A Queensland University of Technology mooting team was the runner-up in the Baker McKenzie National Women’s Moot held in person in Sydney earlier this month.
Riley Arthur, Sophie O’Regan and Sophie Rawlins (coached by Associate Professor Lucy Cradduck) were faced with a problem that required students to address two (very) niche areas of patent law – whether AI could be an inventor, and whether a decentralised autonomous organisation (DAO) could be granted a patent.
After three successful preliminary round moots, QUT mooted against Monash University in the semi-finals. Riley (senior counsel) and Sophie O’Regan (junior counsel) appeared for the moot respondent before Justice Anna Katzmann of the Federal Court, Professor Natalie Silver and Ms Kellie Edwards.
QUT won and progressed to the grand final, which was held in the Banco Court New South Wales on 4 October. Riley (senior counsel) and Sophie Rawlins (junior counsel) appeared for the moot appellant against the University of Sydney before Justice Julie Ward (President NSW Court of Appeal), Ms Amy Middlebrook, and Ms Cathryn Nolan, and were runners-up.
Notably, Riley received two awards – for joint Best Oralist in the grand final, and for Best Oralist in the preliminary rounds.
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