For the past three years Campbells has been the proud sponsor of the St Ignatius A-Level law programme, which accepts students from both St Ignatius and Cayman Prep School. Each year we endeavour to identify new ways to enrich the programme for the students and to enhance their learning experience with our involvement. “We decided to put the students to the test this year,” said Alistair Walters, Campbells’ partner. “We worked with the programme instructors to add a moot competition to the curriculum in an effort to provide the students with the added experience of preparing and participating in a genuine courtroom mock trail. The moot competition was recently held in the Cayman Courts and truly gave the students a unique glimpse into what a career in law could hold for them.”
Retired judge Justice Kipling Douglas, along with Campbells’ Senior Associates James Austin-Smith and Kirsten Houghton, played the role of the judges. The students were divided into teams and played the roles of Appellants and Respondents in two separate mock cases. “The amount of preparation required by the students to partake in this event was considerable,” said James Austin-Smith. “I was incredibly impressed with the students’ understanding of the difficult issues presented to them and with their ability to conduct themselves with such confidence and competency in an actual courtroom environment, which can sometimes be intimidating to a seasoned professional. All in all the students did an amazing job and should be very proud of their achievement.”
At the conclusion of the moot, Mr Austin-Smith and Ms Houghton expressed that the students were well prepared for two very difficult cases, leaving them impressed with the level of research and dedication to the assignment demonstrated by the 15-17 year olds.
Rhian Minty, Lecturer at the Truman Bodden Law School provided assistance and guidance to the students, along with the support of four Campbells’ attorneys who were appointed as student mentors. “The moot was a great success,” said Rhian Minty, “this competition provided the students with invaluable experience and was an incredible addition to the A-Level programme. We are already looking forward to the next one.”
Justice Kipling Douglas, James Austin-Smith and Kirsten Houghton with A-Level students.
