Battle of wits in courtroom drama

The courtroom can be a daunting place. No less so for fledgling lawyers developing and finetuning the skills to effectively argue their client’s case.

On July 1, the Southern Cross University School of Law and Justice is hosting the inaugural SCULSS Intra-School Moot, a competition for law students keen to develop their skills in a simulated court environment.

Organising the event is SCU Law Students Society (SCULSS) member Wes Seewald, who said he was looking forward to being on the legal stage.

“Mooting isn’t a core unit in the law degree but for anyone wanting to practise law in the courts it’s a very handy skill to have, to be able to present yourself and advocate your case for the client,” said the 25-year-old Bachelor of Laws student.

He continued: “I love the challenge a mooting competition presents. It’s an even playing field for everyone to come up with new and different ideas and approaches to a problem question. From the counsel teams you’ll hear different ideas and different ways of approaching the argument.”

The legal battle is over a negligence occasioning bodily harm matter where the judge has already handed down a verdict. The parties are appealing the judge’s decision.

Four teams, each made up of two counsel members, are competing to take out the inaugural trophy. Two judges will be sitting on the bench in the earlier rounds, with the University’s Chancellor The Honourable John Dowd AO QC, a former Supreme Court Justice, and two other judges presiding over the final.

Head of the School of Law and Justice Professor Rocque Reynolds said mooting honed a student’s legal mind.

“Even if they’re not working in the courts it makes students think very clearly and quickly on their feet. It’s about communication,” said Professor Reynolds. “It’s an excellent way to develop legal reasoning skills.”

The winning team will compete on the international stage at the QUT Shine Lawyers Torts Moot in Brisbane in August. This moot is open to law schools from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Southern Cross University has hosted The Honourable John Dowd High School Mooting Competition for the region’s high school students since 2009. This is the first time the University has held a mooting competition for its own law students.

Photo: School of Law and Justice course coordinator Geoffrey Manion, with SCULSS president Gemma Coianiz and SCULSS member Wes Seewald in the Moot Court at Southern Cross University’s Lismore campus. Media opportunity: The final is being held on Friday, July 1, at 1pm in the Moot Court at SCU’s Lismore campus. (The two earlier rounds are at 9am and 11am). Interviews are available ahead of the final at 12.30pm.