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ABA Residential Advocacy Course: registrations now open

Thu Jul 26 2007

The Australian Bar Association is now accepting registrations for its�highly acclaimed Residential Advocacy Course, to be held in Sydney on 21-25 January 2008 at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. Modelled on the demanding and intensive advocacy training offered each year by the South Eastern Circuit Bar at Keble College, Oxford, this course provides participants with a valuable opportunity to gain intensive, practical advocacy instruction.

The inaugural course, which featured in the April edition of the AFR Magazine, was held at the University of Western Australia in January 2007. The twenty barristers who gathered in Perth were instructed by 12 senior practitioners, including nine silk from across Australia and one, Edwin Glasgow QC, from the United Kingdom.

The format was the preparation of three Federal Court motions. Thereafter, there were exercises around the trial of a commercial case: the opening, examination in chief, cross-examination, closing.�

Upon presentation of the prepared exercise, the coaching consisted of an on-the-spot critique by one, or sometimes two, of the silks.� This was followed by further review of the video recording of the performance.� So, for each advocacy performance, there was an abundance of tuition, critique and valuable learning imparted.���

Noelle Hurley, from the South Australian Bar, was one of the participants who found the course professionally very rewarding.

"The Perth residential advocacy course provided a unique forum to experiment with different techniques and be critiqued in a constructive way, without adverse impact on ‘the client’. It was an incredible opportunity to refine advocacy skills and build professional confidence and self esteem", said Ms Hurley.

The Sydney course will differ in some respects. There will be more places: room for 42 barristers, with a coaching faculty comprised of 21 senior Australian and overseas advocates, including Edwin Glasgow QC from the United Kingdom. The course has been designed for barristers with at least two years seniority at the Bar. There will be no motions, but more case analysis and cross-examination.�

The cost

The registration fee for the 2008 course will be $3,000 (inc. GST) , which includes accommodation, food and drinks.

Deadline

Registrations for the Sydney course opened on 1 August 2007. Positions are reserved for barristers from each state and territory, with eleven spots for those from New South Wales. If, by 31 August, the reserved positions have not been taken, then they will allocated to other Australian barristers who have registered their interest on a first-in basis.

For further information, contact the course director, Phil Greenwood SC, on ph: 02 9235 2874 or via e-mail: pgreenwood@wentworthchambers.com.au�or Julia Baird on ph: 02 9231 6731 or via e-mail: jbaird@12thfloor.com.au

To obtain a�registration form, contact Katie Hall at the New South Wales Bar Association on ph: 02 9229 1720 or via e-mail: khall@nswbar.asn.au �

6�August�2007

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