THIS former Bridgwater student is a not a lady you want to get on the wrong side of an argument with.

Emma Clarke, who attended St Joseph’s Primary School, Haygrove and Bridgwater College, has proven her value in the courtroom, representing the UK in the 2019 Commonwealth Moot in Zambia.

Moot competitions are simulated court proceedings at the appeal court level, where law students make submissions before judges, not juries.

The National Mooting Competition tests law student’s knowledge, skill in handling legal materials and art of forensic and persuasive argument as advocates in a court room environment.

And in 2018, Emma fought off tough competition to be named the UK’s national champion.

As the national winner Emma had her name engraved on the renowned Silver Mace and her performance also resulted in her selection to represent the UK against teams across the Commonwealth at the 16th International competition, which was held in Zambia.

The teams argued a simulated case concerning international human rights law.

A fictional country had detained journalists and conducted secret surveillance on its citizens.

A case was brought against the state and each team had to prepare arguments for both sides, defending the state’s justification in some rounds and submitted that it had breached international human rights law in others.

A week-long of intense competition saw Emma and her partner progress past the Ugandan and New Zealand team to achieve the highest score in the competition’s ‘general rounds’, with a lead of 13 points.

Emma and her mooting partner were then triumphant against India in the semi-final, allowing them just a few hours to prepare for the grand final; where teams were judged by the Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, the Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago and a justice of the New Zealand Supreme Court in a court room containing 200 spectators.

The UK narrowly lost out to their Canadian counterparts in the Final.

This was an amazing achievement considering that Emma, who was the youngest person in the competition, had only met with her legal partner days before the start of the competition where other teams had been working together with coaches for years.

Emma has since returned to the UK and her Legal Internship with Viacom International Media Networks at their UK headquarters in London, before returning to Salford University in September for the final year of her Law degree.