TRIUMPH FOR IPLS TRAINEES IN CLIENT CONSULTATION COMPETITION 2020 
11 March 2020
Trainees at the University’s Institute of Professional Legal Studies (IPLS) triumphed over law students at Queen’s to win the Northern Ireland regional heat of the Client Consultation Competition 2020.
Amira Graham and Ross White from the Institute, guided by Coach Ruth Craig, competed against Taylor Derrien and Brandon Lijdsman (coached by Dr Alessandro Corda) from the School of Law, in the annual competition run by the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
The contest provides law students and Institute trainees with an opportunity to test their client communication and interview skills in scenarios judged by practising and former solicitors.
The winning IPLS team will now represent the Institute and the Northern Ireland legal profession at the final of the Louis M Brown and Forrest S Mosten International Client Consultation Competition which will take place from 15-18 April 2020 at Stetson University College of Law, Tampa, Florida, USA.
Commenting after the competition Rowan White, President of the Law Society, said: “On behalf of the Law Society of Northern Ireland, I wish to congratulate Ross and Amira from the IPLS on their win.
“I would also like thank Taylor and Brandon from Queen’s who took time out from their studies to make the competition as successful as in previous years.
“Finally, I’d like to thank our judging panel, Enda Lavery from MTB Solicitors and Niall Hargan from Carson McDowell.”
The American Bar Association (ABA) Louis M Brown Forest S Mosten International Client Consultation Competition, which attracts teams from over 30 nations around the world, provides an opportunity for law students to learn and practice interviewing and counselling skills.
Originally founded in 1969 and adopted by The American Bar Association in 1972, the International Competition was inaugurated in 1985. It brings together winning teams of law students from national competitions in, amongst other countries, the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, India, Russia, Nigeria, Turkey, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Ukraine, Finland, Germany, Switzerland, Sri Lanka and Puerto Rico.
The International Competition was named after Louis M Brown in 1993 in recognition of the inspiration provided by the originator of the competition.
A client consultation competition simulates a law office consultation in which law students, acting as attorneys, are presented with a client matter. They conduct an interview with a person playing the role of the client and then explain how they would proceed further in the hypothetical situation.
Teams are given about 30 minutes to conduct the interview which is expected to:
- Elicit relevant information from the client
- Explore the preferred outcome
- Outline the nature of the problem
- Present the client with a means (or range of alternatives) for resolving the issue
In 2008, IPLS trainees Niall Hargan (from Claudy in County Londonderry) and Conor Houston (from Holywood, County Down), won the World Final of the Competition when it was held at the National Law School of India University in Bangalore.
General enquiries about this news story to Gerry Power, Communications Officer/Editor The Graduate, Queen’s Development and Alumni Relations Office; tel: +44 (0)28 9097 5321.
Caption (L-R): Competition judges Niall Hargan and Enda Lavery; winning IPLS trainees Amira Graham and Ross White; Institute Coach Ruth Craig and David Gaston, retired solicitor and teacher for the Law Society of Northern Ireland, IPLS, Queen's and Ulster University.
Main photo credit: Law Society of Northern Ireland
Back to Main News
Top of Page