Internal Competitions
Internal competitions are available to Sydney Law School students only, and we encourage all students to participate, regardless of your experience level or stage in your degree. Often, students will take part in just one competition in a semester, however some students like to participate in multiple competitions in the same semester.
Though the thought of mooting for the first time can be intimidating, the internal competitions are tailored towards competitors of all levels, so there is always a competition to match your ability. The problems which you will tackle in the moots tend to correlate with what you have learnt or are learning in your studies and so most students will move through the SULS mooting program as they progress through their degree. That said, some students do engage in a particular competition before they have dealt with that area of law in their studies, and there is certainly nothing to stop you from doing so. Alongside a range of moots on many areas of law, we also offer skills competitions on negotiations, client interviewing and witness examination. These competitions, particularly negotiations and client interviewing, do not require extensive knowledge of the law so are great for students beginning their law degree to develop vital skills necessary in the workplace.
The internal competitions usually run from Week 5 and finish at least a week before Stu-Vac. Generally, the competitions consist of two preliminary rounds, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a grand-final. Registration will open in Week 1 of each semester and will close at the end of Week 2, depending on the specific competition.
Ultimately, SULS can only put on these competitions so long as there are students to participate in them. The number of competitions which SULS sustains each year is not so much a testament to the organisers, but to the number of students who compete and make each competition such fun and such a success. So take a look at what competitions are available, pick one (or two) for each semester, and get involved!
Opportunities in 2024
[Image Description: The table contains four columns. The first is titled ‘Summer Holidays’ and contains: ‘Negotiations, Summer Moot’. The second is titled ‘Semester 1’ and contains: ‘Negotiations, Client Interviewing, Witness Examination, Torts Moot, Public International Law Moot, Federal Constitutional Law Moot’. The third is titled ‘Winter Break’ and contains: ‘Negotiations, Juris Doctor (JD) Torts Moot, English as a Second Language (ESL) Moot’. The final column is titled ‘Semester 2’ and contains: ‘Negotiations, Client Interviewing, Witness Examinations, First Year Moot, Contract Law Moot, Criminal Law Moot’.]
First Year Moot
The First Year Moot focuses on preliminary areas of tort law and offers the opportunity for younger students to compete in teams and develop their advocacy skills in a friendly environment. This competition is only open to LLB I, LLB I/II transfer and JD I students who have not previously been involved in mooting.
Recommended Subject: Torts
Time: Semester 2
Results
2023
Winners: Jessica Zhang and Siyan Tao
Runners Up: Aryan Ilkhani and Elyssa Chaaya
2022
Winners: Mayling Paton and Rachel Frecker
Runners Up: Angela Xue and Samuel Druce
2021
Winners: Christine Aung and Eugenia Kim
Runners Up: Christin Ji and Janika Fernando
2020
Winners: Peter Taurian and Piers Hobkirk
Runners Up: Finlay Ball and Netra Hankins
2019
Winners: Felix Wood and Olivia Donovan
Runners Up: Alex De Araujo and Lucas Lin
2018
Winners: Georgia Reid and Samuel Rabin
Runners Up: Calvin Li and Portia Brajkovic
2017
Winners: Juliette van Ratingen and Samuel Naylor
Runners Up: Madeleine Bosler and Wendy Hu
2016
Winners: Geordie Wilson and Matthew Myles
Runners Up: Jane Spencer and Shumi Ruan
2015
Winners: Maxwell Sturt and Sergio Badilescu-Buga
Runners Up: Dominic Kocx and Selena Tang
2014
Winners: Jethro Cohen & Jonty Katz
Runners Up: Grace Franki & Nicholas Smith
Torts Law Moot
This novice moot is only open to students who have not reached any finals round in a SULS competition and offers the chance for students to receive valuable guidance from SULS’ best student judges. The preliminary question is constructed with first-time mooters in mind and will usually contain useful tips. This competition typically attracts students from LLB II and JD I.
Recommended Subject: Torts
Time: Semester 1
Results
2023
Winner: Angela Xue
Runner Up: Samantha Ho
Finalists: Samuel Druce, Sara Wardak
2022
Winner: Isabella Monardo
Runner Up: Edward Goodman
Finalists: Christin Ji, Luke Cass
2021
Winner: Kirk Gehri
Runner Up: Peter Taurian
Finalists: Kathy Zhang, Maja Vasic
2020
Winner: Grace Wong
Runner Up: Olivia Donovan
Finalists: Daphne Zhuang, Sophia Bleakley
2019
Winner: Nicholas Chivers
Runner Up: Amanda Liem
Finalists: Samuel Naylor, Oliver Oayda
2018
Winner: Mischa Davenport
Runner Up: Juliette van Ratingen
Finalists: Blade Atton, Oscar Bruck
2017
Winner: Giacomo Rotolo-Ross
Runner up: Maxine Jelic
Finalists: Brendan Ma, Peter Dougherty
2016
Winner: Harry Godber
Runner Up: John-Patrick Asimakis
Finalists: Declan Noble, Patrick Still
2015
Winner: Patrick Hall
Runner Up: Maxine Malaney
Finalists: Jeremy Chan, Michelle Blore
2014
Winner: Henry Cooper
Runner Up: Michael Peng
Finalists: Bradley Smith, Tim Smartt
Juris Doctor Torts Moot
The Juris Doctor Torts Moot is only open to students enrolled in the Juris Doctor degree, and is aimed at providing greater opportunities for JD students to participate in competitions and socialise with their peers. This moot also includes an educational program to support competitors in developing and improving their mooting skills.
Recommended Subject: Torts
Time: Winter Break
Results
2023
Winner: Sean Hasegawa
Runner Up: Lachlan Wilson
Finalists: Alice Caldwell, Zoe Nutter
2022
Winner: Tobias Dinh
Runner Up: Anthea Yong
Finalists: Claire Ding, Sofia Berrara
2021
Winner: Cora Fabbri
Runner Up: Georgina O’Mahony-Holmes
Finalists: Rose Tapper, Samantha Chiu
Contract Law Moot
This moot offers students the chance to engage with real world commercial law problems and is ideal for students interested in corporate law and commercial litigation. This moot will require a careful analysis of the law and facts, and will often involve putting the case of your client in a way that accords with modern commercial norms. This competition has continually high turnout and typically attracts students from LLB II and JD I/II.
Recommended Subject: Contracts
Time: Semester 2
Results
2023
Winner: Angela Xue
Runner Up: Mayling Paton
Finalists: Jack Wang, Jules Vahl
2022
Winner: Swapnik Sanagavarapu
Runner Up: Anson Lee
Finalists: Isabella Greenhalgh, William Price
2021
Winner: Peter Taurian
Runner Up: Kathy Zhang
Finalists: Finlay Ball, Max Vishney
2020
Winner: Olivia Donovan
Runner Up: Grace Wong
Finalists: Daniel Cordeschi, Eden McSheffrey
2019
Winner: Jasmine Todoroska
Runner Up: Max McHugh
Finalists: Aryan Mohseni, Sam Goldberg
2018
Winner: Isabella Fahmy
Runner Up: Ben Devine
Finalists: Peter Dougherty, Rachael Li
2017
Winner: Callum Ryan
Runner Up: Alex Kiefer
Finalists: Codey Swadling, Janek Dreikovsky
2016
Winner: Haiqiu Zhu
Runner Up: Declan Noble
Finalists: Calida Tang, John Patrick Asimakis
2015
Winner: Harry Stratton
Runner Up: Eric Shi
Finalists: Jeremy Chan, Tiffany Wu
2014
Winner: Tim Smartt
Runner Up: Christopher Walsh
Finalists: Rahul Arora, Winnie Liu
2013
Winner: Will Hanna
Runner Up: Hayley Gordon
Finalists: Fabian Di Lizia, Jonathan Tong
2012
Winner: Crista Khong
Runner Up: Miles Lee
Finalists: Angus Nicholas, Millie Dale
Criminal Law Moot
This moot addresses controversial areas of criminal law and engages with interesting and at times confronting factual scenarios. This Moot touches on conceptually intriguing areas of law and the fine lines between guilt and innocence. The Judges often ask confronting and thought-provoking questions, and the answers often remind students of their passion for the law. This competition typically attracts students from LLB III and JD I/II.
Recommended Subject: Criminal Law
Time: Semester 2
Results
2023
Winner: Zoe Townsden
Runner Up: Alex De Araujo
Finalists: Bridget Crick, Kira Trahana
2022
Winner: Peter Taurian
Runner Up: Finlay Ball
Finalists: Harry Bentley, Lachlan Anderson
2021
Winner: Sofia Mendes
Runner Up: Mikayla Perry
Finalists: Kate Coyne, Matis Renard
2020
Winner: Tate Lindsay
Runner Up: Ben Hines
Finalists: Seric Han, Sophia Semmler
2019
Winner: Olivia Maley
Runner Up: Anuki Suraweera
Finalists: Alex Touw, Edward Wu
2018
Winner: Giacomo Rotolo-Ross
Runner Up: Liam Ogburn
Finalists: Alex Kiefer, Charlotte Lewis
2017
Winner: Harlan Ikin
Runner Up: Henry Gallagher
Finalists: Callum Christodoulou, Madelyn Smith
2016
Winner: Jack Clifford
Runner Up: Michelle Blore
Finalists: Ruben Robertson, Sergio Badilescu-Buga
2015
Winner: Harry Stratton
Runner Up: Tim Matthews
Finalists: Nicholas Yuen, Nicola Alroe
2014
Winner: John Tsaousidis
Runner Up: Curtis Pennin
Finalists: William Hanna, Winnie Liu
Public International Law Moot
This is one of the most prestigious internal moots. It is ‘niche’ in that it draws fewer competitors than other internal competitions, but produces a high standard of mooting. This competition typically attracts students from LLB III/IV and JD II.
Recommended Subject: Public International Law
Time: Semester 1
Results
2023
Winner: Jules Edwards
Runner Up: Isabella Monardo
Finalists: Anson Lee, Jason Zhu He
2022
Winner: Kate Coyne
Runner Up: Peter Taurian
Finalists: Arasa Hardie, Mikayla Perry
2021
Winner: Matthew Thomas Joyce
Runner Up: Sofia Mendes
Finalists: Alex McManis, Olivia Donovan
2020
Winner: Aryan Mohseni
Runner Up: Samuel McIntyre
Finalists: Shruti Janakiraman, Vanessa Li
2019
Winner: Jake Jerogin
Runner Up: Brendan Ofner
Finalists: Edward Wu, Madeleine Bosler
2018
Winner: Dominic Keenan
Runner Up: Brendan Ma
Finalists: Patrick Hendy, Simone Luca
2017
Winner: Ruben Robertson
Runner Up: Dominik Breznik
Finalists: Elsie Cheung, Tom St John
2016
Winner: Filip Budina
Runner Up: William Khun
Finalists: Curtis Penning, Michelle Blore
2015
Winner: Michael Peng
Runner Up: Andrew Bell
Finalists: Harry Stratton, Liz Pearson
2014
Winner: Sarah Ienna
Runner Up: Alice Zhou
Finalists: Eric Shi, Sarah Krust
Federal Constitutional Law Moot
This moot is the most senior of SULS’ internal moots and is well respected by students and faculty alike. Finalists of this moot have often gone on to represent SULS and the Law School in international competitions. This competition typically attracts students from LLB IV, JD II, and higher.
Recommended Subject: Federal Constitutional Law
Time: Semester 1
Results
2023
Winner: Finlay Ball
Runner Up: Marta Davis
Finalists: Bill Chen, Sophia Li
2022
Winner: Samuel McIntyre
Runner Up: Clare Veal
Finalists: Damian Young, Jess Mitchell
2021
Winner: Freya Appleford
Runner Up: Aoife Hogan
Finalists: Susannah Sim, Timothy Berney-Gibson
2020
Winner: Emily King
Runner Up: Connor Wherrett
Finalists: Sarah Charak, Tom Manousaridis
2019
Winner: Sam Rabin
Runner Up: Henry Gallagher
Finalists: Christine Wei, Hae Soo Park
2018
Winner: Beata Szabo
Runner Up: Ruben Robertson
Finalists: Adam Joshua Conwell, Madelyn Smith
2017
Winner: Thomas Poberezny-Lynch
Runner Up: Ashleigh Buchanan
Finalists: Joy Chen, Richard Karaba
2016
Winner: Michelle Blore
Runner Up: Nicola Alroe
Finalists: Gaston Gration, Krishanth Nadarajah
2015
Winner: Eric Shi
Runner Up: Maria Mellos
Finalists: Curtis Penning, Douglas Prime
2014
Winner: Nicholas Condylis
Runner Up: Hayley Gordon
Finalists: Christopher Walsh, Thomas Farmakis
Summer Mooting Competition
The Summer Mooting Competition is an open moot held during the summer holidays to provide students the opportunity to maintain their mooting skills and knowledge of the law. The competition follows the structure of an intervarsity / international competition, with competitors working in teams and an intensive competition timeline.
Recommended Subject: Torts and Contracts
Time: Summer Break
Results
2023
Winners: Sophie Tarr, Yang Jiao, Yidi Huang and Zoe Patterson Ross
Runners Up: Maisha Farzana, Mia Li, Olivia Bielen and Thomas Martyn
2022
Winners: Arasa Hardie, Maja Vasic, Reuben Gliksten and Yijun Cui
Runners Up: Emily Thereia and Jason Zhu He
Negotiations
This competition offers the chance to develop essential skills not on offer within the LLB or JD course and is thus ideal for students interested in practising in corporate law. This competition attracts students from every year and is the most popular internal skills competition SULS holds given no legal knowledge is required.
The negotiation involves teams of two students representing different parties that are involved in a legal dispute with the aim of reaching an agreement and avoiding litigation. The two teams receive a common set of facts and an exclusive set for each side, and prepare their stance and willingness to compromise on various points before the negotiation session. It requires good communication between team members and fosters the use of different styles of bargaining.
Recommended Subject: No legal knowledge required
Time: Summer Break, Semester 1, Winter Break, Semester 2
Results
2023 Semester 1 Junior
Winners: Natasha Wensley and Olivia Harlamb
Runners Up: Bridget Crick and Harry Chen
2023 Semester 1 Senior
Winners: James Price and Nilank Biswas
Runners Up: Daksh Chuchra and Joshua Perera
2023 Winter Break
Winners: Aatish Budhwani and Shahim Shabbir
Runners Up: Alexander Etges and Bethany Zhuang
2023 Semester 2 Junior
Winners: Juan Facundo Majul Fajardo and Nick Leavenworth
Runners Up: Meixue Lin and Yushi Guo
2023 Semester 2 Senior
Winners: Miesha Binta Noor and Rebecca Wilcox
Runners Up: Christine Muscat and Leki Kuang
2022 Semester 1 Junior
Winners: Jivan Naganathan and Milan Swaraj
Runners Up: Christine Aung and Eugenia Kim
2022 Semester 1 Senior
Winners: Farhan Bhada and Niveditha Sethumadhavan
Runners Up: Elizabeth Nutting and Taya Taleb
2022 Winter Break
Winners: Amy Duong and Christin Ji
Runners Up: Amante Abela and John Mentzines
2022 Semester 2
Winners: Danielle Cheung and Priya Mehra
Runners Up: Dani Christelis and Sean Yalcinkaya
2021 Semester 1 Junior
Winners: Clare Davidson and Karla Kevin
Runners Up: Nina Kerwin-Roman and Vivian Lee
2021 Semester 1 Senior
Winners: Christian Holman and Juliette van Ratingen
Runners Up: Ben Hines and Irene Ma
2021 Winter Break Junior
Winners: Emily Theseira and Jason Zhu He
Runners Up: Andy Park and Anson Lee
2021 Winter Break Senior
Winners: Gary Lou and Wendy Hou
Runners Up: Arasa Hardie and Maja Vasic
2021 Semester 2 Junior
Winners: Coco Luo and Sheeri Bao
Runners Up: Anastasia Leaver and Belinda Reilly
2021 Semester 2 Senior
Winners: Erika Blendell and Michelle Chen
Runners Up: Coco Chen and Loren Chakerian
2020 Semester 1 Junior
Winners: Timothy Berney-Gibson and Aoife Hogan
Runners Up: Stacey Konstantopoulos and Matthew Dean
2020 Semester 1 Senior
Winners: Olivia Morris and Ashkan Khoshab
Runners Up: Jonathan Zheng and Leonardo Nosatti
2020 Semester 2 Junior
Winners: Helena Duong and Amir Elsaidy
Runners Up: Joshua Mok and Jagen Yoon
2020 Semester 2 Senior
Winners: Alex De Araujo and Sofia Mendes
Runners Up: Alex McManis and Cameron Jordan
2019
Winners: Tim Walsh and Luke Wetmore
Runners Up: Madeleine Bosler and Eden Blair
2018
Winners: Emily May and Owen James
Runners Up: Calida Tang and Kaity Crowe
2017
Winners: Sundar Odgers & Mira Odgers
Runners Up: Dylan Sherman & Luckme Vimalarajah
2016
Winners: Elizabeth Jones and Ryan Hunter
Runners Up: Pat Still and Jack Clifford
2015
Winners: Samuel Hoare and Rain Hsu
Runners Up: Maxine Malaney and Jeremy Chan
2014
Winners: Hanna Kim Hong and Phil Swaine
Runners Up: Hayley Gordon and Simon Hill
Client Interviewing
This competition provides students with a practical opportunity to develop skills necessary for corporate law. The interview is a simulation of the first time a potential client visits a firm, with students competing in teams of two. It does not require competitors to have studied any particular area of law. This competition attracts students from every year.
Recommended Subject: No legal knowledge required
Time: Semester 1, Semester 2
Results
2023 Semester 1
Winners: Annie Hong and Rhiannon Kumar
Runners Up: Amelie Ye and Amy Tan
2023 Semester 2
Winners: Justin Ho and Yushi Guo
Runners Up: Juan Facundo Majul Fajardo and Nick Leavenworth
2022 Semester 1
Winners: Ariana Haghighi and Eamonn Murphy
Runners Up: Catherine Nguyen and Rachel Wang
2022 Semester 2
Winners: Rowan Silcock and Thurkka Jeyakumar
Runners Up: Brianna Ho and Clara Suki
2021
Winners: Elizabeth Nutting and Taya Taleb
Runners Up: Alex De Araujo and Sofia Mendes
2020
Winners: Elise Anderson and Natalie Leung
Runners Up: Samiha Asim and Shruti Janakiraman
2019
Winners: Madeleine Bosler and Wendy Hu
Runners Up: Cinzia Tisano and Kristen Tsiamis
2018
Winners: Ragavi Srikantha and Spiros Kalavritinos
Runners Up: Georgia Sparta and Jaiparteek Singh
2017
Winners: Cameron Sivwright and Ishaa Sandhu
Runners Up: Callum Vittali-Smith and Ying Yi Lim
2016
Winners: Harry Stratton and Tiffany Wu
Runners Up: Lara Baker and Rebecca Matthews
2015
Winners: Alexandra Roach and Lucy Zhang
Runners Up: Fiona Cheng and Michael Lau
2014
Winners: Jeremy Leith and Lean Allen
Runners Up: Hayley Gordon and Simon Hill
Witness Examination
Objection! This competition simulates the courtroom experience of Examination-in-Chief and Cross-Examination. It requires an understanding of evidence, the ability to structure a case, flexibility and quick thinking. The focus of witness examination is on asking probing questions, and demonstrating your skill in adducing oral evidence. Competitors, witnesses and judges alike all enjoy the drama, and this competition is one of the best ways to learn to think quickly, and on your feet. This competition typically attracts students from LLB IV and JD II, however it is not uncommon for students from all years of the LLB and JD to compete.
Recommended Subject: Evidence
Time: Semester 1, Semester 2
Results
2023
Winner: Alex De Araujo
Runner Up: Brandon Velleley
2022
Winner: Damian Young
Runner Up: Thomas Carmody
2021
Winner: Maja Vasic
Runner Up: Ingrid Jones
2020
Winner: Casper Lu
Runner Up: Christine Wei
2019
Winner: Alice Strauss
Runner Up: Penelope Smith
2018
Winner: Robert Deppeler
Runner Up: Lucas Moctezuma
2017
Winner: Thomas Poberezny-Lynch
Runner Up: Jessica Fang
2016
Winner: Gaston Gration
Runner Up: Hannah Moseley
2015
Winner: Sundar Odgers
Runner Up: Brendan Hord
2014
Winner: Tim Smartt
Runner Up: Marina Lauer