Top legal minds put to test at Moot grand final

Four of The University of Notre Dame Australia’s (UNDA) most enthusiastic law students took part in the 2011 Freehills Moot Grand Final in the Fremantle Campus’ Justice Neville Owen eCourt on Thursday, March 31. This was the first competition of the academic year in the new eCourt which allows students to record and review their trials, lodge legal documents electronically and practise against interstate competitors before international competitions. Students Sarah-Jane Power, Lachlan Palmos, Megan Kingdon and James Parkinson, presented their constitutional and defamation arguments to some of Western Australia’s top legal minds. Ms Power and Mr Palmos examined the argument for the appellant, while Ms Kingdon and Mr Parkinson had the task for the respondent. They presented their arguments to the presiding judges - Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Wayne Martin, senior member of Freehills national litigation team Konrad de Kerloy and Aaron McDonald also of Freehills. Getting to the grand final was no easy feat for the four students as they had to qualify for successive rounds by finishing in the top echelon of their group. Students had to research an area of law and argue it with judges, asking questions throughout their presentations. According to Associate Professor Jane Power, Dean of the School of Law at Fremantle, the students who made it into the grand final were strong advocates and very good at researching their topics. Assoc Prof Power said she was pleased with the general standard of the competition overall. “Our Advocacy program – including a compulsory Advocacy unit for all law students – allowed the students to reap the benefits,” Assoc Prof Power said. “The grand final reflected that standard well.” Winner of the competition, Mr Parkinson, recommended students with an interest in advocacy to compete in a mooting competition. “As a competitor in the finals and the competition generally, I have found that this moot (and mooting in general) assists in the development of a student’s analytical and reasoning skills as well as overall public speaking ability and confidence,” Mr Parkinson said. UNDA’s Chancellor, Mr Terry Tobin QC, was also present and provided the students with excellent advice and feedback. A Moot is a mock-court hearing held at a Court of Appeal level where judges hear appeals against decisions made in a lower court. Media Contact: Leigh Dawson (+61) 8 9433 0569, Mob (+61) 0405 441 09