Leeds LawSoc students excel in series of debating events
Over the 2024/25 academic year, students from the Law Society have participated in debating competitions: within the Society and against other university law societies and ‘Lawyers without Borders'.
The University of Leeds Law Society, affectionately known as LawSoc, is a Leeds University Union (LUU) student society that provides aspiring lawyers with a variety of opportunities for an unforgettable university experience. LawSoc runs three academic competitions – mooting, negotiating, and debating – that allow members to develop a wide range of transferable skills whilst boosting their CVs.
We spoke to the 2024/25 Debating Secretary Evie Dutton about their successful year.
Leeds Law Society internal competition
The internal competition kicked off in November 2024, with the final held on 6 February 2025 at Park Square Barristers, and very kindly judged by current Park Square Barristers (PSQB) pupils Clara Brown and Maleka Akuany. The competition was won by students Lydia Reed and Isaac Buttle, with Isaac and Matilda Forrest being awarded mini pupilages at PSQB as distinguished speakers.
London Open Debate
On Saturday 8 February 2025 LawSoc debaters travelled to London to debate universities UCL, Bristol, KCL, QMUL, and SOAS for the London Open Debate at the Institute of Education, UCL. Leeds LawSoc was represented by Phoebe Golton and Tom McCoubrie (Debaters), as well as by Taymour Abbassi (LawSoc Treasurer) and Sadia Naima (Debating Subcommittee) as judges.
Judging in the London Open Debate was truly an eye-opening experience - witnessing a plethora of issues being debated throughout the day, and observing how other universities debate. Overall, this was very insightful and I feel a lot more confident in my ability to judge future debates.
Phoebe and Tom successfully advanced through two rounds. In Round One, they were the opposition against SOAS, debating the motion, ‘This House would allow workers to exchange their rights (eg safety protections, right to maternity or paternity leave, etc.) for higher pay’. In Round Two, they were the proposition against Bristol, debating in favour of the motion, ‘This House would lift patents on eco-friendly technologies’.
Attending and judging the UCL London debate was a fantastic experience that allowed me to engage with five different societies, gaining insight into how each operates while meeting a diverse group of people. It was both an intellectually stimulating and enjoyable opportunity, where I not only judged debates on a range of topics but also exchanged perspectives, learned from different viewpoints, and had a great time connecting with like-minded individuals.
LawSoc vs Lawyers Without Borders (Inter-Society Competition)
On 3 March 2025, Parklane Plowden hosted the final of the Inter-Society Competition between LawSoc and Lawyers Without Borders Leeds Student Division. The first two rounds, held at the School of Law, were judged by James Murphy (Head of Chambers) and Dominic Crossley. Pupils Lydia Reed and Avaia Williams from Parklane Plowden judging the finals, with the proposal, ‘This house believes that democratic states should constitutionally prohibit the imposition of martial law’.
LawSoc won overall, with students Matilda Forrest and Fatima Babar receiving distinguished speakers acknowledgements in the finals.
Northern Debate InterVarsity
On 12 March 2025, LawSoc welcomed students from the Universities of Sheffield and Newcastle to the Liberty Building for the first ‘Northern Debate InterVarsity’, founded by LawSoc Debating Secretary Evie Dutton. Leeds’ participants were Lydia Lane-Craddock and Isaac Buttle, and Leeds won overall, with Lydia receiving the Most Improved Debater award.
It was a pleasure to host the first-ever Northern Debate InterVarsity! Inviting teams from Sheffield and Newcastle to compete showcased the wealth of talent in the North. Building on the online InterVarsity opportunities organized by Leeds Law Society last year, I’m proud to have expanded this event into a larger-scale, in-person competition. I hope this will become an annual event that grows in the years to come. A heartfelt thank you to Simon and Thomas for joining us as judges; your expertise in advocacy was truly invaluable to all involved.
The event was judged by Simon Myerson KC and Thomas Cowen from St Pauls Chambers, alongside Evie Dutton, Oluwabukolami Adeyemi (President of Newcastle Law Society) and Sam Guy (lecturer at University of Sheffield).
The School of Law would like to congratulate all our winning debaters, and to thank LawSoc Debating Secretary Evie Dutton, and her subcommittee David Morcos, Sadia Naima and Alex Rollinson who assisted in judging, providing feedback, and generating motions. These events would not have happened without their hard work.
Stay up to date with all LawSoc’s academic competitions here.
