FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: How do I best present myself in a competition?

While it may be initially appealing to look to Hollywood to inspire your competition demeanor, success is generally found in leveraging your own unique style. There are, however, a number of elements which all competitors should consider, including:

Present all arguments with confidence; Respect all involved parties; and Replace “filler” words such as “um” with purposeful pauses.

Q. How do I cite case authority verbally?

Citation for your first case authority should be stated in its totality, as would be expected in a bibliography.

For example, the case 'R v Hutty [1953] VLR 338 may be orally cited as 'The Queen against Hutty, reported in the Victorian Legal Records in 1953, volume three-hundred and thirty-eight. Remember that in criminal cases, the 'v' should be read as 'against', and in civil cases it should be read as 'and'. Full citations may subsequently be excused upon approval by the judge.

'Your Honour, may I dispense with formal citations?'

If told to dispense with formal citations, you may refer to a case in its appropriate short title.