Having already established a reputation as world-class mooters, Bond Law students are extending their skills to the 'Nooting' stage, taking out first, third and fourth place in the finals of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal Negotiating Outcomes On Time (Noot) competition.
Hosted by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT), the competition is a conciliated dispute resolution competition that allows law students to hone their collaborative negotiation skills.
Bond University entered four student teams who competed against Griffith University, University of Southern Queensland, University of Queensland (UQ) and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).
Cameron McCormack and Tim Noonan placed first in the competition, narrowly defeating UQ. Felicity Young and Kristen Centorame took out third prize, with early-degree law students Matthew Naylor and Stephanie Centorame placing fourth. Ms Young was also awarded the Best Communicator prize. Bond students Simrata Nand and Sally Moore also participated in the competition.
The finals were held at the AAT in Brisbane on May 30, with the earlier rounds of competition taking place on the Bond campus in the University's purpose-built negotiation rooms.
The Bond teams were coached and assisted by Assistant Professor Narelle Bedford and Assistant Professor Kylie Fletcher.
Assistant Professor Fletcher said that the competition enabled students to practice their negotiation skills, in preparation for their future careers.
"Bond Law students have always been heavily involved in mooting, which involves advocating a case in a courtroom environment, however in reality, many disputes are resolved without the need for a hearing," she said.
"Nooting exposes students to the world of alternative dispute resolution and negotiation. It provides them with valuable knowledge and skills that will assist them in their future careers."
Ms Fletcher said that the Bond students performed exceptionally well during the negotiations.
"We are incredibly proud of the students who participated in the Noot," she said.
"Not only did a Bond team win the competition but also one of our students, Felicity Young, was judged to be the Best Communicator, and our team of early-degree law students placed fourth, which is an amazing achievement for a team who have only just completed their first semester of study.
"It is important for our students to learn negotiation skills at an early stage of their degree, to give them a broader view of the dispute resolution spectrum.
"This is the second year that the AAT have held the competition, with Bond entering teams in both years."
Based on the success of the competition, the AAT has indicated they will look to open the competition to universities outside of Queensland in 2016.