News
Kiwi law students argue their case in Washington DC
Four New Zealand law students will head to the United States this month for a week of serious argument.
University of Canterbury law students Colin Fyfe, Janna McGuigan, James Shaerf and Justin Wall will represent New Zealand in the prestigious Jessup Cup mooting competition in Washington DC from March 26 to April 1.
Canterbury won the New Zealand Law Students Association Mooting Championship last year and, with it, the chance to represent the country in the Jessup Cup.
They'll be up against the best legal mooters from law schools around the globe - all of whom have put in plenty of hours and hard work to get them there.
Mooting is a centuries-old way of training law students to present an argument. Using a fictitious legal case, students - usually in pairs - present their side of the argument before a judge. They can be questioned by the judge and are assessed on style and the content of their oral argument, and of any written submissions required.
James Shaerf and Justin Wall won the Canterbury team the trip to Washington after successfully arguing a case involving copyright law and the telephone book before Justices McGrath and Robertson and Bell Gully partner Ralph Simpson in the final of the Law Students Association competition.
The team, along with coach Dr Chris Gallavin from Canterbury's law school, will travel to the Jessup Cup with the support of sponsors including Bell Gully and the New Zealand Law Foundation.
Bell Gully is a long-time sponsor of university mooting. The firm supports a range of university mooting competitions and assists national winners to compete internationally. Bell Gully's litigation partners also provide expertise as part of competition judging panels.
For more information, please contact:
Richard Scragg
Moot Master, Senior Lecturer
University of Canterbury School of Law
64 3 364 2987 ext 8797
richard.scragg@canterbury.ac.nz
