Graduation

The Moot Court Competition forms a part of the Work Integrated Learning (WIL) modules, facilitated by The IIE’s Varsity College School of Law on the IIE LLB, IIE BA Law and the IIE BCom Law degrees. The WIL module is designed to develop the requisite legal skills for students to transition into legal practice. Students are provided with a supervised exercise in Appellate Advocacy and are required to research and draft Heads of Argument based on a hypothetical case on appeal. Students are placed into teams of two to represent either the Appellant or Respondent in the matter. Students present their research in a form of oral presentation in order to improve their oral advocacy skills, for which they are allocated a mark on their WIL module. It is compulsory for all first year LLB students to participate in the knockout rounds on each campus. The four highest scoring students proceed to the semi finals on each campus. The top two highest scoring students on each campus proceed to the Regional Moot Court Final competition, against other The IIE’s Varsity College campuses in the region. Since 2019 the IIE School of Law has introduced a National Moot Court competition where the Top 2 teams in the country compete on a national level. This will enable a broader exposure to the development of the students’ advocacy skills. The competition is an intensive one, requiring students to dedicate sufficient time and effort in drafting legal documents in line with the quality required in legal practice. The competencies that are developed in the Moot Court competition are a critical contributor to developing invaluable competencies throughout the law student’s studies and legal career. The IIE’s Varsity College focuses on bridging the relationship between legal academia and the legal profession. Students are encouraged to network with industry professionals and to apply for vacation work. Students are supported in this through the WIL modules which require students to observe High Court and Magistrates Court matters, with the goal of acquiring knowledge on the structure of the courts, the relevant role players and extensive collaborations with the legal industry. This networking opportunity enables them to forge relationships, with industry professionals, often leading to students securing vacation work. The IIE’s Varsity College School of Law initiatives such as the placement project, webinars with industry related experts, career support, among others, have also resulted in meaningful partnerships being forged with industry experts, resulting in student placements in the form of vacation work from second year level. This type of work experience is of paramount importance for the student demonstrating their commitment to their chosen career path. It also provides an opportunity for students to develop a greater awareness of the skills required to not only survive but thrive in the legal profession.