National Golden Gavel
Each year, young lawyers test their public speaking skills and comedic genius at Golden Gavel competitions across the country. The winners of each State and Territory competition face off at the National Golden Gavel, to prove that an ounce of wit is worth a pound of argument.
The prestigious National Golden Gavel, presented by the Australian Young Lawyers' Committee of the Law Council of Australia, is an annual public speaking competition in which young lawyers from each State and Territory of Australia compete to represent their firms before an audience of legal professionals at a state level. The winners of each State and Territory competition subsequently compete to determine the winner of the National Golden Gavel Award.
The competition is an opportunity for young lawyers to showcase their advocacy and comedy skills, with each given five minutes to argue their case on a usually far-fetched topic - revealed only 24 hours beforehand.
2011 National Golden Gavel Competition
Victorian lawyer Nick Russell has won the prestigious 2011 National Golden Gavel Award for his entertaining speech Friday night drinks: The lawyers guide to scoring a touchdown.
Mr Russell described the experience as relaxing and enjoyable - despite only having 24 hours to prepare his speech.
"It was the most petrifying, but fun and rewarding, experience of my (short) legal career," he said.
The 2011 Golden Gavel Award was held in collaboration with the Law Institute of Victoria at the State Library of Victoria. The Award was judged by Justice Betty King of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Mark Holden from the Victorian Bar and Matthew Keogh from the Australian Young Lawyers' Committee.
Second place was taken out by Brianna Rositano from South Australia; third place went to Klarin Sivyer from the Northern Territory; and Daniel Kinsey from Victoria took out the People's Choice Award.
2011 National Golden Gavel finalists
Competitors included:
- Australian Capital Territory: Max Petro, Minter Ellison;
- New South Wales: Charles Ashton, Allens Arthur Robinson;
- Northern Territory: Klarin Sivyer, Judges Chambers, Northern Territory Supreme Court;
- Queensland: Stephan Mackie, Norton Rose;
- South Australia: Brianna Rositano, District Court of South Australia;
- Tasmania: Fabiano Cangelosi, Rae & Partners;
- Victoria: Nick Russell, Mallesons Stephen Jaques;
- Victoria: Daniel Kinsey, Allens Arthur Robinson; and
- Western Australia: Morgan Quinn, Allens Arthur Robinson.
In this section
- 2010 National Golden Gavel Competition
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