The UTS Law Students' Society is proud to present to you the release of four legal competition tutorial videos. The videos include a simulated competition and interviews from members of the legal profession, academics and past students competitors giving valuable advice on how to succeed and advanced tips and techniques.

Negotiation

In a negotiation law students act as solicitors representing their client's interests in a dispute. Each team (consisting of two law students as solicitors) is given instructions by their clients, as well as facts relevant to their side of the dispute. The purpose is not necessarily settlement of the dispute. Solicitors discuss the legal issues and determine whether any proposed agreement between the parties is suitable to their client's needs.

This video demonstrates some techniques students can utilise in the competition. Interviews from academics and members of the legal profession allow for an insight in order to succeed in the competition as well as how you can improve your interests based technique.

To view this video, please click here.

Witness Examination

In Witness Examination, advocates for both the prosecution and the accused obtain relevant and admissible evidence from the witness that will be called in support of their case. This is known as examination-in-chief. Following examination-in-chief opposing legal representatives cross-examine that witness in attempt to undermine the veracity and plausibility of the account given by the witness in examination in chief.

There will finally be an opportunity for the party calling the witness to re-examine the witness over matters that have arisen in the course of cross examination. A witness examination is just a 'snapshot' of the questioning part of a trial.

This video demonstrates some techniques students can utilise in the competition. Interviews from members of the legal profession and past student competitors allow for an insight in order to succeed in the competition and how you can improve your cross examination technique.

To view this video, please click here.

Client Interview Tutorial

The Client Interview is a simulated conference in which teams of two lawyers interview a client for the first time. The focus of the competition is the identification of the nature of the client's problem, investigation of relevant background and the suggestion of an appropriate structured solution. Given these objectives, no knowledge of the substantive law is necessary, and only limited pre-interview preparation is required. The problems consist of a short memorandum, such as a law office secretary might give to interviewing practitioners when a client has called to make an appointment.

The competition aims to provide students with an opportunity to develop their client interview technique and enhance their skills of perception and communication, proficiencies which are essential in day-to-day legal practice.

This video demonstrates some techniques students can utilise in the competition. Interviews from academics and past student competitors allow for an insight in order to succeed in the competition and how you can improve your interview skills.

To view this video, please click here.

Mooting Tutorial

A moot is a legal debate in a courtroom setting usually, but not exclusively involving a case taken on appeal. In a moot two teams of counsel attempt to persuade a judge of the strength of their case by reference to legal authority. In a student moot the teams consist of two pairs of students representing appellant and respondent debating in a moot problem.

A moot problem is a predrafted factual situation in which a point or points of law are in dispute. The task of each team is to support the side of the argument with which it has been presented. This is done with reference to legal authority such as case law, statutes, institutional writings and legal principles.

The role of the judge of the moot is to weigh up the arguments presented to him or her and to question counsel where this is necessary to allow the judge to understand or accept the points being made.

This video demonstrates some techniques students can utilise in the competition. Interviews from past inter-varsity mooters and academics allow for an insight in order to succeed in the competition and how you can improve your advocacy skills.

To view this video, please click here.