Law students inspire future advocates
What does it take to make a compelling legal argument?
For nearly 600 secondary school students from across Tāmaki Makaurau, the Auckland Schools Legal Mooting (ASLM) competition offered a chance to find out.
The event gives young people a practical introduction to the law, challenging them to grapple with questions of rights, justice and civic institutions while developing their ability to analyse legal problems, construct arguments and think on their feet.
High school students from across years 9-13 take part in a simulated court proceeding where they present their argument of a legal issue against an opposing counsel and before a ‘judge’.
Among those helping them put their skills into practice were law students from AUT and the University of Auckland, who acted as judges during the qualifying rounds.
AUT law student Arpit Joshi was one of them.
“I judged qualifying rounds and witnessed students develop critical thinking, teamwork and composure under pressure,” he says.
For Arpit, watching the students argue their cases demonstrated the value of creating opportunities for young people to engage with the law early.
“It was inspiring to see these students in action. Watching them develop their arguments and respond under pressure, I could easily imagine some of them becoming the next generation of legal professionals.”
The competition culminated in the grand finals, held in Meredith Connell’s mock courtroom, where four schools competed for the top honours.
Diocesan School for Girls took out the junior division, while St Peter’s College won the senior division.
Maia Doran, a Year 11 student at Marist College and Chief Examiner for Marist’s team in the finals, said, “Taking part in the ASLM has provided me with a real interest in the legal system and how we interact with it as NZ citizens. It has also given me the opportunity to learn and build countless skills, including problem solving, public speaking, and teamwork.”
With hundreds of secondary students taking part, the competition is helping to spark an interest in law among the next generation and introducing potential future lawyers to their first courtroom setting, says Ryan Antia, Managing Director of ASLM.
“I believe that age should not be a barrier to developing an interest in the legal profession. Many exceptional young students are capable of engaging with complex legal problems early in their education and the competition provides that opportunity.”