The Internal Mooting Competitions

The Internal Mooting Competitions are often the first step into mooting and legal competitions UNSW Law Students. Mooting is often described as the most legal, and most difficult, of the competitions one can enter at university. While this can be intimidating for many students, the UNSW Law Society's internal mooting competitions are tailored towards competitors of all levels. The problems at every level are intended to coincide with what students are learning in class, so most students can move comfortably through the mooting program as they progress with their studies.

The competitions all run over the course of the year. During the rounds, competitors receive their fact scenario three days before the scheduled moot, and are required to send their written submissions to their competitors and judges by midnight, the night before the moot. The short preparation period allows students to devote the requisite amount of time to their other commitments, as well as draws the focus towards competitors' mooting ability on the day At the final, students face the exciting prospect of appearing before Justices of the New South Wales Court of Appeal.

Students often find mooting to be an extremely rewarding and valuable part of their degree. The process of researching, arguing and presenting a legal scenario is invaluable for any future legal career, or indeed for any other career in which clear thinking and logical expression is sought. Feedback from judges furthermore stimulates competitors' development, and underlines the collaborative nature of these popular competitions.

Ashurst Beginners Mooting Competition
The Ashurst Beginners' Mooting Competition is the first of UNSW Law Society's three internal mooting competitions. The fact scenarios are based on tort law. The competition is often the first opportunity for students to develop fundamental legal skills such as advocacy and research, as well as collaborative working, critical thinking and clarity in communication. In addition, it offers a head-start to competitors in the their coursework for their first year of study.

This competition is the first step in what often ends up being a long and rewarding involvement in mooting for students. There is a lot of aid available for competitors as they moot for the first time, including a comprehensive handbook, a training workshop, and feedback sessions after every round. The competition is usually the largest and most popular of our competitions, drawing as many as 200 competitors each year.

Competitors are judged and progress on an individual basis, but are encouraged to enter in teams so that they may learn to moot with their friends. Though competitors may and often progress without their partner, coordinators will try to keep teams together if both members progress to the next round. Competitors will receive their fact scenario three days before the moot, and must submit written submissions by midnight on the night before the moot is scheduled. For more information, please contact Daniel Cheng and Paul Mersiades, the Ashurst Beginners Mooting Coordinators, at beginnermooting@unswlawsoc.org.

Ashurst Intermediate Mooting Competition
Registration is now closed for the Semester 1 2013 Intermediate Mooting Competition.

The Intermediate Mooting Competition is the second of the UNSW Law Society's three internal mooting competitions, and its fact scenarios are based on criminal and contractual law. Like all mooting competitions, it aims to strengthen fundamental legal skills as advocacy and legal research, as well as collaborative working, critical thinking, problem solving and clarity of expression. Like the Beginners Mooting Competition, it offers an opportunity for competitors to learn areas before they are covered in class.

Many competitors in the Intermediate competition have progressed from the Beginners competition, though first-time mooters are welcome and many register each year. Nevertheless, a higher standard is expected of competitors than at the Beginners level, and the difficulty of fact scenarios is adjusted accordingly. Competitors are judged as, and progress in, teams. Like the other internal mooting competitions, mooters receive their fact scenario three days before the scheduled moot, and are required to send their written submissions to their competitors and judges by midnight, the night before the moot.

For more information, please contact Christabel Richards-Neville and Angela Li, the Intermediate Mooting Coordinators, at intermediatemooting@unswlawsoc.org.

Allens Senior Mooting Competition
Registration is now closed for Semester 1, 2013.

The Allens Senior Mooting Competition is the third and final internal mooting competition run by the UNSW Law Society. Problem questions may deal with any area of law, but will tend to focus on equity, administrative law and federal constitutional law. This competition is the firmest test of legal problem solving, research and advocacy within the UNSW Law Society. The standard of the competition is the highest of the three mooting competitions, and it is hotly contested each year.

Many competitors in this competition have progressed from the lower levels of internal mooting competitions, but first-time competitors are welcome to enter, and have made the finals several times in the past. Like the Intermediate Competition, competitors are judged as, and progress in, teams. Mooters receive their fact scenarios five days before the scheduled moot, and are required to send their written submissions to their competitors and judges by midnight, the night before the moot.

For more information, please contact Andrew Smorchevsky and Niru Palanivel, the Senior Mooting Coordinators, at seniormooting@unswlawsoc.org.

Internal Mooting Resources: