Law students champion diversity at 2025 VLF Moot Grand Final
The Victorian Law Firm Moot 2025, proudly sponsored by Verge Legal, concluded with a spirited Grand Final at Owen Dixon Chambers East on 10 October 2025, marking the culmination of a fortnight of rigorous advocacy, collaboration and inclusive legal education among Victorian law students.
Watch the recap video of the Victorian Law Firm Moot 2025.
Now in its second edition, the competition has become a highlight of the Monash Law mooting calendar. This year’s tournament featured two preliminary rounds, quarter-finals and semi-finals conducted online. The in-person Grand Final gave students an opportunity to appear before an eminent bench of practitioners and judges.
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A Monash-led initiative championing diversity
The competition was organised by Monash Law students Joel Law (Chief Convener), Alexander Xing, Mridul Garg, Prudence Spencer, Serena Malatesta, and Jessica Qingying Guan.
In his opening address, Adjunct Professor William Lye OAM KC welcomed competitors on behalf of the Victorian Bar and reflected on the importance of representation and inclusion in the legal profession.
Watch the opening ceremony of the Victorian Law Firm Moot 2025.
“You cannot be what you cannot see,” Professor Lye said, quoting civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman.
“When you see us here at this podium, know that it’s all possible. We are here to demonstrate that you can be advocates of all different sorts, backgrounds and views.”
He noted that fewer than a hundred barristers of Asian-Australian background currently practise at the Victorian Bar - a number that highlights both progress and the ongoing need to broaden participation across cultural and gender lines.
“Today is a marked difference,” he told competitors.
“We’re here to celebrate those successes and to show each of you that you can be what you are now able to see.”
Presiding over the Grand Final was Ms Sashi Maharaj KC (Owen Dixon West Chambers), joined by Mr Newton Han (Partner, Verge Legal), Mr David Kim (Foley’s List), Ms Jessy Xie (Parnell’s List), and Ms Zeina Alhalabi (Brian Bourke Chambers). Together, they formed an all–people-of-colour bench - a fitting reflection of the values Professor Lye described.
Human rights at the heart of the problem
The 2025 moot problem was authored by Chief Convener Joel Law and centred on the intersection between administrative decisions and the protection of human rights, specifically the right to freedom from arbitrary interference with one’s home and the right to adequate housing.
The problem was inspired by Barry Berih (No 4) v Homes Victoria, a case that Joel studied during their clinical placement at the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law. Competitors were required to navigate Charter-based human-rights analysis, proportionality reasoning and administrative-law discretion, testing their technical precision and their ethical judgment alike.
Representation, authenticity, and advocacy
Following Professor Lye’s remarks, Ms Ashley Ngion, speaking on behalf of Verge Legal, reflected on her own journey as a lesbian Singaporean migrant serving in the Australian Defence Force and her experiences as the only female military lawyer in Victoria when she first joined.
“Our industry has been growing and broadening,” Ms Ngion said.
“Diversity only helps us, because it brings us greater experience and allows us to understand our clients better - and that’s what makes us stronger advocates.”
She spoke candidly about the art of advocacy as both communication and purpose.
“It’s not that lawyers love to argue,” she told the audience, “but to be a good lawyer, you must have an opinion - one backed by research, logic and reasoning. Advocacy is not about arguing for the sake of it; we argue for a purpose.”
Ms Ngion concluded by praising the organisers for balancing study, work and the “logistical nightmare” of running a multi-stage online and in-person competition. Verge Legal, she said, was honoured to sponsor an event that equips students to advocate for those, “who might not otherwise have a voice.”
Find out more about mooting with Monash Law
Celebrating excellence across the competition
After a compelling Grand Final, La Trobe University was named Champion Team, with Monash University finishing as First Runner-Up.
Gihansa Samarawickrema (La Trobe 1) received Best Oralist of the Grand Final, and Declan Mark Sullivan (Monash 2) was awarded Runner-Up Oralist.
Across the preliminary rounds, the top oralists were Mirella Wong (Monash 3), Lachlan Downes (Melbourne 1), and Gihansa Samarawickrema (La Trobe 1).
In the written awards, Monash 3 achieved Best Applicant Submission, and La Trobe 1 clinched Best Respondent Submission.
The competition’s judging pool featured barristers from the Victorian Bar, solicitors from Verge Legal and other leading firms, Monash alumni, and student judges Naufal Hanipa, Alexander Xing, and Jessica Qingying Guan.
A full-circle moment
For Joel, the event marked a personal milestone: two years earlier, they had competed in the same room and won in a similar La Trobe v Monash Grand Final for the Victorian Bar Equality and Diversity Moot.
“To become an organiser, and to see the event grow into something that celebrates both excellence and inclusion, has been incredibly rewarding,” Joel reflected.
In closing, Joel expressed gratitude to Monash Law, Dean Professor Steven Vaughan, and Mr James Brandis for their support of the event. They also acknowledged the mentorship of Adjunct Professor William Lye OAM KC and Associate Professor Jacqui Horan, whose guidance had nurtured their passion for mooting and advocacy. Additionally, they thanked their clinical supervisor, Dr Gina Bekker, for proofreading the moot problem.
“The Victorian Law Firm Moot is more than a contest,” Joel concluded.
“It’s a space for students to learn how to think, argue and reflect critically on the law’s role in advancing social justice. I am proud that Monash Law continues to lead in building these spaces.”
As the evening concluded with a reception at the Essoign Club, participants reflected on two weeks of preparation, debate and connection. The 2025 Victorian Law Firm Moot stood as both a celebration of human-rights advocacy and a powerful reminder of what inclusion looks like in practice: a future of law shaped by excellence, authenticity and diversity.