Collas Crill Moot brings courtroom to life for students in Guernsey and Cayman

Students in Guernsey and Cayman are being invited to take part in this year’s Collas Crill Moot.

The Moot provides 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, with the chance to participate in a mock trial competition.

The Collas Crill team has been visiting the schools, colleges and high schools this week to launch the 2023 competition - the 16th year it has run in Guernsey and the second year in Cayman.

Last year around 100 students in Guernsey and 50 in Cayman took part in the competition.

The Moot involves students studying real-life legal case notes on a number of scenarios including criminal, employment and defamation trials, and applying them to a mock court situation.

Participants are mentored and coached by Collas Crill lawyers throughout the four-round competition and judged by some of the firm’s partners during the mock trials.

For aspiring lawyers the Moot teaches the basics of certain aspects of law and provides a fantastic opportunity to experience the drama of the courtroom first hand. For those not looking to pursue a legal career, the Moot provides the chance to improve on their communication, presentation, research and analytical skills.

The students must present their arguments in front of a Judge (played by some of Collas Crill’s partners) and are marked on their court etiquette, persuasiveness, clarity, body language, legal argument and time-keeping.

The Ladies’ College and Grammar School reached the final last year, with Ladies’ College taking home the Moot trophy in Guernsey. In Cayman CIS won in a closely fought final against Clifton Hunter.

The finals for the 2023 Moots will once again take place in the Royal Court of Guernsey and the

Cayman Islands Courthouses.

Collas Crill’s Training Principal and Partner Ben Havard said: ‘The Collas Crill Moot 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 a number of 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.

‘As we continue, as a firm, to focus on developing and investing in the youth of the Cayman Islands I am particularly proud of how the attorneys and staff at Collas Crill in Cayman have partnered with the teachers and students, and have embraced this initiative. I look forward to seeing how the rounds progress at each stage of the competition and who will be crowned the winners of the 2023 Cayman Collas Crill Moot.’