Competitions and Mooting
Law Students Argue Their Way to Success
Tuesday 15 July 2008
Two University of Newcastle students have taken out the prestigious Kirby Cup at this year's Australian Law Students' Association (ALSA) conference.
The Kirby Cup, named in honour of cup sponsor Justice Michael Kirby, tests students' ability to argue a case for law reform based on real issues of social concern.
Karlo Tychsen, a first-year Law student, and Barbara Townsend, a third-year Law student, successfully presented their case for reform to the Commonwealth Freedom of Information laws.
The Kirby Cup Law Reform Competition calls on entrants to develop a proposal for law reform that critique's an existing law, proposes reform and identifies strategies for implementation.
The students then need to argue their case for reform in front of a panel of judges before being rated on their originality, how they address the problem, conceptualisation and presentation. Only three groups of students are given the opportunity to address the panel.
The competition is designed to give law students the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way with policy-oriented law reform and gain an insight into the workings of the legal system.
National Family Law Mooting Competition - Champions !
Four law students from the University of Newcastle School of Law have argued their way into first place in a field of 17 law schools, winning a highly prestigious competition in Melbourne.
Peter Kembrey and Ben Bickford (counsel) and Sara Rayment and Leanne Mellor (instructing solicitors), won the 2007 National Family Law Mooting Competition by overcoming the team from the University of Tasmania in the final, before the Honourable Justice Baker, at the Family Court of Australia in Melbourne.
The Newcastle team was assisted in their training by local barristers who attended the University of Newcaste Legal Centre and gave advice and practical guidance on appeal advocacy over nine months of preparation. In Melbourne the students were supported in court by barrister Renata Alexander, from the university's sister clinical law school at Monash University in Victoria.
Dr Colin James, solicitor and senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle Legal Centre, said the team earned the win.
"The team members have shown natural talent as well as great effort and skill in their preparation and training sessions during the year", he said.
For further information, please contact Dr Colin James on (02) 4921 7849 or email Colin.James@newcastle.edu.au
