ABA Second Residential Trial Advocacy Course

Over the duration of the course, however, the reticence to be there subsided and was replaced with the question:  “Why can’t we do more of this?”

The advocacy course was intensive.  It required the barristers to perform in a mock- court setting.  An advocate’s essential skills (an opening, examination-in-chief, cross-examination and closing address) were tested and reviewed.  

The barristers were coached by experienced counsel (drawn from all the Bars within Australia and the U.K. Bar) and Justice Glenn Martin.  The other Queensland coaches were Wensley QC and Boddice SC.   The co-ordinator of the course was Phil Greenwood SC from the New South Wales Bar.

The barristers participated in groups; each group would perform before a particular coach (coaches were regularly rotated).  Each performance was recorded.  That performance would then be reviewed by a separate coach viewing the recording.  Performance coaches were present to comment on aspects of speech and presentation.  Stenographers were also present to transcribe a particular performance; a barrister could then review their performance by examination of the transcript.  

Each performance session was preceded by a short talk by a coach on a particular topic.  Important things were learnt during these talks including which font styles Martin J prefers in written submissions!

The most fun part of the course was having dinner together each night.  After some imbibing, new discoveries were made such as Wensley QC’s passion for words, literature and Roget’s Thesaurus.

On the final night, dinner was held at the Terrey Hills Golf and Country Club, Terrey Hills.  Those present were privileged to hear a short talk given by the Chief Justice of the High Court on the importance of the independence of the bar and the sole practice rule.  Transport to and from dinner (in an old school bus) clearly marked the Bar’s move into the 21st century.  The highlight of this dinner was the French embrace between Gleeson CJ and Martin J.   

Relations between participants was at all times collegial; many friends were made across the various bars of Australia and it felt that we had spent many months together rather than just five days.  

The Queensland Bar was represented by:  Karen Carmody, Andrew Christie, Kathryn Cochrane, Mark Robertson, Hugh Scott-Mackenzie and myself.  

The next course will be run in Sydney from 19-23 January 2009; Brisbane will host the course in 2010.  I highly commend the course to anyone interested.    

Anand Shah