Competitions
AULSS hosts a number of competitions for law students each year. Competitions are a fantastic chance to interact and experience the law beyond the confines of a lecture theatre. The majority of our competitions are also held throughout other New Zealand law schools, and winners will have the opportunity to compete at a national level. If successful here, competitors may go on to compete on the international stage. The finals of each competition are open to all law students to come and watch, so even if you’re not competing yourself they can still provide a valuable insight into practical law.
Witness examination (Semester 1: Priority given to third years and above).
The Witness Examination Competition is the first competition of the year. In this competition, one student will act as counsel for the plaintiff or prosecution. At the same time, another student will act as defence counsel in a mock court hearing. Both competitors are briefed on the facts of the case and the witness's facts to perform a direct examination and cross-examination of the witness before a judge. Competitors are assessed on their ability to obtain facts and present a persuasive argument. Success in this competition leads to national and international events.
Client interviewing (Senior in Semester 1 and Junior in Semester 2)
This competition involves interviewing a client. An actor will act out the fact scenario and personality of the client in question. The two competitors have 25 minutes to interview the client and extract as much information as possible, followed by a 10-minute self-evaluation. Given that client interviewing is an efficient skill in the legal sector, competitors are assessed on their ability to obtain information and identify the client's underlying issues. Success in this competition also feeds into national, and international events.
Negotiation (Senior in Semester 1 and Junior in Semester 2)
Students compete in two teams to negotiate either a transaction or resolve a dispute on behalf of their respective client with an opposing team of two other students. Before the negotiation, each team will receive a common set of facts and a confidential set of facts specific to their team. The teams have 50 minutes to negotiate, followed by a ten-minute self-evaluation. Students are assessed on their abilities to solve problems and communicate effectively under the pressure of time constraints. The winners of senior negotiation represent Auckland at a national level, and internationally if successful.
KPMG Case Competition
Teams assume the role of business consultants and are asked to analyse and advise on the relevant details of a case, in conjunction with specific presentation questions.
In 2016 they met with members of an international airline’s board of directors (the KPMG judges).
This is a chance for law students to try on a different hat and test their business thinking. Incredible experience especially for those looking at pursuing business oriented degrees like consulting.
Mooting
A moot is a mock-up of an appellate court argument. Mooting competitions include the Stout Shield, the Junior Moot, the Greg Everard Memorial Moot, and new for 2014, the John Haigh Memorial Moot. These are run throughout the year in conjunction with the University of Auckland Mooting Society and allow students to test and expand on their abilities as a legal advocate beyond the compulsory moots.