The USQ Law Society runs various competitions throughout the year to help develop our member’s skills and experience. These competitions typically include the Championship Moot Tournament, the Junior Moot Competition, the Client Interviewing Competition, the Witness Examination Competition and the Negotiations Competition. USQLS also send competitors to the Australian Law Students Association (ALSA) National competitions, and other national based competitions. Competitions are an important part of the Law School experience as they provide some of the incredibly valuable real world practice and experience needed on completion of your studies. There are four main types of Law School competitions: negotiation, witness examination, client interviewing and mooting.
The following sections will continue to be updated through out 2024 as more details become available.
For more information see our page explaining what mooting is and how it is done.
The Championship Moot Tournament
The USQLS Championship Moot is a prestigious event. It is run in conjunction with LAW3466 Advocacy (formerly known as Moot Court Bench) but is open to any law student who has completed at least 4 law subjects. All competitors complete 2 rounds where they will get an opportunity to argue for each party. The top 8 teams then progress to the knock out quarter and then semi finals. Competitors who make the quarter finals are eligible to apply to represent the USQLS at the Australian Law Students’ Association national mooting competition.
The Grand Final is held at an official court typically with a team of three qualified legal professionals usually including a member of the judiciary presiding. The winners from last year received $1000 in prize money along with the coveted title and trophy of Championship winners. The runners up received $500 and the winner of the overall best advocate received $500. Such details for 2024 will be confirmed when practicable.
Entry in the Championship Moot is free to all Standard Members of the USQLS and students enrolled in LAW3466. Non-members who meet the entry requirements are required to pay an entry fee.
The 2024 Question is available here.
Registrations for 2024 are open untill 9 Febuary. Click here and complete the form to sign up!
Our Championship Moot is proudly sponsored by Queens Arms Chambers.
2024 Championship Moot Competition
Round One – Saturday 2nd of March – Ipswich Campus
Round Two – Saturday 23rd of March – Location TBC
Quarter Finals – Saturday 6th of April – Location TBC
Semi Finals – Saturday 6th of April – Location TBC
Grand Final – Monday 29th of April – Banco Chambers, Queensland Supreme Court
Please email any questions to president.usqls@gmail.com
The Junior Moot Competition
The Junior Moot Competition is open to students who are enrolled in any law degree and have not yet completed 12 law courses and have not previously competed in the USQLS Championship Moot. It is composed of individual competitors battling it out over both on-campus and online moots. The competition will be held over a single weekend with the preliminary rounds on the Saturday and the finals on the Sunday.
Each competitor will compete twice – representing both sides. The highest scoring competitors are decided on the overall cumulative results from both moots and will move onto the finals.
The winner of the Grand-Final will receive a prize money of $650.00 with the runner-up receiving $350.00 and the winner of the overall best advocate receives the Jack Elvers Best Advocate Trophy and prize of $100.00. The USQ Law Society thanks Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers for sponsoring the Junior Moot Competition.
Entry in the Junior Moot competition is free to all Standard Members of the USQLS. Non-members who meet the entry requirements are required to pay an entry fee.
If you haven’t mooted before and would like to learn more you can watch Jaidyn Paroz’s Moot Workshop presentation here. PowerPoint slides for the presentation are available to download here. The USQ Law Society is indebted to Jaidyn’s commitment to our competitions portfolio over the three years that he has served as an executive member.
Registration for the Junior Moot Competition will open later in the year in trimester 3. If would like to be involved as our junior moot officer, please email usqlawsociety@gmail.com.
The 2023 Junior Moot Question can be accessed here.
Junior Moot 2023 Cases
Osland v Secretary to the Department of Justice [2008] HCA 37
State of Queensland v Deadman Thompson v State of Queensland [2016] QCA 218
2023 Junior Moot Competition
Round One – Interim Trimester 3
Round Two – Interim Trimester 3
Semi Finals – Interim Trimester 3
Grand Final – Interim Trimester 3
Client Interviewing Competition
The USQLS will host its annual client interviewing competition in 2023. Client interviewing is an opportunity for students to participate in a practical exercise that they will encounter in future practice. The competition requires competitors to extract information and facts from clients, manage client expectations, establish a rapport and provide legal advice which is both appropriate and ethical.
First place is $500, with the running up receiving $300. Both semi-finalists will receive $100 each. All prize money has been generous donated by Skuse Graham Criminal Lawyers.
Entry in the Client Interviewing competition is free to all Standard Members of the USQLS. Non-members who meet the entry requirements are required to pay a entry fee.
Registration for Client Interview has now opened and is available here until the 25th of August. If you would like to be involved as our client interview officer, please email usqlawsociety@gmail.com.
2023 Client Interviewing Competition
Round One – 7th of September 2023
Round Two – 9th of September 2023
Semi Finals – 14th of September 2023
Grand Final – 16th of September 2023
Witness Examination Competition
The USQLS will host its inaugural Witness Examination competition in 2023. Witness examination involves the simulation of a trial, and forces competitors to think quickly on their feet as they go through the various stages of a trial. This competition involves the delivery of an opening statement, the examination and cross-examination of witnesses, interaction with a trial judge and the delivery of a closing statement.
Entry in the Witness Examination competition is free to all Standard Members of the USQLS. Non-members who meet the entry requirements are required to pay a $10 entry fee.
Registration of Witness Examination will open sometime early in 2024. If you would like to become involved and be our witness examination officer, please email usqlawsociety@gmail.com.
2023 Witness Examination Competition
Round One – TBA
Round Two – TBA
Semi Finals – TBA
Grand Final – TBA
ALSA Competitions 2023
In 2022 the Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) ran the following competitions:
- ALSA Championship Moot
- ALSA Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot
- ALSA Witness Examination Competition
- ALSA Negotiation Competition
- ALSA Client Interview Competition
- ALSA Paper Presentation Competition
- ALSA National Essay Competition
If you are interested in participating in one of these competitions in 2023 please register your expression of interest by email and contact comps.usqls@gmail.com for further details.
Competition Rules
Sample Moot Questions from Previous Years
| 2018 Rogers v Stark | Contracts |
| 2019 Morton v Club Music | Equity – injunction |
| 2019 R v Smith (Junior Moot) | Criminal |
| 2020 Elvers v State of Queensland | Civil |
| 2020 Nylers v Gespresso (Junior Moot) | Contracts |
| 2021 R v Randall (2020) | Criminal |
| 2023 R v Randall | Criminal |
Previous Winners
The USQ Law Society congratulates the winners of the 2022 Championship Moot Tournament Tracey Ellis and Deacon Johnston. Sharna Cook and Fahim Gul placed as the Runners Up with Sharna being awarded Best Advocate in 2022.
2021 USQLS Competitions Results
2020 USQLS Championship Mooting Tournament Result
2020 USQLS Junior Moot Competition
2019 BWBFL x USQLS Junior Moot Competition
2019 USQLS Championship Mooting Tournament Results
2018 USQLS Championship Mooting Tournament Results
