Law clinic challenges regional students

(CNS): The region’s future legal experts gathered in Cayman this week when the Cayman Islands Law School (CILS) hosted the Caribbean Law Clinic for the second time. Students from eight legal institutions around the region and the southern United States are engaging in intensive cross jurisdictional legal research in applying local Cayman law and practice and provide legal advice to five questions set by the CI Legal Department. Law School Director of Legal Studies Mitchell Davies explained that the questions cover Cayman Islands criminal law and practice, evidence, judicial review, family and immigration laws.

The finals starting on Friday morning at Kirk House will challenge the students’ ability to tackle the legal scenarios. “Clinics require students to collaborate, which encourages team-building and professional interaction with individuals they have not previously met. Students also have the opportunity to develop their legal advocacy skills,” said Davies. The clinics can also be a source of timely legal research and analysis for the governmental agency setting the questions in the host country.

The clinic will conclude with presentations from student teams to a panel comprising Grand Court Judge the Hon. Charles Quin, QC, Solicitor General Cheryll Richards QC, and Senior Crown Counsel Reshma Sharma.

Participating schools are CILS; Eugene Dupuch Law School, Nassau, Bahamas; Hugh Wooding Law School, St. Augustine, Trinidad; Norman Manley Law School, Kingston, Jamaica; Thurgood Marshall Law School, Houston, Texas; Florida Coastal, Nova Southeastern University and Stetson University law schools, all in Florida.

Every six months, participating schools rotate hosting the clinics which are organised by the American Caribbean Law Initiative (“ACLI”). (Visit www.fcsl.edu/acli for more about the ACLI and the clinics.)