The Clayton Utz Competition Fund

The Competitions Fund is an important and exciting initiative by the Blackstone Society in 2009. The Fund is intended to be available for students wishing to compete in interstate or international legal competitions, which would otherwise not be funded by the Blackstone Society or by the UWA Faculty of Law.

Every year, a number of prestigious legal competitions are held around the country and internationally. The Fund is available to financial members of the Blackstone Society, to pay the travel and registration expenses of competing in the international and interstate mooting competitions that do not at present receive annual funding from the Blackstone Society or the Faculty of Law.

The Fund is intended to encourage talented law students to develop their legal skills by competing against the best in Australia and the world. It also enables students to implement their knowledge in certain fields of law in a more practical way than by merely studying. At present, there are no funds to assist UWA law students in competing in a number of legal competitions. The Blackstone Society, in partnership with Clayton Utz, hopes to redress this lack.

Students wishing to compete in a competition should make a written application to the Blackstone Society at any time, which will be assessed by the Blackstone Society President, the Education Vice-President, the Competitions Officer, and a representative of Clayton Utz. The application should provide information about:

• the type and nature of competition;
• the location of the competition;
• the costs (including amounts) that the Fund will pay, eg flights, registration, accommodation;
• relevant past experience and/or qualifications of the applicants (eg participation in other competitions); and
• why the applicant believes that they are a suitable person to represent Blackstone and Clayton Utz in the competition.

The Fund may be shared between multiple applicants, or not awarded in one year, at the discretion of the assessing panel.

For more information, contact Paddy Mohen, Competitions Officer: competitions@blackstone.asn.au