ramasamy KC. His continued dedication, support and encouragement remain instrumental in continuing the Committee’s ongoing mission to foster equality, inclusion and professional growth at the Bar.
Jamilia Kwajah-Ellimah & Reisha Davids
Co-Presidents – Inner Temple Racial Equality Society
Inner Temple Students’ Association
The 2025–26 academic year has been another busy and rewarding year for the Inner Temple Students’ Association. Throughout the year, ITSA has created opportunities for students to engage with the profession, strengthen their pupillage applications and connect with members of the Bar.
One of the highlights of the year was our January Pupillage Panel Series, comprising four online events covering commercial and chancery, criminal, family, and civil practice. Bringing together barristers from a range of practice areas and Circuits, the series gave students practical insight into pupillage applications and life at the Bar. We were also pleased to host a scholarship advice panel, providing guidance on the Inner Temple Bar Course scholarship applications.
Alongside its professional events, ITSA has continued to bring students together through its social programme. Following the success of Burns Night, we look forward to welcoming students to our summer party on the terrace in July with the Gray’s Inn Students’ Association, before concluding the year with our annual Christmas party in Parliament Chamber.
This year, our essay competition invites students to consider how digitalisation and advances in artificial intelligence are likely to shape practice at the Bar. ITSA will also host two Circuit events, connecting Inner Temple students studying outside of London with members of the Bar across England and Wales.
The work of ITSA would not be possible without the continued support of the Inn’s Education & Training Department, the wider Inner Temple staff, the many barristers who have so generously given their time and expertise, and everyone who has attended our events. My thanks also go to the ITSA Committee for their hard work and contribution throughout the year. It has been a privilege to serve as President, and I look forward to continuing to support our student community for the remainder of my term.
Monique Simone Fremder
President – Inner Temple Students’ Association (ITSA)
Inner Temple Drama Society
The Inner Temple Drama Society kicked off the academic year with some festive Christmas cheer through a traditional adaptation of Charles Dickens’s beloved A Christmas Carol. Adapted by Blue DeBell and directed by Blue and Thomas Phillips, the production featured an incredibly talented cast of students who were new to the Inn this academic year. It was a truly atmospheric and emotive production that transported audience members to the heart of Victorian London.
In May 2026, the Inner Temple hosted the annual Temple Shakespeare Cup, once again competing against Middle Temple to produce the best hour-long adaptation of a Shakespeare play. This year, the Inner Temple staged a comical yet thought-provoking production of The Taming of the Shrew, directed by Thomas Isaac, while Middle Temple opted for a dramatic adaptation of Pericles. Middle Temple’s original interpretation ultimately proved successful, winning the award for Best Play. Maxine Quintyne-Kolaru received the award for Best Actor for her portrayal of Baptista, with judges commending her commanding stage presence, vocal delivery and the authority she carried throughout the performance.
This summer, the Inner Temple Drama Society will perform Old School, an original play written by Maygan Forbes. Old School is a revenge-comedy thriller about privilege, bad faith and the one person in the room you never thought to fear. Some scores take 25 years to settle; one night, the bill comes due. Because the worst people you went to school with always forget who was watching. The production will be performed in Inner Temple Hall on 10 and 11 September 2026.
A friendly and welcoming society, the Inner Temple Drama Society is open to all members with up to seven years’ practice.
Kat Cutler
President – Inner Temple Drama Society
Inner Temple Debating Society
We introduced a hybrid format for practice sessions this year, enabling members to attend both in person and online. Members responded positively, particularly valuing the opportunity to develop in person debate skills.
We continued the handover show debate tradition introduced two committees ago, with Team 2025 winning this year’s debate.
The Harrison Plate, held in honour of Master Peter Harrison, took place at the Inn on 31 January. We welcomed 23 teams from across the UK, including one team from Ireland, and the event was a significant success.
Our members participated in several external competitions, sending teams and adjudicators to IV, Pro-Am and Open competitions including Queen Mary’s, LSE, Bristol, Cambridge and Oxford. Our strongest result came at the Oxford IV, where Geneva Roy and Teck Wei Tan progressed through the preliminary rounds, quarter final and semi-final before reaching the grand final. Henry Clement-Jones successfully broke as an adjudicator.
We are sending a team and adjudicator to the European Universities Debating Championships in the Netherlands from 26 July to 1 August.
The Inter-Inns competition took place at Lincoln’s Inn this year. The Inner Temple reached the final and finished as runners-up. The team consisted of Henry Clement-Jones, Leon Cording, Tom Morris and Alex Jamal, with Rhea Ranjan as reserve.
Our internal competitions included the Rawlinson Cup, Public Speaking Competition and Debating Shield. Michelle Price won the Rawlinson Cup, reaching the final alongside Samantha Walton, Richard Jones and Leon Cording, who debated before a panel of Benchers. The Public Speaking Competition final will take place in Manchester on 4 July. The finalists are Nye Ullman and Naomi Hunter-Epson. Sixteen teams progressed from the Debating Shield heats to the semi-final, from which the top eight teams will progress to the final.
We thank the Committee, our members and all those who supported the Society throughout the year.
Henry Clement-Jones & Michelle Zaher
Co-Presidents – Inner Temple Debating Society
Inner Temple Mooting Society
We had another busy year, both internally and externally. We would like to thank all the volunteers who have given up their time to coach teams, facilitate training sessions, act as judges, timekeepers and write moot problems. To Master Paul Infield (Master of Mooting), Jonathan Schaffer-Goddard, and all our sponsors who have helped to provide participants with experiences that will help them boost their CV, and pupillage applications, we could not do it without you.
Congratulations to all those who won internal competitions through the year:
Pepperdine Moot – Pepperdine University (Winners), Inner Temple’s Luke Marsden & Charlotte Haws (Runner-Ups)
Magna Carta Moot – Inner Temple’s William Dobbs
& Keiran Power (Winners)
Lawson Moot – Barnaby Potts (Winner) & Alexander Baxter (Runner-Up)
Intervarsity Mooting Competition –
University of Oxford (Winners), BPP University (Runner-Ups)
One Essex Court Commercial Law Moot –
Charlotte Salomon (Winner) & Anna Power (Runner-Up)
Criminal Law Speed Moot – Maia Olesky (Winner) & Lincoln Booth, Megan McPhee, Soryoung Han (Runner-Ups)
Inter-Inn Mooting Competition – Inner Temple’s Alex Arnold & Gbenga Oniyelu (Winners)
11 South Square Intellectual Property Moot –
Tom Morris, Alex Castro-Jamal, Julienne Chipesia & Theodore Mould (Winners)
Revenue Bar Association Tax Moot – Yousif Shami & Natasha Forst (Winners), Stephanie Rideout & Yusur Jabar (Runner-Ups)
Thank you to those who represented Inner Temple externally this year:
33rd Willem C. Vis Commercial Arbitration Moot Competition in Vienna – Hannah Phillips, Joshua Hurst, Serhan Karadeniz, Sophie Kamhi, Vikita Khetani, and Oscar Minto (Coached by Louis Flannery KC, with the support of Nicole Terry, James Piercy, and Grace Okafor).
Sports Arbitration Moot in Madrid – James Piercy, Ferdinand Flannery, Catherine Berus, Eleanor Ackworth, Rachel Hannah, and Katie Harney (Coached by Louis Weston and David Sharpe KC)
Telders International Law Moot in Vienna – Hamzah Mahomed, Lara Canivari, Angel Obi, and Nizanka Yoganathan (Coached by Lanea Williams).
International Criminal Court Moot in Vienna – Dolly Richardson, Soryoung Han, Kirsty Cooper, Miles Ratcliffe, and Farida Elsheikh (Coached by Master Steven Kay and Joshua Kern).
Geneva Roy
President – Inner Temple Mooting Society