Mooting and advocacy – MLL460 and MLJ760

Mooting is the closest experience to working in a courtroom that you can have at law school.

Through mooting, you develop skills in advocacy, problem solving, legal research, persuasion, collaboration and presentation, while delving into an area of law. You will also build a valuable network of practitioners and other students.

Deakin Law School runs a Moot Program that provides students with coaching and mentoring. The Law School also provides financial support to participate in moots that are held face-to-face either interstate or overseas (registration fees will be covered and you will receive contributions towards funding for flights and accommodation).

Unit enrolment

Students who are selected to take part in moots will be enrolled by the WIL team in either of the following 1 credit point units:

Undergraduate – MLL460 Mooting and Advocacy
Postgraduate – MLJ760 Mooting and Advocacy

Please note the following regarding enrolment and participation in the Moot Program:

To compete in the moots below, you must be enrolled in either MLL460 or MLJ760.
To enrol in MLL460, you must have completed 6 credit points of M312 core units.
To enrol in MLJ760, you must have completed 6 core M729 JD units.

Moots and how to take part

Applications for the 2025 DLS Moot Programs are closed.

If you are interested in being kept up to date about future programs, please sign up to our mailing list here.

If you have any questions, please contact our Moot Director, Dr Bruce Chen (dom-dls@deakin.edu.au).

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis Moot)

The Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot (Vis Moot) is an international moot court competition held annually in Vienna, Austria before Easter. A sister moot, the Willem C. Vis (East) Moot, is held in Hong Kong just before the rounds in Vienna every year. It is one of the most prestigious moots in the world, and one at which Deakin has a rich history.

Vis Moot (Vienna)
Vis (East) Moot (Hong Kong)

Team selection occurs in August or September of the year prior to the moot, and a team of 4 to 6 students begin preparing for the moot shortly after the Trimester 2 examination period. The team generally continue preparing full-time at our Burwood campus or Deakin Downtown until Easter. It is recommended, but not a prerequisite, that applicants who are LLB students have completed MLL336 International Commercial Law, and applicants who are JD students have completed MLP705 Commercial Law and Policy.

Deakin International Commercial Arbitration Moot

Proudly hosted by Deakin Law School, this competition is building a reputation as a high-quality moot attracting competitors from around the globe. Based on International Commercial Arbitration, this moot is an excellent way to test your mettle if you are considering competing in the Vis Moot. Not only will you build your skills and networks, but you will also receive feedback from a host of legal professionals and academics. Key sponsors are the College of Law and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Australia.

Deakin selects two teams of up to three members each. The moot is open to both LLB and JD students. It is recommended, but not a prerequisite, that applicants who are LLB students have completed MLL336 International Commercial Law and applicants who are JD students have completed MLP705 Commercial Law and Policy.

Further information can be found on the ICA Moot website.

Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot Competition

Compete with law students from around Australia in one of Australia's most prestigious moots. Based on constitutional law, the competition is run in collaboration with the Australian Association of Constitutional Law (AACL) and the Australian Government Solicitor (AGS). Four round-robin moots in addition to knockout rounds are held, with the Grand Final hosted by the High Court of Australia.

Deakin selects one team of up to three members. The moot is open to both LLB and JD students. It is recommended, but not a prerequisite, that applicants who are LLB students have completed MLP323 Constitutional Law and applicants who are JD students have completed MLP709 Constitutional Law and Policy.

UNSW Private Law Moot

The UNSW Private Law Moot is a prestigious competition that is focused on private law and commercial topics. In 2024, the competition was held at UNSW’s Kensington campus in Sydney.

Deakin selects one team of up to three members. The moot is open to both LLB and JD students. It is recommended, but not a prerequisite, that: applicants who are LLB students have completed MLL215 Commercial Law, MLP119 Contract A, MLP219 Contract B, MLP331 Corporate Law, MLP391 Civil Procedure and Dispute Resolution, and MLP405 Equity and Trusts; and applicants who are JD students have completed MLP705 Commercial Law and Policy, MLP702 Contract Law and Policy, MLP715 Corporate Law and Policy, MLP708 Civil Procedure, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Policy, and MLP717 Trusts and Equitable Remedies.

Further information can be found on the UNSW Private Law Moot website.

Michael Kirby Contract Law Moot

Australia's only contract law moot is named after the former Justice of the High Court of Australia, The Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG. It takes place over four days each year at Victoria University in Melbourne.

Deakin selects one team of up to three students to compete. The moot is open to both LLB and JD students. It is recommended, but not a prerequisite, that LLB students have completed MLP119 Contract A and MLP219 Contract B, and JD students have completed MLP702 Contract Law and Policy.

Baker McKenzie National Women’s Moot

This is the first mooting competition established for women to foster greater accessibility for women to a career at the bar. Open to all law students who self-identify as female or non-binary, this is an excellent opportunity to develop advocacy skills and network with eminent legal practitioners.

The competition is run by the Sydney University Law Society and is sponsored by Baker McKenzie.

Deakin Law School will select one team of up to three students to compete. The area of law on which the moot focuses varies from year to year.

If you have any questions about mooting, please contact Dr Bruce Chen, Moot Director.

Email
dom-dls@deakin.edu.au