TELL US WHAT WAS YOUR EXPECTATION OF THE BA MALLAL MOOTS AND IN WHAT WAYS HAD THE COMPETITION BENEFITTED YOU?

This was my second time participating in the BA Mallal Moot, and I did not have high expectations going into the moot. This was because amongst the many domestic moots available, the BA Mallal Moot usually attracts the most number of sign-ups each year, and as the moot is open to all years, competition for the top spots at the moot have always been very intense. Therefore, my mindset going into the rounds was focused on learning as much as I could, and trying to have fun in the process. Advancing from one round to the next, I was able to get constructive feedback from the judges at each stage on the content of my submissions, as well as on my mooting style, which have been invaluable in helping me settle into a style of mooting advocacy which works for me.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU DURING THE COMPETITION?

During the competition, I was blessed to have the support of my friends and seniors who took time off their busy schedules to watch me practice, allowing me to fine-tune my case. In hindsight, this was extremely crucial because of how fast things seem to go after the preliminary rounds. We had to prepare a case for a brand new problem in under two weeks for the semi-final round, and argue the other side of the same problem for the final round, which was definitely stressful considering that this all happened while the school term was still ongoing. 

WHAT WAS THE MOST INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING ASPECT OF THIS COMPETITON?

The most interesting aspect of the competition must be the problems that were drafted for the moot, which presented different but definitely important issues for all participants to consider. With that being said, that might have also been the most challenging aspect of the competition, because of how novel the issues were, which required participants to think about more creative ways of approaching their arguments.

THE COMPETITION GAVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERN AT OUR FIRM AND YOU CAME FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP IN JUNE. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP (I.E. WHICH PARTNER DID YOU WORK WITH? WHAT WERE SOME OF YOU KEY TAKEWAYS AND HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?)

I actually interned at the Firm before participating in the moot. I was lucky to be able to work with and learn from Andrew Chan (Partner). My experience at the internship was very fruitful, as I had the opportunity to research many interesting issues. My key takeaway from the internship was to focus on the details, as well as to be particular about the use of language, because the wrong impression might be conveyed when the language used is imprecise. 

SHARE WITH US YOUR EXPECTATION OF THE BA MALLAL MOOTS. WAS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED?

I had a fantastic experience at the BA Mallal Moots and it certainly exceeded my expectations. The competition is known to confront law students with novel legal problems in an appellate setting. This year was no different. In the earlier rounds, we looked at whether competitive conduct between social media influencers amounted to some form of economic tort. The later rounds explored difficult questions on the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, the proper interpretation of section 377A of the Penal Code, and the guarantee of equality under the Constitution.

It is thus no surprise that the competition draws much interest and participation every year. This iteration saw a particularly large crowd, so much so that an additional quarter-final round had to be introduced.

HOW HAS PARTICIPATING AT THIS COMPETITION BENEFITTED YOU?

I happened to be a timekeeper for the Mallal Moots Prelims a year prior. Across the five prelim rounds that I witnessed, I found myself consistently in awe of the standards of mooting and judging on display.  I was keen to put myself in front of the podium this time around, and see how far I could go. 

Truth be told, I nearly did not sign up for the Moot owing to conflicting commitments, if not for the kind help of some friends. I am glad that things ultimately worked out; mooting really helps develop one’s advocacy skills by forcing one to apply them to a concrete problem, and by requiring one to defend that position against all manner and form of questioning. The experience has also affirmed my interest in dispute resolution.

THE COMPETITION GAVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO INTERN AT OUR FIRM AND YOU CAME FOR YOUR INTERNSHIP IN MAY. TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP (I.E. WHICH PARTNER DID YOU WORK WITH? WHAT WERE SOME OF YOU KEY TAKEWAYS AND HOW WAS YOUR EXPERIENCE?)

I spent three weeks in the Litigation department with Aaron Lee (Partner) and Cheryl Chong (Senior Associate), and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. I was exposed to a range of interesting cases, from investigations work to commercial arbitration. Everyone was incredibly patient and approachable. I particularly appreciated how “hands-on” Aaron was, and the time he took to give specific feedback on my work. Interning at A&G gave me a feel of how rewarding litigation practice can be, and the attraction of being in a firm with a collegiate environment.