Private Guest Night for Younger Guests

With a champagne reception and black tie dinner, Private Guest Night is one of the Inn’s grander events.

This Private Guest Night promotes members to invite younger guests (18-35 years old), but other guests are welcome as well.

Students and transferring lawyers need to attend the lecture before dinner (details below) in order to be awarded a Qualifying Session. Other Members and Guests are of course most welcome to attend too.

Please note there are certain rules and customs that members and guests are expected to observe when attending formal dinners at the Inn.  

The Art of Advocacy: How to Win Cases

Speaker: Master John Dyson

Written submissions have become important in civil litigation in the last 50 years.  What is the key to effective written submissions?  But oral argument still remains of paramount importance even in civil litigation.  What makes a persuasive oral advocate?  How does one present one’s case most compellingly?  What are the main pitfalls to avoid?  These are some of the questions that Master Dyson will address.  He will draw on his experience of 25 years at the Bar and 25 years on the Bench to discuss what makes a good barrister.  He will also talk about some of his triumphs and disasters

All members of the Inn are welcome to attend this event.

Student/Hall Members: Guests welcome, maximum three per membe

Benchers: One guest per Bencher

If you (or your guests) have any dietary requirements please ensure that you provide this information when you book tickets.  If you did not do so, please inform the Inn no later than 12:00 two working days before the event. 

If you (or your guests) are unsure about anything on the evening please speak to the events staff on duty.

The menu for this event is*:

To start:

Air dried Dorset beef, compressed watermelon, pickled radish, aged sherry vinegar

For Main:

Roasted halibut fillet, potato galette, spinach puree, ratattouille, burnt butter emulsion

For Dessert:

Chilled yuzu souffle, summer fruits salad

*subject to change.

Non-alcoholic alternatives will be provided on request.

Click here for more details on dietary requirements:

Further details on dietary requirements

This event counts as one Qualifying Session. Students and transferring lawyers need to attend the lecture before dinner in order to claim a Qualifying Session.

Further details of the QS Requirements and how to be credited with the QS for this session

Learning Outcomes

After this session, students should be able to:

• Identify at least two techniques to improve their written submissions.
• Recognise the trappings of a persuasive advocate.
• Describe the common pitfalls to avoid in both written and oral advocacy.

Links to the Professional Statement, wider workings of the Bar, administration of justice or a public interest matter

The QS will align with these elements of the professional statement:

• 1.13 | 1.15

View the BSB's Professional Statement

QS Feedback

If you have any feedback on a QS you have attended or have any suggestions for future sessions, please contact the education department on education@middletemple.org.uk 

If you have questions about accessibility at the Inn or if you would like to request support, please email Laura Hacon.

The Inn is committed to improving access to all its services and encourages members to get in touch with suggestions and feedback on how we can improve. If you feel your experience using the website or attending one of our events could be improved, please email Laura. Your suggestions will be treated in the strictest confidence.