Law students from The Australian National University (ANU) have returned from the 2026 Australian Law Students’ Association (ALSA) Annual National Conference with two national titles, multiple Spirit of the Competition awards, and the Best Defence Written Memorial. The ANU Law Students’ Society (LSS) received the Best Student Engagement Award, while Alison Cook was named Female Law Student of the Year. 

As the peak national representative body for law students in Australia, the ALSA runs its annual National Conference as a week-long program of council meetings, competitions, and social events. It brings together law students from universities across Australia and New Zealand to network, compete, and build partnerships. 

But for the ANU delegation of nine students, that week was as much about learning as winning. 

For Jess Pitt, the Paper Presentation Competition offered a unique challenge she had not encountered in her law studies before. 

“As I was undertaking this whilst in my third year, I had not yet completed a major essay for any of my law subjects which I could submit,” Jess shares. 

For the competition, Jess researched her chosen topic from scratch, wrote a 4,500-word essay, and then distilled it into a 15-minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions from the judges. 

“The preparation of this component mostly consisted of ensuring I was across the contents of the essay and had a sufficient understanding of the contemporary issues implicit in my selected topic,” she says. “I was presented with a unique opportunity to practise skills in both legal writing and speech.” 

Her work paid off, with Jess being named Australian Champion in the competition. “It was an honour to be presented with an award by Justice Chrissa Loukas-Karlsson, who was a judge of the Supreme Court of the ACT,” she recalls. 

Also returning home as Australian Champions were James Green and Giulia Provenzano, who were awarded Spirit of the Competition in the Thomson Negotiation Competition. 

The conference, as they put it, was “far more than the competition rounds themselves”. 

Between intense and challenging competition rounds, they found that some of the most rewarding parts of the week lay in learning from judges and fellow competitors. 

Cian Bowes also received a Spirit of the Competition Award in the Witness Examination Competition. 

To prepare, Cian had to get across South Australian evidence law from scratch, taking him beyond the ACT and NSW frameworks he was most familiar with. His preparation helped take him to the semi-finals. 

“Being part of the ANU team contributed greatly to my experience, as the camaraderie and support in the team made the rounds seem less daunting,” he says. “The team was also excellent for bouncing ideas around and practising my examination skills.” 

The LSS was also recognised with the Best Student Engagement Award for its Office Hours initiative, introduced in 2026 to give students a regular, informal way to speak with members of the LSS Executive. 

Every Monday from 12–2 pm, Office Hours invites students into the LSS Common Room to enjoy a free coffee or snack, converse with members of the Executive, and share ideas, concerns, and questions about the work of the Society. 

“These conversations have strengthened the connection between students and the Executive, ensuring that student perspectives are heard and reflected in the work of the LSS,” says LSS President Hugh Liu. 

The delegation encourages other ANU law students to get involved in ALSA competitions as early as they can. 

“These competitions are the best thing, aside from your studies, to develop you as an advocate and connect you to the other driven and talented people who will share the legal profession with you down the track,” says Cian.

James and Giulia echo this sentiment: “The people we met became one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. Often, the best memories and camaraderie came from the moments between rounds, whilst printing at Officeworks, or at the various scheduled social events.”

“Prepare yourself to meet absolutely phenomenal people and create lifelong friendships.” 

Learn more about the ANU Law Students’ Society here.