Courtroom drama opportunity for local students

Tuesday 03 October 2023

The sixteenth Collas Crill Moot takes place this year – bringing courtroom life into local schools – and a call has gone out to sixth form students to participate in a mock trial competition.

The Moot is open for students from the Grammar School, Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and the Ladies' College in Guernsey, and the Cayman Prep High School, Cayman International School (CIS), Clifton Hunter and St Ignatius Catholic School.

It is the second year it is being run in Cayman after proving popular in Guernsey, with around 100 students competing last year.

Those involved will study real-life legal case notes on a number of scenarios including criminal, employment and defamation trials, and applying them to a mock court situation.

They will be mentored and coached by Collas Crill lawyers throughout the four-round competition and judged by some of the firm's partners.

Teams are marked on court etiquette, persuasiveness, clarity, body language, legal argument and time-keeping.

For those not looking to pursue a legal career, the Moot provides the chance to improve on their communication, presentation, research and analytical skills

Collas Crill's Training Principal and Partner Ben Havard said it “really brings the reality of the courtroom to life and provides local students with a fantastic opportunity to develop important skills that can be used both in higher education and their future careers – not just law.

“We have several trainees, associates and senior associates who have, over the years, come through the Moot to work at Collas Crill. It has become a rite of passage for our new trainees to organise the competition and this year is no exception.”

Managing Partner in Cayman, Stephen Leontsinis, said: “We are looking forward to building on the success of the inaugural Cayman Collas Crill Moot and we are delighted that St Ignatius Catholic School has also signed up to be involved this year.”

Pictured (top):L-R: Arwen Kernaghan and Isabelle Wood from the Grammar School, Collas Crill Partner Wayne Atkinson, Collas Crill Managing Partner Christian Hay, Rosie de Carteret and Lauren de Jersey from the Ladies' College.