Mooting at Murdoch

The Magistrates Court Moot is a mooting competition at Murdoch that calls upon competitors to make a short appearance before a Magistrate. This aims to replicate a busy list in the Magistrates Court, and draws upon competitors’ advocacy skills, knowledge of the law, and ability to respond to any surprises effectively.

Students who are taking the first year unit LLB130 Criminal Law and Procedure have the opportunity to take part in a moot as an optional assessment component. Students are presented with a factual scenario involving two parties, and are assigned to act as either senior or junior counsel for one of the parties. Each counsel will be responsible for presenting submissions in relation to one specific legal issue arising from the factual scenario.

This moot takes into account that ‘LLB130’ is a first year unit and that this is likely to be the first time that you will be preparing written submissions and making oral submissions before a judge. It is designed to be a positive learning experience as much as it is an assessable item.

The student-run MSLS association also coordinate a range of mooting competitions across different areas of law. These are also pitched at different levels of complexity, allowing students to participate in mooting all the way from their first year. To find out more, visit their website.

The Jessup Mooting Competition is one of the largest and most prestigious international mooting competitions in the world. More than 500 law schools in over 80 countries participate in this competition.
Each year the Jessup moot problem concerns an aspect of international law. In any given year it may deal with matters as diverse as environmental damage on the high seas, terrorist activities, militaristic actions, or human rights issues.

The details:

• Teams: Murdoch generally enters a team of five students in this competition (four oralists and one researcher).
• Scheduling: The national rounds are typically held in February with the international rounds being conducted in March. Preparation for the national rounds generally begins in September and continues through the summer break.

For more information, see the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

The International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot (IMLAM) Competition requires students to deal with a fictional dispute concerning commercial maritime law and international commercial arbitration. Students prepare both claimant and respondent memoranda to present submissions before an arbitral tribunal during the oral component of the competition. From 2006 to 2022 Murdoch University's School of Law and Criminology organised this competition for the benefit of law students worldwide.

Two members on each team present oral submissions on jurisdiction and merits of the case to the arbitral panel. The tribunal then decides the winner of the arbitration.

The details:

• Teams: Murdoch University generally enters a team of four students in this competition.
• Scheduling: Students prepare for this competition throughout summer and Semester One and then compete in late June/early July.

The AAT Competition is open to all law students enrolled in Australian universities. The moots involve fact scenarios from a range of administrative law areas across the jurisdiction of the General and Other Divisions of the Tribunal. These administrative law areas include Social Security Administration, immigration, workers’ compensation, and more.

The details:

• Teams: Competing teams are made up of two members who act as senior counsel and junior counsel, and may include a third team member who provides assistance but cannot speak during the moot.
• Scheduling: The competition is held from July to October, inclusive of the Preliminary Rounds up until the Grand Final.

For more information, see the AAT National Mooting Competition.

The Sir Harry Gibbs Moot is a prominent Australian moot in the area of constitutional law. All moot rounds are held in Melbourne, with the Grand Final hosted at the High Court in Melbourne.

The details:

• Teams: Teams include two to three people. In a team of three, two members will be act as Counsel and one will act as Solicitor. In teams of two, both team members will act as Counsel.
• Scheduling: The problem will be released early August, and the competition will be held in late September.

For more information, see the Sir Harry Gibbs National Constitutional Law moot.

The Hon. Michael Kirby Contract Law Moot Competition is a prominent Australian moot court competition which occurs every year. It allows students to apply their knowledge on contract law to realistic contractual dispute scenarios, whilst enhancing their capacities for legal research, analysis and oral advocacy.

The details:

• Teams: Murdoch sends one team of four.
• Scheduling: The competition problem is released in early July, with the competition being held over four days in late September.

For more information, see the Hon. Michael Kirby Contract Law Moot Competition.

The 'Vis' Moot is the second largest mooting competition in the world. Over 160 teams from around 40 countries compete in this competition. The competition scenario involves a dispute arising out of a contract of sale between two businesses located in countries that are parties to the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ('CISG'). Each year a different set of arbitral rules are applied. The Vis Moot requires students to prepare two memoranda (claimant and respondent) as well as participating in a number of simulated arbitration hearings.

The oral arguments for the Vis Moot take place in Vienna, Austria. The general rounds and some of the final rounds of the oral arguments take place at the Juridicum, the Law Faculty of the University of Vienna. Traditionally the grand final is conducted in the Vienna Town Hall, the Rathaus or the Vienna Convention Centre.

Oral hearings are conducted in the week before Easter. However, the preparation of memoranda begins in October and runs throughout the summer break. Murdoch University generally enters a team of four students in this competition.

For more information, see the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.