The Oxford Society for Commercial Law
The Society
Our Mission
"To nurture the next generation of commercial lawyers by providing rigorous developmental opportunities to dedicated students exploring and pursuing careers in commercial law"
About Us
Founded in 2020, the Oxford Society for Commercial Law’s (OSCOLA) mission is to address the growing demand amongst Oxford students to prepare themselves for a career in commercial law.
Through organising skill development workshops, presentations and competitions such as moots and negotiation tournaments, we aim to equip our members with the skills they need to thrive as lawyers of the future.
We also publish a blog showcasing our members’ research into the latest legal and commercial developments, underpinned by the highest standards of academic rigour expected of all Oxford students.
Our Work
OSCOLA has organised presentations and events in collaboration with leading law firms. We believe that by hosting meaningful events and keeping attendance selective, attendees can gain a better insight into our partner firms.
OSCOLA is the first student-run society in Oxford to organise university-wide competitions that focus solely on commercial law. In November 2020, we organised the inaugural Gibson Dunn-OSCOLA Commercial Law Moot with 38 participants. The final round was judged by Lord Falconer QC and Penny Madden QC. In March 2021, we organised a negotiations workshop and exercise in conjunction with Vinson & Elkins, which saw participants learning negotiation skills from trainee solicitors and applying them to a fictitious transaction.
Workshops and Mentoring Schemes
OSCOLA introduced the OSCOLA Mentorship Programme in Hilary Term 2021, where senior students who have secured vacation schemes or training contracts at leading firms were paired with younger aspiring solicitors to give guidance on work experience applications, commercial awareness, and general career advice. Such a scheme is the first of its kind targeted at aspiring solicitors at Oxford. We received 78 applications from prospective mentors and mentees combined, and plan to run this programme again in the future
