Indigenous law students make their case in Supreme Court

Students from Bond and Griffith universities will moot their way to the Supreme Court of Queensland for the third annual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students' Moot, held jointly by Allens, Ashurst, North Quarter Lane Chambers and the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland Inc.

Held over two sessions on 28 July, the moot will see four students explore the legal issues arising from a commercial dispute involving a fictional farming and tourism business founded by Indigenous land owners and entrepreneurs in North Queensland.

The result of the final will be judged by members of the Queensland judiciary.

'My experience so far has been awesome,' said Jordan Kilcoyne, one of the team members from Bond University.

'By going into the courts and having a real crack at what mooting is all about, the Indigenous Students' moot gives us hands-on experience that others might not get the chance to have.

'The Indigenous Students' Moot is one of the best, not only because it's a great experience, but also because there is an element of support that not many other mooting competitions offer,' Jordan said.

For Nicholas Costello, one of the team members from Griffith University, the moot has been a fantastic opportunity to see what life is like in the legal profession, and to improve his core legal skills.

The final moot will be the culmination of several months of work for the students, including their attendance at a number of workshops and networking events hosted by Allens and Ashurst.

'The moot is an invaluable opportunity for aspiring lawyers to meet with leaders in the industry and form professional connections that will serve them throughout their careers,' said John Hedge, a partner at Allens and head of the firm's Brisbane Reconciliation Action Plan committee.

'Providing hands-on, high quality legal experience is a practical way for us to provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who may not have had access to the same opportunities as their peers, and ultimately encourage diversity in the legal profession and reconciliation.'

The winning team will take home $250, with $100 for the runners up. Both teams will have the opportunity to shadow barristers from the North Quarter Lane Chambers, and all participants will receive a $100 book voucher for their university's bookshop.

Allens has long been a leader in the legal profession in its work towards Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation. In addition to its organisation of the moot, Allens offers internship opportunities for Indigenous law students nationally as well as a Reconciliation Action Mentoring Program in Brisbane.

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