Students excel in Jackson McDonald Cup 2009
 The Finals of the Jackson McDonald Cup have been a long time coming for all students involved. Over the weekend of 16th -17th of May 2009 the up-and-coming High School mooters faced off in a series of general rounds and finals. The overall standard was exceptional, with one judge noting;
“The oral skills of many students surpass that of many lawyers in practice, it is awe-inspiring to think that these students are the future of litigation in Australia.”
The schools all mooted against each other in the general rounds. They were then ranked based on their scores in the general rounds. The top two ranked teams then faced each other in the finals on Sunday. The teams ranked 3rd and 4th moved onto a runners-up final on the same day.
The Finals took place at the Federal Court of Australia. Dean of Murdoch School of Law, Professor Gabriël Moens and Mr. Nicholas Summers sat on the bench. They were joined by Adjunct Professor and Managing Partner of Jackson McDonald, Mr Graham Goerke. This eminent bench judged both of the final rounds, and made the tough decision of deciding the winner. In the runners up final, which saw All Saints College and St Hildas compete, the bench narrowly declared St. Hildas Anglican School for Girls the winner, giving them a respectful 3rd place finish
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The main event of the evening saw Penrhos College and Aquinas College at the bar table in the Grand Final. In what can only be described as an amazing display of oral advocacy and persuasion. After a gruelling deliberation Penrhos College were announced as the winners, by an even narrower margin, of the inaugural Jackson McDonald High School Cup.
The winning team received $300 per person. Furthermore, if the students successfully enrol in Murdoch School of Law, they will receive an additional $500 each to be spent on their books.
Prizes were also given for best written submissions, best oralist in the general rounds and an encouragement award to the team or individual that showed incredible heart and dedication to the competition. Those winners were as follows:
| Best Appellant Submission: |
Penrhos College |
| Best Respondent Submission: |
St Hildas Anglican School for Girls |
| Best Oralist in the General Rounds: |
Jessica Cao (Penrhos College) |
| S. J. Lord Encouragement Award: |
Adriano Poncini (Aquinas College) |
| Honourable Mention: |
Adriano Poncini received an honourable mention for his exceptional advocacy skills in the final round. |
In preparation for the competition the Moot Court Bench ran a series of seminars for the students. The seminars dealt with oral advocacy and how to research and write their submissions. The teams were also allocated mentors from the Moot Court Bench; the mentors donated a substantial amount of their time to coach the teams. The chance to closely work with such gifted individuals on the Moot Court Bench has been an invaluable learning experience for the students involved.
The Moot Court Bench, Chief Justice, Mr. Fraser Robertson had this to say;
| “The skill and dedication of the students who have participated in this competition is simply remarkable. These are truly exceptional students, both in mind and spirit. Their oral skills are some of the best I have seen. All individuals involved in the competition should be proud of their achievements, because they all have the ability to compete on a national and international stage.” |
It was clear that all teams had worked extremely hard on the problem. All students had a firm grasp of the law and their ability to answer questions from the bench was remarkable. These students are clearly a credit to their schools and they will be extremely successful if they pursue a career in law at Murdoch School of Law.
The Moot Court Bench wishes to acknowledge the substantial support from Jackson McDonald in funding this opportunity. It is indeed a credit and tribute to Jackson McDonald that they are willing to invest so much into the youth of this state. Their support is wholeheartedly and deeply appreciated by all involved.
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