UQ law students win Indigenous Student Moot

Two University of Queensland law students have proven their legal prowess by winning the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Mooting competition at the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Competing in their first moot, third-year arts/law student Mollie O’Connor and second-year arts/law student Zachary Frazer successfully argued the tort law case before a distinguished bench.

They competed against teams of Indigenous students from Bond University, Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology.

The UQ duo also won the best written submissions and Ms O’Connor won for the best oral submission.

The moot was the second such annual competition run by Allens, Ashurst, North Quarter Lane Chambers and the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland Inc.

TC Beirne School of Law co-curricular programs director Geneviève Murray said mooting was a valuable extra-curricular activity in which students honed advocacy skills and developed confidence in an appellate court environment.

“The students speak to a panel of judges in an actual courtroom and gain experience preparing submissions and developing their analytical reasoning while working as part of a team,” Ms Murray said.

Ms Murray said mooting provided students with a resume highlight that helped set them apart in the competitive legal services job market.

Ms O’Connor and Mr Frazer were coached and mentored by two of UQ’s most successful mooters, current student Elizabeth Stanley and former student Jack Siebert.

Ms O’Connor said she hoped to spend her first year after graduation as a judge’s associate before moving into a top or mid-tier law firm.

“This moot was important to me because it was representative of the fact Indigenous students like ourselves have the capability to succeed in whatever we choose to do,” she said.

“I'm very grateful for the opportunity, and for the immense support we received from so many people in the legal profession and at the university.”

Mr Frazer, who is interested in developing his career in either criminal or corporate law, said the moot helped him develop his research and advocacy skills.

“It was also good to put the theory I’ve learned in class to practice, and will no doubt be of invaluable experience for my career,” Mr Frazer said.

While not mandatory, mooting competitions are ingrained within the TC Beirne School of Law, and it is considered an honour to be selected for a team.

This year the school expects about 50 students will participate in 16 moots.

For further information: Nadine Davidson-Wall, n.davidson-wall@law.uq.edu.au, (07) 3346 9263.