Indigenous law students moot their way to the Supreme Court

On 13 May, 10 Indigenous students will take to the Supreme Court of Queensland to present their arguments in the second annual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students' Moot Competition, run by Allens, Ashurst, North Quarter Lane Chambers and the Indigenous Lawyers Association of Queensland Inc.

The students will explore a commercial law question concerning the legal consequences of a party providing false information in a loan application, focusing, in particular, on whether a duty of care was owed by a land valuation company to a bank who provided finance.

Students from the University of Queensland, Bond University, Griffith University and QUT will prepare both sides of the case, and provide written submissions to the opposing counsel before the preliminary round. The moot will be judged by members of the Queensland judiciary.

'Our involvement in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students' Moot Competition enables the legal profession to support Indigenous students in a practical way,' said John Hedge, a Partner in Energy, Resources & Infrastructure at Allens and the chair of Allens' Brisbane Reconciliation Action Plan Committee.

'As part of our broader commitment to addressing reconciliation and closing the gap in Australia, initiatives such as the moot are a step towards making sure Indigenous students are able to access the same level of opportunity as other students. It is really pleasing that we have been able to partner with others in the legal profession to achieve that.'

For Mikaela French, a student at QUT, the moot has provided an opportunity to both gain an insight into how lawyers work, and to meet with like-minded Indigenous students and legal professionals.

'I am passionate about receiving Constitutional recognition for Indigenous people. I decided to study law because I knew that, in order to make a difference, I had to be educated in an area that would allow me to make significant changes,' Mikaela said.

'The moot is an amazing opportunity to enhance my legal skills and meet inspiring Indigenous students from other universities. The event will also allow us to be more engaged with the work lawyers do and allow us to apply the knowledge we have learned from our subjects at university to the hypothetical scenario.'

Helping Indigenous law students in their studies and providing mentoring are important extensions of the initiative. The 13 May moot will be the culmination of a number of workshops and networking events held by Allens, Ashurst and North Quarter Lane Chambers.

'The moot is designed to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students the opportunity to meet and network with leading members of the legal profession, including litigators from Allens and Ashurst and members of the bar from North Quarter Lane Chambers, as well as to improve their skills and knowledge of the field,' John said.

The winning team will receive $250 and be given the opportunity to shadow barristers from the North Quarter Lane Chambers. The runners-up will receive $100, as well as the opportunity to shadow North Quarter Lane Chambers barristers. Each participant will receive a certificate and a book voucher from their university's bookshop.

A leader in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander reconciliation, Allens was the first top tier firm to implement a reconciliation action plan. Allens offers internship opportunities for Indigenous law students nationally as well as the Reconciliation Action Mentoring Program in Brisbane. Allens has also been a strong voice in the national conversation on Indigenous Constitutional recognition, actively contributing to the Recognise campaign and helping to educate and create awareness.

Ends