It's been a busy and exciting year for the Middle Temple Student Association. While the newest cohort of Middle Temple students have been hard at work on their academic or vocational courses, and steeling themselves for the next round of pupillage applications, the MTSA has sought to support their efforts with its array of advocacy activities, social events and support programmes. It has also strived to continue the tradition of contributing the voice of student members to decision-making throughout the Inn.

The social year kicked off with the glamorous Hollywood Party, a fun-filled gala event that featured everything from live music and dancing to a buzzing casino and even a cinema running some of Tinseltown's classics. For those who missed out, the MTSA is already busy with plans for the legendary Summer Ball, which will no doubt cap a year of hard work and creditable achievement for a great many students.

The Student Association's advocacy activities continue apace. In mooting, we are proudly supporting a team to compete in the prestigious Willem C. Vis Commercial Arbitration Mooting Competition in Vienna. For the more novice mooters, our new Mooting Workshop Programme has just been launched and will be supplemented by a Mooting Day event later this year. Building on the success of last year, we will be hosting our second annual Speed Moot competition after Easter. We're also hoping to begin recruitment soon for our team for the Inter-Inn Moot, where a good deal of institutional bragging rights will no doubt be on the line.

On the debating front, Middle Temple has finished strongly in several inter-varsity debating competitions, including victory at the Bath IV, and made a forceful return to international competition at the World Championships in Turkey last month. The MTSA is keen for Middle Temple Debating to once more be a source of pride and vitality in the Inn and would particularly welcome contact from any members of Hall or Bench with experience of competitive debating who are interested in getting involved.

The MTSA has been active in other areas as well. The first of our Pupillage Seminars for students is coming up soon and will no doubt continue to attract many students eager to begin their professional lives. We are also investigating the possibility of a Student Association 5-a-side team. To complement these and all its activities, the MTSA has begun to invest in its capacity to communicate regularly with its membership, to help bring the benefits of membership of Middle Temple to as wide a body of student members as possible and to help promote participation and engagement with the Inn.

The training and support of the next generation of Middle Temple advocates is part of the core business of the Inn, and we are committed to the view that a strong and active Student Association is integral to the realisation of that goal.