About Competitions

Competitions offer students an opportunity to develop skills crucial for legal practice and success in non-legal domains. Whether it be developing advocacy skills, interviewing a potential client, negotiating a resolution to a dispute or cross-examining a witness, competitors are put in challenging situations that encourage them to exercise legal reasoning and problem solving skills.

Each year, SULS facilitates a number of internal and intervarsity mooting and skills competitions, as well as educational programs - an overview of each competition is available below. For more information, check out our Competitions Handbook!

Sign up for the SULS Weekly Newsletter, join the Competitions Facebook group or follow our Instagram page to stay up-to-date with Competitions this year, including links to sign up for all of our internal and intervarsity competitions.

Mooting

Mooting is a fun way to strengthen key legal skills, like conducting research and developing arguments. Participating in mooting also strengthens your oral advocacy skills, exercising your ability to think on your feet, respond to questioning, and remain calm under pressure. Although mooting is particularly valuable for students considering a career at the bar, it is regarded favourably by most employers and provides a great opportunity to build problem question skills.

SULS runs multiple internal moots, and participates in a wide array of intervarsity and international competitions. For first-time mooters, our mooting programs provide the opportunity to develop key mooting skills. Also check out our Mooting Guide for an outline of what mooting involves, as well as our video resources for advice from experienced competitors!

Negotiations

The ability to negotiate is essential in contemporary legal practice. An exciting and highly dynamic competition, negotiations will challenge you to think on your feet, strategise and bargain.

Negotiations involve a hypothetical factual scenario, where two parties are in a dispute. Each team of two represents the legal assistance for one of the parties. The aim is to negotiate an agreement to the dispute that satisfies your client’s instructions.

SULS runs internal Negotiations competitions, as well as competing in a number of intervarsity and international competitions. For first-time competitors, our Introductory Negotiation Program provides the opportunity to learn the foundations of negotiations. Also, check out our Negotiations Guide for an outline of what Negotiations involve.

Client Interviewing

A client interview is a mock consultation conducted by a team of two competitors acting as lawyers, who interview a potential client. The aim of the competition is to ascertain the facts and legal issues relevant to the client’s situation and offer preliminary solutions, whilst maintaining a professional working relationship.

In many careers, interviewing clients is an essential skill, requiring strong interpersonal skills and oral communication abilities. You must also think on your feet and navigate ethical and professional responsibility concerns as they arise. This includes issues in relation to professional privilege or conflict of interest.

SULS runs internal Client Interviewing competitions, as well as competing in a number of intervarsity competitions. To get started with Client Interviewing, check out our specific guide on how to best interview clients.

Witness Examination

Witness Examination simulates a criminal trial: two competitors, representing the prosecution and the defence, provide competing versions of the same incident, and try to support their accounts with witness evidence.  

Witness Examination allows you to step into the shoes of a trial advocate and learn how to build a narrative that can win over a courtroom. The competition forces you to think on your feet, building confidence, adaptability and critical listening skills. If you haven’t studied Evidence Law, Witness Examination will give you a useful head start. If you have studied Evidence Law, the competition is a great opportunity to understand how the rules of evidence are actually applied in the courtroom.

SULS runs internal Witness Examination competitions, as well as competing in a number of intervarsity competitions. To get started with Witness Examinations, have a look at our Witness Examinations guide which will be useful in preparing for the competition.

Contacts

If you have any questions, queries or would otherwise like to get in touch, please contact the 2024 Competitions Directors, Kiana Asgari and Daniel Kim at competitions@suls.org.au. 

For all competition or program-specific enquiries, please contact the relevant coordinator or convenor of the relevant competition or program.

Education Coordinators: educationcompetitions@suls.org.au

Intervarsity Coordinators: intervarsity@suls.org.au

Judging Coordinators: judges@suls.org.au

Marketing Coordinators: compsmarketing@suls.org.au

Negotiations Competition: negotiations@suls.org.au

Client Interviewing Competition: clientinterviewing@suls.org.au

Witness Examination Competition: witnessexam@suls.org.au

Tort Law Moot: tortsmoot@suls.org.au

Federal Constitutional Law Moot: fedconmoot@suls.org.au

Public International Law Moot: pilmoot@suls.org.au

Juris Doctor Torts Moot: tortsmoot@suls.org.au

First Year Moot: firstyearmoot@suls.org.au     

Contract Law Moot: contractsmoot@suls.org.au

Criminal Law Moot: crimlawmoot@suls.org.au

Summer Moot: tournamoot@suls.org.au

Women’s Mooting Program: womensmootingprogram@suls.org.au