1997 School Magazine

@iris @ramnmr ~clJool :Wrisbane 1997 --m------ ~ Granunar Girls tneet Moot Success

T he University of Queensland's "T.C. Beirne School of Law" moot team made its mark in International Law circles earlier this year, by winning the Willem C. Vis Interna- tional Commercial Arbitration Moot competition. The winning team included two ex-Grammar girls: Jacqueline Mowbray (1987 - 1991) and Lisa Cohn (1988 - 1992). Jacqueline and Lisa are presently both Arts/ Law students at the University, and were thrilled to gain the honour of competing in one of the Law Faculty's most internationally recognised competitions . Held in Austria in April 1997, this was the first time this

only was she Debating Captain, but she also was in the "final twelve" for the 1991 State Debating Team selection. Jacqueline also proved herself unbeatable in the academic field, being Dux of her year. Lisa, who was heavily involved in the EGGS music program, is also clear evidence of the diverse talents and dedication one needs to be part of a winning moot team. Throughout her moot training, Lisa has mastered the skills of researching and written expression, skills which are essential in a law-based career. She has not regretted participating in the moot for one moment and

she readily admitted, "Even though it was a lot of hard work, it turned out being really good fun!" Participating in the moot gave Jacqueline and Lisa valuable training in the prac- tical aspects of law and ex- tra credit points towards their course. This also gave them essential group work skills, with the six members of the team becoming "like a family".More importantly, being members of the win- ning moot team has given them international recogni- tion which will be useful when the girls seek work

prestigious competition has been won by an Australian team, a commendable achievement by Jacqueline and Lisa and their teammates. The team consisted of third and fourth year students and the selection process in- volved a series of interviews, submission papers and a presentation to a panel. This Moot competition has only been in existence for four years, yet it has al- ready become the second most important law compe- tition for law students, fol- lowing the well established Jessup Moot. An arbitration moot is similar to a mock

(L-R): D. Peacock, Lisa Calm, L. Ford, Prof Moens, Jacqueline Mowbray and D. \Visbart.

overseas .

trial , based on international commercial law. The team is given a practical problem which they must research, then present to the Tribunal. Queensland University defeated forty-eight law schools from nineteen countries to win the finals , and their coach and lecturer, Professor Gabriel Moens, said of their win: "This has been a great achievement for the students and their success enhances the reputation of the School of Law internationally." Training and competing in the moot meant that the team, had to spend many hours and late nights working in close association for six to eight months. This, however, was not a problem for Jacqueline and Lisa as they had been good friends since their Grammar days. Their friendship is not surprising either, when you discover how much they have in common. At Grammar, they proved themselves to be outstanding German students, each being awarded the German subject prize in their respective years. This talent also won them exchange scholarships to Essen for two months in 1991, which gave them a love for living in Europe . Similar influences at school must also have led towards their career paths in Law. Jacqueline, one of the two students to argue the team's case against Germany, has had a long histo1y of public speaking. Not

Since the moot, both Jacquelin~ and Lisa have been ve1y busy. Jacqueline is already adding to her international experience, working with a law firm in Brussels for the rest of 1997. Lisa on the other hand has just returned from a Law Summer School at Notre Dame , London. Jacqueline and Lisa presently have one year left of their honours degrees, and as they are both fluent in German and French, hope to find work in Trade Law or Foreign Affairs in Europe . "It gives you a different way of looking at life, " says Lisa. "You show yourself you can do it, and it's amazing the sense of achievement you feel. " On a more practical level, Lisa admits that the job opportunities are far superior to those offered in Australia. She hopes to focus her future career on the role of solicitor as it offers greater contact with the client. After all Jacqueline and Lisa have been through together, they hope to keep in contact. It is probable that they will ultimately follow fairly similar career paths, so maybe we can look to the future to see the emergence of the Mowbray-Cohn Law Firm. One thing is certain; these talented and ambitious young women can achieve whatever they desire.

ELIZABETH VELKOVIC

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