Mooting (8685.2)
| Available teaching periods | Delivery mode | Location |
|---|---|---|
| View teaching periods | ||
| EFTSL | Credit points | Faculty |
| 0.125 | 3 | Faculty Of Business, Government & Law |
| Discipline | Study level | HECS Bands |
| Canberra Law School | Level 4 - Undergraduate Advanced Unit | Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan 2021) Band 4 2021 (Commenced After 1 Jan Social Work_Exclude 0905) Band 5 2021 (Commenced Before 1 Jan 2021) |
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this unit, students will be able to demonstrate:1. The necessary skills for successful competition mooting, including research, analysis, application of legal principles and oral and written legal argument in a complicated problem, in an area of either national or international law;
2. An awareness of the policy considerations implicit in law and legal argument in competition mooting at the national or international level;
3. That they can confidently and competently present and refute detailed legal arguments, including an ability to utilise the relevant procedural rules, while being exposed to intense questioning; and
4. An understanding of appropriate courtroom etiquette, interpersonal attitudes and ethical behaviour, and applied this understanding to working in a team.
Graduate attributes
1. UC graduates are professional - work collaboratively as part of a team, negotiate, and resolve conflict2. UC graduates are global citizens - communicate effectively in diverse cultural and social settings
3. UC graduates are lifelong learners - adapt to complexity, ambiguity and change by being flexible and keen to engage with new ideas
Skills development
The unit provides advanced-level research, writing and advocacy skills training combined with an in-depth understanding of different aspects of international commercial arbitration and international sales law. The unit prepares a team to represent the University of Canberra at the annual Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot Court Competition(s) in Hong Kong and Vienna through a Study Abroad Program, providing the students with an opportunity to develop their analytical and oral advocacy skills, master structuring skills in organizing written and oral presentations, improve their research and usage of authorities in support of their arguments, and at the same time develop their team work abilities.
An international moot court competition requires significant preparation and attention to detail, and an extraordinary level of commitment, research, writing and discipline knowledge, but in exchange it brings the participating students one major step closer to the legal profession, and takes their skills to the international arena, at high professional levels. The Vis Moot is one of the most prestigious international student competitions, involving the legal profession’s greatest names from around the world, where participation ensures not only a unique experience, but also significant career development potentials.
Prerequisites
Permission of the unit convener.Corequisites
None.Assumed knowledge
Legal research and writing, and basic advocacy skills, as well as knowledge of the legal field representing the subject matter of the targeted competition.| Year | Location | Teaching period | Teaching start date | Delivery mode | Unit convener |
|---|
Required texts
There are no required readings for this unit, but the following publication is strongly recommended reading before the unit activities start:
- Janet Walker (ed), The Vis book: a participant's guide to the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Huntington, N.Y. Juris Publishing, 2008) - available in the UC library
Further recommended readings and resources will be indicated in class and made available through the unit Canvas site.
Submission of assessment items
Extensions & Late submissions
Assessment items being continuous, no individual item is required to be submitted through Canvas. Instead, the ongoing contribution to the team drafting and rehearsals are evaluated on an ongoing basis.
All drafts are required to be submitted by the due date set by the unit convenor. Due to the continuous nature of the assessments, written assignments submitted late will not be disregarded, but delay will affect the marking and the work of the rest of the class.
All oral advocacy trainings must be attended, as scheduled by the unit convenor. Schedules will take into consideration the enrolled students' other unit and work commitments. Nevertheless, practice rounds may occasionally be scheduled by external organisations; students are expected to make arrangements to attend such practice rounds.
Special assessment requirements
Should a student fail to comply with all assessment requirements and by this jeopardise the team's overall performance, that student can be excluded from the team and fail the unit automatically. In case of such exclusion from the team, the student will not receive a refund of the amount paid into the Study Abroad program's budget.
Supplementary assessment
Due to the specific nature of this unit and the assessment items' specifics being set by the competition organizers, supplementary assessment is not available in this unit.
Academic integrity
Students have a responsibility to uphold University standards on ethical scholarship. Good scholarship involves building on the work of others and use of others' work must be acknowledged with proper attribution made. Cheating, plagiarism, and falsification of data are dishonest practices that contravene academic values. Refer to the University's Student Charter for more information.
To enhance understanding of academic integrity, all students are expected to complete the Academic Integrity Module (AIM) at least once during their course of study. You can access this module within UCLearn (Canvas) through the 'Academic Integrity and Avoiding Plagiarism' link in the Study Help site.
Use of Text-Matching Software
The University of Canberra uses text-matching software to help students and staff reduce plagiarism and improve understanding of academic integrity. The software matches submitted text in student assignments against material from various sources: the internet, published books and journals, and previously submitted student texts.
Learner engagement
The workload for this unit is bigger than for other 3cp units, due to the extended timeline of preparations, as set by the targeted competition deadlines. Necessary time spent on this unit will vary greatly depending on the level of your background knowledge in international commercial arbitration and international sales law, as well as on the level of your research, writing, and advocacy skills.
Participation requirements
Active engagement in the preparations throughout the entire six months is compulsory. Only students who can and are determined to commit to the workload and timeframe required should seek approval to enrol. Failure to observe the specific unit requirements and active participation will lead to failing the unit and jeopardising the university's performance in a prestigious international environment.
Required IT skills
Students are expected to have or to gain general computer and advanced research and MsWord editing skills, to prepare professional legal submissions.
In-unit costs
Students selected to participate in the oral competition abroad may have to support part of their travel-related costs. Study finance is available through the Study Abroad Office. More detailed information on possible costs will be available directly from the unit convenor.
Work placement, internships or practicums
The unit does not involve work placement, internship or practicum. However, this is a practice-oriented unit providing students with the opportunity to apply in practice the theoretical knowledge on arbitration and sales law. In addition, communication, writing, research, legal analysis, and advocacy skills that are all vital in the legal profession, are all essential components of this unit. Finally, the students selected to participate to the oral competition in Hong Kong and/or Vienna will be required to interact with members of the legal profession and academia from other countries, providing a workplace-like experience.
Additional information
As there are no lectures in this unit, recording of in-class activities will not be available. Advocacy rehearsals may, however, be recorded to serve for self-reflection on individual and team performance, but no such recording can replace in-class activities.
