Somerset Mooting Club 2018

Mooting was once described to me by one of our students as “a debate (legal) on steroids” I do not suggest for one moment that one activity is better or harder than the other but simply to highlight differences. In mooting the adjudicator can interrupt you at any stage and proceed to ask you questions about what you are saying and even how you are saying it.

In one competition this year, our speaker was stopped ninety seconds into a presentation scheduled to last ten minutes and then questioned on the topic for some eight minutes before being asked to sum up their argument.

This year Somerset received an invitation to compete in two prestigious competitions namely, the Bond University National Moot and the Griffiths University Qld Moot. The Bond Moot attracted some 110 schools from across the country.

The competition was conducted in two stages. Firstly, there was the elimination stage. Here, 110 initial entrant teams were reduced to 10 ‘finalists’ teams. The second stage saw those ‘finalist teams’ compete for the two places in the Grand Final. This year we were extended the honour of submitting two teams. We chose to enter a Year 12 senior team and a Year 11 development team. The development team did very well and learnt a great deal about mooting that they were able to carry forward a few months later. The senior team did outstandingly well making stage two (last 10) of the competition. They were however not able to make the Grand Final which was eventually won by Scots College Sydney.

One of the highlights of our senior team’s performance was that Alexandra Gerrard received a ‘Speaker Award’. Alexandra was one of six other speakers chosen from a field of 200 speakers for this recognition. Congratulations to her on this special and rare achievement.

Each of the senior team members received a participation medal along with a personalised invitation to apply for a scholarship to Bond Law School. Finally, the College received a plaque to recognise the achievement of the team in making the national final.

The senior team consisted of Kydra Walden (Senior Counsel), Alexandra Gerrard (Junior Counsel), and Kirst Brodbeck (Solicitor). The Year 11 team consisted of Chloe Garrier (Senior Counsel) Ainsley McCarthy (Junior Counsel and Emmanuelle Svoboda (Solicitor). Congratulations to all.

The, College, was also invited to submit two teams to the Griffiths University mooting competition. This competition attracted some 20 entrants. Our Team consisting of Chloe Garrier (Senior Counsel), Lilly Thompson (Junior Counsel) and Emmanuelle Svoboda (Solicitor) were the winners. Our second team also did very well and were very close to tasting success. The second team consisted of Ainsley McCarthy (senior Solicitor,) Julius Wright (Junior Solicitor) and Marcus Ware (Solicitor). In addition, Chloe Garrier and Ainsley McCarthy won ‘outstanding speaker’ awards. Once again, congratulations to all.

On behalf of our team member’s I would like to recognise and thank Mr Coleman, Professor Gerrard and our Headmaster for their assistance and support. I we would also like to recognise and thank Bond University and Griffiths University for their work in conducting these great events.