Sponsored by Mallesons Stephen Jaques

Mooting is a competition in which UWA has a long history of excellence at national and international levels. It offers students an opportunity to develop oratorical skills, confidence, and to research areas of the law with which they would be otherwise unfamiliar. Mooting presents law students with a means to learn the formal procedures involved in presenting argument to the court, such as when and how to address the bench. Learning how to prepare a list of authorities and outline of submissions means students are familiar with documents which they might not have otherwise seen before undertaking vacation clerkships or casual work at law firms.

The 2010 Mallesons Stephen Jaques Open Mooting Competition involves a simulated hearing before an appellate court in which individual counsel argue particular points of law. The focus of the competition is the research and preparation of a List of Authorities and a brief Outline of Submissions and the presentation of oral argument. Given the significant degree of familiarity with the law required, mooters tend to devote themselves to preparation for the three days before the moot.

The problems, set before the Full Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeal, the Full Federal Court and – occasionally – the High Court, are designed to promote argument in areas of the law that are unsettled or subject to recent developments. The competition aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop their research and analytical skills, as well as their skills of persuasive argument, in the formal environment of an appellate court.

The Organiser of the 2010 Mallesons Stephen Jaques Open Mooting Competition is Jessie Smith. Please direct all queries to competitions@blackstone.asn.au.

Competition Dates

Round 1: Monday 15th March, Tuesday 16th March, Monday 22nd March and Tuesday 23rd March 2010

Round 2: Monday 19th April & Tuesday 20th April 2010

Quarter-Final: TBC

Semi-Final: TBC

Grand Final: TBC

Competition Materials

-        Assessment Sheet
-        Information for Associates
-        Associate’s Timesheet
-        Information for Competitors
-        Information for Judges
-        Rules
-        Sample List of Authorities and Outline of Submissions
-        Problem Guidelines
-        Open Mooting Crashcourse
-        Open Mooting Tips – His Honour David Malcolm
-        Open Mooting Tips – Her Honour Antoinette Kennedy