The Cooper Lohmus Prize is dedicated to two cherished former members of Chambers, Peter Cooper and Michael Lohmus. Both Peter and Michael were champions of those starting out at the very junior end of the profession and were committed to helping young advocates grow in confidence and ability. To honour their memory, St Ives Chambers is proud to run its annual advocacy competition in their name.
Details of the 2024-2025 competition will be released in September 2024. The final will take place in January 2025. The 2023-2024 competition saw 56 competitors take part in a criminal plea in mitigation for the Defence. The final round was held at Birmingham Crown Court and was judged by two sitting Circuit Judges.
Each finalist receives a mini pupillage with Chambers. The winner of the competition receives an individual trophy. There is a Cooper Lohmus Prize shield kept in Chambers engraved with the names of the winners.
Past Winners
2022-2023 Sebastian Anderson
2023-2024 Gary Mayfield
