University of Sydney, Australia
10-13 April 2007
Sixteen teams competed: Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Finland, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, Namibia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Tatarstan, Ukraine, United States. The topic for 2007 was Family Law and the winning team was the Republic of Ireland.
Major sponsors of ICCC 2007 were the International Bar Association and the Law Society of NSW. The MinterEllison Group made a generous contribution. Thompson Lawbook donated prizes, and the competition was also supported by CCH Australia and LexisNexis Butterworths. Beyond fulfilling their expected everyday duties, office colleagues were unstinting in their support. Bernadette Astill and her band of once-were-booksellers took over a conference room in the final weeks, planning supplementary excursions and checking and rechecking the vast amount of detail that an event of this magnitude generates.
The Competition
The formal part of the competition began with a Welcome Reception, including a very warm greeting from the Vice-Chancellor, and a rousing ceremonial introduction by renowned indigenous performer Matthew Doyle.
Many lawyers, practitioners and academics, and members of counselling, mediation and related professions volunteered their time to judge the competition. Sir Laurence Street, a pioneering figure in the mediation movement after retiring as Chief Justice of NSW, gave his support by attending the Welcome Reception and the pre-dinner gathering.
Several universities, and bodies such as Women’s Legal Services NSW and the College of Law released staff to judge. The University Law Library provided clients, as did a most generous group of friends, relatives, colleagues, and students. Former Australian Client Interviewing Competition participants also took part, expressing deep satisfaction with the experience while grappling with the role reversals involved.
After two rounds and semi-finals involving topics from temporary support to separation to adoption, the two final teams emerged, consulting with their client on an online match-making service, the assertively styled “Marry Me International”. The local actor playing the client, and the teams from the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, enthralled the audience with their respective skills.
Supplementary Program
Before the competition began teams were introduced to the University through a guided tour of the principal buildings and museums, followed by a preparatory session for the competition.
The Listening Lawyer was an interactive seminar on the centrality of listening to interviewing. The University’s Senior Counsellor devised an exercise where students submitted a fragment of a script depicting an interview. Six were enacted and discussed. Extensive resource material had been made available. While there was an abundance of expertise present, and extensive and generous critiques offered, the performances of a number of students foreshadowed what a high quality competition was in store.
After Round 1 a Feedback Forum featured a panel of judges and clients, with teams eager to take the observations and assessments into Round 2. Meanwhile, the annual meeting of National Representatives was slotted in, but the program did allow for some relaxation.
One of the most popular activities was the cruise on Sydney harbour, passing under the Harbour Bridge and around by the Opera House. A mild afternoon and brilliant sunset left visitors in awe of the spectacle. A little more overtly educational was the bus tour of Sydney’s legal and government precincts. Approaching Queen’s Square, the old and new Supreme Courts, modern and colonial architecture, came to the fore. Right on cue, robed barristers crossed Phillip Street, all to the dulcet tones of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable commentator.
Conclusion
In the University Refectory under the stunning murals by Vergil Lo Schiavo and with several teams in national dress, the Awards Dinner concluded the competition. With entertainment by the Bunyip Bush Band, ICCC Executive Chairman Forrest Mosten made presentations, thanks were recorded, teams exchanged mementos and ICCC 2007 was fondly farewelled.
Major sponsors of ICCC 2007 were the International Bar Association and the Law Society of NSW. The MinterEllison Group made a generous contribution. Thompson Lawbook donated prizes, and the competition was also supported by CCH Australia and LexisNexis Butterworths. Beyond fulfilling their expected everyday duties, office colleagues were unstinting in their support. Bernadette Astill and her band of once-were-booksellers took over a conference room in the final weeks, planning supplementary excursions and checking and rechecking the vast amount of detail that an event of this magnitude generates.
The Competition
The formal part of the competition began with a Welcome Reception, including a very warm greeting from the Vice-Chancellor, and a rousing ceremonial introduction by renowned indigenous performer Matthew Doyle.
Many lawyers, practitioners and academics, and members of counselling, mediation and related professions volunteered their time to judge the competition. Sir Laurence Street, a pioneering figure in the mediation movement after retiring as Chief Justice of NSW, gave his support by attending the Welcome Reception and the pre-dinner gathering.
Several universities, and bodies such as Women’s Legal Services NSW and the College of Law released staff to judge. The University Law Library provided clients, as did a most generous group of friends, relatives, colleagues, and students. Former Australian Client Interviewing Competition participants also took part, expressing deep satisfaction with the experience while grappling with the role reversals involved.
After two rounds and semi-finals involving topics from temporary support to separation to adoption, the two final teams emerged, consulting with their client on an online match-making service, the assertively styled “Marry Me International”. The local actor playing the client, and the teams from the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand, enthralled the audience with their respective skills.
Supplementary Program
Before the competition began teams were introduced to the University through a guided tour of the principal buildings and museums, followed by a preparatory session for the competition.
The Listening Lawyer was an interactive seminar on the centrality of listening to interviewing. The University’s Senior Counsellor devised an exercise where students submitted a fragment of a script depicting an interview. Six were enacted and discussed. Extensive resource material had been made available. While there was an abundance of expertise present, and extensive and generous critiques offered, the performances of a number of students foreshadowed what a high quality competition was in store.
After Round 1 a Feedback Forum featured a panel of judges and clients, with teams eager to take the observations and assessments into Round 2. Meanwhile, the annual meeting of National Representatives was slotted in, but the program did allow for some relaxation.
One of the most popular activities was the cruise on Sydney harbour, passing under the Harbour Bridge and around by the Opera House. A mild afternoon and brilliant sunset left visitors in awe of the spectacle. A little more overtly educational was the bus tour of Sydney’s legal and government precincts. Approaching Queen’s Square, the old and new Supreme Courts, modern and colonial architecture, came to the fore. Right on cue, robed barristers crossed Phillip Street, all to the dulcet tones of our enthusiastic and knowledgeable commentator.
Conclusion
In the University Refectory under the stunning murals by Vergil Lo Schiavo and with several teams in national dress, the Awards Dinner concluded the competition. With entertainment by the Bunyip Bush Band, ICCC Executive Chairman Forrest Mosten made presentations, thanks were recorded, teams exchanged mementos and ICCC 2007 was fondly farewelled.
The competition was won by Michelle Cronin and Melanie Evans representing the Law Society of Ireland in Cork, Republic of Ireland. Michelle and Melanie were coached by Jeanne Kelly.
