QUT representatives braved the wind, rain and a 6am start to compete at the QLSA (Queensland Law Students Association) practical legal competitions at Bond University on the Gold Coast last Sunday 7 May.

2009 heralded the second year of the competitions which were a resounding success with delegates competing against students from James Cook University, University of Queensland, Griffith (Nathan and Gold Coast) and Bond.

Jamie Nuich and Shaan Stone, our pre-eminent Negotiators took the competition as an opportunity to investigate different techniques in anticipation of the forthcoming ALSA Conference in July while Tim Alexander refined his trial techniques in a performance worthy of the rainmaker in the Witness Examination Competition. Congratulations to Lara Soldi and Sarah Jackson who took out the Client Interviewing Competition.

University of Queensland took out the mooting competition with Tim Mason and Jules Moxon beating Bond University in a final that went down to wire at the Banco Court on Monday 18 May 2009. Tim and Jules earned the right to represent Queensland at the 22nd LAWASIA Conference, which will be held in November in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.  Special thanks to the Queensland Law Society for its generosity in providing sponsorship for the two boys to attend the conference.

This annual event is one of the largest student conferences in Australia, and the only conference of its kind for law students. It is open to every Law Student Society member in Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia and delegates from all universities around Australia with teams of around 20 each usually attend. The 7 day event is jam packed with social activities, most of which come with food and drinks included.

Some of these are:

• Opening Gala Dinner at the GABBA Cricket Ground.
• Closing Gala Dinner at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre.
• Cocktail Night at Jade Buddha’s Shadow Lounge.
• State of Origin Night at the Normanby Hotel.
• Theme Night.
• Pub Crawl.
• ALSA Legal Advocacy Competitions.
• Australian Legal Education Forums.
• Day trips to various exciting tourist destinations in South-East Queensland.

Also, this year will see the introduction of a ‘break day’ which will give all delegates (including competitors and councillors) a chance to relax and enjoy some of the best that South-east Queensland has to offer. Delegates can choose between accommodation and non-accommodation packages.

The following competitions are facilitated by ALSA:

• Mooting
• Witness Examination
• Negotiation
• Client Interviewing
• Paper Presentation
• International Humanitarian Law Moot
• National Essay Competition
• Kirby Cup

QUOTALS send its Competition Winners free of charge but anyone is invited! Every law student should go to at least one ALSA Conference before they graduate, and this is definitely the conference to go to! It’s going to be AWESOME! 

Enrolment opens 22 April! More information on the event can be found at www.alsaconference2009.com or by emailing alsa@quotals.com

Delegates last year have said that it was the best week of their lives so get cracking!

The format of the Kirby Cup has varied over the years. In 2008, entrants were asked to develop a proposal for law reform relevant to a current ALRC inquiry. The Competition provides law students with the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way with policy-orientated law reform, and provides a unique insight into the workings of the legal system.

What is required?

To enter, teams of two students must provide a written submission (maximum 15 pages) on a topic of law reform set by the ALRC.

Based on written entries, up to three teams will be invited to participate in an oral advocacy round, held during the ALSA Conference (this year to be held in Brisbane, 13-19 July 2009). The teams advancing to the oral advocacy round will present their proposal to an expert judging panel convened by an ALRC Commissioner.

Guidelines can be found at: http://www.alrc.gov.au/kirbycup/guidelines.html

Are there prizes?

The winners will have their names engraved on the perpetual Kirby Cup, which was donated by the Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG. In addition, a summary of the winning entry will be published in the ALRC’s journal Reform and on the ALRC’s website.

2009

Registration has now closed and submissions were due by 4 May 2009.

This year’s topic is on Animal Welfare Law Reform. The question for this year is:

What are the key issues that arise from the present federal regulatory framework for animal welfare? In considering appropriate law reform recommendations, assess whether Codes of Practice for animal welfare provide a reliable & satisfactory mechanism for regulating animal welfare; or whether a national Animal Welfare Act or harmonisation of State/Territory legislation would be more appropriate.

Consider yourself a potential Denny Crane, Atticus Finch or Lionel Hutz? For the sake of gender equality – Ally McBeal, Elle Woods or Erin Brockovich?  Think you argue “it’s just the vibe of the thing” better than Bud Tingwell?

The QUOTALS Allens Arthur Robinson Witness Examination Competition is for all students who dream of standing in court and making a name for themselves in litigation. Stand up and start now! Nominations open around the middle of Semester 2 so gear yourself up and start practicing those opening and closings in front of the mirror with your shoes off.

What is required?

The competition is a simulated civil or criminal trial consisting of teams of two students: one barrister and one non-competitive witness. The barrister must prove his/her argument in front of a judge by inducing the facts of the case from the witnesses through examination and cross-examination. The competition improves your public speaking skills, is lots of fun interrogating your friends and generally does not require any legal research.

Competitors will receive a brief (including facts, police statements etc.) approximately 24 hours prior to the trial. You will be given a witness that you can have a 1 hour meeting with prior to the competition to prepare and question for the big trial.

The trial itself involves, opening statements, examination-in-chief, cross-examination, closing statements and objections to evidence.  While the Evidence and Advocacy subjects at QUT are beneficial to students participating, it’s not required.  Finalists from the past 2 years have not undertaken the subjects.

Are there prizes?

There are fantastic prizes to be won including cash and the opportunity to proceed to the Australian Law Society Association’s Conference (this year to be held in Brisbane) where the winners will compete against universities from all around Australia and receive a free pass to a week jam-packed full of social events!

How to get involved?

We are also in need of witnesses for the competition. Being a witness (not as burdensome as it sounds) gives you an opportunity to see firsthand how the trial operates. Send us an email and let us know what dates and times of your availability.

The Workshop

Every year QUOTALS holds a workshop on the art of advocacy. The workshop runs through the structure of the trial and gives you tips about how to address the bench and persuade the court of your argument. The workshop will:

·         give instructions as to advocacy, techniques to use and how to address the court.

·         give a demonstration so you can see what you are and are not meant to do.

·         provide practical exercises so you can put everything you’ve learnt into practice!

Although these are the things we aim to show in the workshop it is very flexible and open to participators input. So the night can be adapted if there is anything in particular you want to know more about or learn.

It is highly recommended that students entering the QUOTALS Allens Arthur Robinson Witness Examination Competition come along to this – you will gain so much from the experience!

The Final

The QUOTALS Allens Arthur Robinson Witness Examination Final is usually held at the offices of AAR - Riverside Centre, 123 Eagle Street. The night kicks off with drinks and nibbles at 5.30pm and then the final at 6.00pm.

It’s a chance to meet Christa Howat from the Human Resources Division, some of people from the firm and get to know the culture at one of Brisbane’s top tier firms!

It’s also helpful if you are moving toward the end of your degree and need some practical experience with clients by providing you with the skills of a sought-after graduate. As a practical uni, it’s these experiences that set us apart from the rest!

Do I need a partner?

Students compete in teams of two, although individual nominations are welcome. We will pair you up with another partner.

What is required?

The question is released 2 days before the rounds in the form of a short memo alluding to a client and a problem. It is then up to you to ask the questions. Be prepared for problems including nasty or crazy clients, covering matters usually involving torts or contracts.

A team of two solicitors has a set amount of time to ascertain all the relevant information from their client to ensure that they are represented effectively. The competitors must cover all formalities of an interview, take note of the personal details of the client, the client’s issues and then give suggested possible courses of action.

While you are required to give a short legal advice, the interview – limited to 30 minutes - does not include knowledge of substantive law. Students advise on practical nature of the process and any law that you think may be applicable in lay-mans terms.

You interview in front of a mixture of Brisbane’s legal profession so the utmost professionalism and preparation is required. Business attire is required so dress to impress!

Are there prizes?

There are fantastic prizes to be won including cash and the opportunity to proceed to the Australian Law Society Association’s Conference (this year to be held in Brisbane) where the winners will compete against universities from all around Australia and receive a free pass to a week jam-packed full of social events!

How to get involved?

We are also in need of clients for the competition. Being a client (not as burdensome as it sounds) gives you an opportunity to see firsthand how the interviews operate. Send us an email and let us know what dates and times of your availability.

The Workshop

Every year QUOTALS holds a workshop on the art of client interviewing. The workshop runs through the structure of the interview process and gives you tips about how to best prepare and act in the interview.

The workshop will:

·         Instructions about what client interviewing is, techniques to use and how to address the client.

·         A demonstration so you can see what you are and are not meant to do.

·         Practical exercises so you can put everything you’ve learnt into practice!

Although these are the things we aim to show in the workshop it is very flexible and open to participators input. So the night can be adapted if there is anything in particular you want to know more about or learn.

It is highly recommended that those students entering the QUOTALS Blake Dawson Client Interviewing Competition come along to this – you will gain so much from the experience!

QUOTALS Senior Moot

Every year around April, the Competitions team call for nominations for the Senior Moot Competition. The Senior Moot is for those competitors who have entered other university competitions before. You can also enter this if you have not performed in the Junior Moot, but beware! The competition is tough!

The Senior Moot is an excellent way to apply the law that we have already learnt in lectures and tutorials to a “real life” situation.

Do I need a partner?

Students compete in teams of two, although individual nominations are welcome. We will pair you up with another partner.

What is required?

Each team has 20 minutes to present their argument, and the Appellant has the right to reserve up to 3 minutes for rebuttal.  

You moot in front of a mixture of Brisbane’s legal profession so the utmost professionalism and preparation is required. Business attire is required so dress to impress!

What do I get out of it?

It’s your introduction to mooting at QUT and competitors get the skills and the experience to enter QUT’s Mooting elite that get to enter competitions all around the WORLD! There are also fantastic prizes to be won including cash and the opportunity to proceed to the Australian Law Society Association’s Conference (this year to be held in Brisbane) where the winners will compete against universities from all around Australia and receive a free pass to a week jam-packed full of social events!

How to get involved?

We are also in need of bailiffs for this competition. Being a bailiff (not as burdensome as it sounds) gives you an opportunity to see firsthand how a moot operates and see some of QUT’s finest strutting their stuff in the moot court.

Moot Camp

Every year QUOTALS holds a workshop on the art of mooting.  Come along and hear first-hand tips for mooting from QUT mooting warriors! The workshop is great for Senior Mooters who get a chance to refresh their mooting knowledge at the beginning of the year before try-outs for the QUT Faculty Mooting Programme.

The workshop will:

·         Give some instruction about what mooting is, techniques to use, how to address the Court.

·         A demonstration so you can see what you are and are not meant to do.

·         Practical exercises so you can put everything you’ve learnt into practice!

Although these are the things we aim to show in the workshop it is very flexible and open to participators input. So the night can be adapted if there is anything in particular you want to know more about or learn.

It is highly recommended that those students entering the QUOTALS Senior Moot Competition come along to this – you will gain so much from the experience!

2009

Nothing smells of drama like a security guard, a couple of hammers and a floozy hotel. But between the four senior moot finalists Melissa Edwards, Dan Miles, Luke Gamble and Tim Wilkins, they turned a simple story into a battle of vicarious liability, between being an independent contractor and an employee.

The QUOTALS Senior Moot on the 1^st of May 2009 at the Banco Court in the Law Courts Complex on George St was a battle of preparation, wit and argumentative genius in front of a stellar judging panel consisting of President McMurdo, Justice Applegarth and QUT Professor Bob Sibley. The competition was a success all round with the audience noting that the competition was a hair-breadth apart.

The final concluded with the reigning champs, Luke Gamble and Tim Wilkins taking out the title for the second successive year and Dan Miles winning the prize for Best Speaker.

Thanks to all the teams that participated, our judges and Competitions Directors, Sinisa Butina and Caitlyn White for organising the Competition. For further info email: competitions@quotals.com . 

Junior Moot

Every year around April, the Competitions Directors call for nominations for the Junior Moot Competition. The Junior Moot is for those competitors who have not entered another university moot before.

The Junior Moot is an excellent way to introduce students to the art of litigation providing students with the opportunity to enhance their public speaking skills and presentation of legal arguments.

Do I need a partner?

Students compete in teams of two, although individual nominations are welcome. We will pair you up.

What is required?

QUOTALS provide you with the problem and the cases about a week prior. You give us the argument and the advocacy. Each team has 20 minutes to present their argument, and the Appellant has the right to reserve up to 3 minutes for rebuttal.  

You moot in front of a mixture of Brisbane’s legal profession so the utmost professionalism and preparation is required. Business attire is required so dress to impress!

What do I get out of it?

It’s your introduction to mooting at QUT and competitors get the skills and the experience to enter QUT’s Mooting elite that get to enter competitions all around the WORLD! There are also fantastic prizes to be won!

How to get involved

We are also in need of bailiffs for this competition. Being a bailiff (not as burdensome as it sounds) gives you an opportunity to see firsthand how a moot operates and see some of QUT’s finest strutting their stuff in the moot court.

Moot Camp

Got a lot to say but don’t know how to say it? Then the QUOTALS Mooting Workshop is for you!

Every year QUOTALS holds a workshop on the art of mooting.  Come along and hear first-hand tips for mooting from QUT mooting warriors!

The mooting workshop is a great introductory session for new mooters or for those who just want some idea what the illustrious ‘mooting’ actually is. The workshop will:

•          Give some instruction about what mooting is, techniques, how to address the Court.
•          A demonstration so you can see what you are and are not meant to do
•          Practical exercises so you can put everything you’ve learnt into practice!

Although these are the things we aim to show in the workshop it is very flexible and open to participators input. So the night can be adapted if there is anything in particular you want to know more about or learn.

It is highly recommended that those students entering the QUOTALS Junior Moot Competition come along to this - you will gain so much from the experience!

2009

This year around 25 teams, consisting of 1^st years to 5^th years competed in the Junior Moot Rounds between the 5th-7th May, from 5.30pm onwards at QUT Gardens Point campus.  After a gruelling 3 nights of very high standard teams mooting, congratulations must go to the teams of Abby Zeith (SC), Isaac Buckley (JC), Emma Higgins (SC) and Mitchell Rawlings (JC) for making it to the final.

The Junior Mooting Final was held on Friday 8 May at the Brisbane District Court and provided a great night of entertainment. The winning team were for the Appellants with Abby Zeith (SC) and Isaac Buckley(JC) who also both won best oralist. The team for the Respondents was Emma Higgins (SC) and Mitchel Rawlings (JC) who put up a great, if not incredibly humorous fight.

The judges who made the final tough decision were Ben Fraser, Bruce Mumford and Myles Murphy.

Enormous thanks must go the competitions Directors, Sinisa Butina and Caitlyn White for organising and executing the mammoth competition without a hitch. If you have any questions, please contact competitions@quotals.com.