Portfolio Feature: Competitions

Priyanka Sharma
Jul 25
3 min read

Diya Matthew, Communications Officer, in conversation with Rachel Thompson, Competitions Director.

In the lead-up to the Junior Moot, Director of Competitions Rachel Thomson shared how the Competitions Portfolio is all about creating opportunities for students to get involved, build confidence, and develop key legal skills. Competitions are a great way to step outside the classroom and put your knowledge into practice. Whether it’s mooting, witness examination, or something in between, these events are designed to help you grow your advocacy skills and get a taste of what legal practice is like.

Keep reading to find out how the Competitions Portfolio is here to support you throughout your law school journey and help you get career-ready.

To start off, tell us a bit about yourself and what you're passionate about outside of DLSS?

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel Thomson, and I am the Competitions Director for the DLSS for 2025! I’m currently in my second last year of a Bachelor of Laws/Arts which I love, and excitingly I have now finished all of my arts units! When I am not doing DLSS work you can find me playing netball, reading, or catching up with friends over a glass of pinot noir.

What inspired you to get involved with the DLSS, and what drew you specifically to the Competitions Portfolio?

I was inspired to become involved in the DLSS after attending a few events such as Meet the Professionals and Law Ball which I found so enjoyable and a great way to meet new people. I had also heard from people who were already on committee about all the fun they had in running and going to all the events, which got me interested in joining.

I was drawn to the competitions portfolio as I thought it would be a great way to learn more about what competitions looked like and learn from the other people who were competing. I also liked that competitions was the biggest portfolio on committee which meant I would be able to meet new people and work in a team which is something I have always enjoyed.

What does success look like for the Competitions Portfolio, both for law students and for your personal growth as a director?

Success for the Competitions Portfolio means providing law students with an approachable and encouraging environment to develop their legal skills. We aim to provide this environment, so students are able to practice their research, critical thinking and public speaking skills and enjoy the experience in a low stress environment.

Success as the Competitions Director is ensuring that the officers are all enjoying organising and creating our competitions and workshops throughout the year. Being the biggest portfolio on the society, I want to ensure that our team is able to efficiently communicate and collaborate to provide the best possible environment for the competitors to be competing. With the increases in registrations, I feel as though the competitions portfolio has been very successful, and our portfolio has the vision to continue this goal till the end of the year!

Can you give us an overview of the Junior Moot, what it’s all about, and why it’s such an important event for law students?

Junior Moot is a competition based on Contract A for first- and second-year law students. It is all about getting students involved in competitions early, so they can practice their legal advocacy skills at the beginning of their studies! It is such an important competition for law students as it is a great way to kickstart your career by getting invaluable feedback from judges and practicing your legal advocacy skills.

Therefore, I would highly recommend coming to our Junior Moot Grand Final on 31 July 2025 at the Clayton Utz office.

The Competitions portfolio has already hosted some incredible events this year, what are you most proud of so far? And what should students keep an eye out for in the coming months?

The thing I am most proud of this year has been the increase in participation in all of our competitions. In Junior Moot alone, we increased registrations by over 25% which has been amazing for the portfolio and demonstrates the Deakin Law Student’s willingness and excitement to be involved in competitions.

We have one more competition left for the year, which is Witness Examination, so keep your eye open on our socials for when the competition registrations open!

Want to Learn More?

If you have any questions or would like further information, please feel free to reach out to Rachel, Director of Competitions, at director-competitions@deakinlss.org.