Wyatt Parmiter Georgia Young Lawyer Weekend
The Young Lawyer’s Weekend, organized by InvestIn, was a real experience for a novice lawyer. Held in a seminar room at University College London, the event began with ice, a discussion task surrounding the 1991 Jaffa cake case. It was light propaganda that split the room in half as we became prosecution and defense over whether a Jaffa cake was a cake or a sponge cake. The cakes won, as they did in the real case, before we cut to a mock criminal trial involving Stanley Bates, who was tried for murder. The next few hours were intense as we discussed the text message evidence and learned the questioning styles for chief and cross-examination taught by lead criminal defense attorney Molly Diaz. We were delighted to witness the personal testimony of Stanley Bates’ mistress. It was incredible to watch and a valuable experience for many in attendance. After examining all the available evidence and cross-examination, we entered into oral argument, which resulted in the Stanley Bates defense winning the case, as it planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the judges about the influence of the potentiometer that Mr. Bates’ mistress could have had.
The second half of the day was devoted to watching a human rights trial (again a mock trial for oral propaganda). This session was moderated by Adetokunbo Hussein, a human rights lawyer from the International Criminal Court. He guided us through the refugee deportation case, providing us with packages including the relevant human rights that the refugee was entitled to in the case. We learned the difference between absolute and qualified. As a group in this session we decided which solution was most appropriate for the refugee in question. We again split into two groups, again taking part in oral advocacy instead of defending the refugee and the Home Secretary as the prosecution. The verdict was that we should have been deported on the basis of diplomatic assurances between the UK and his homeland. It was an insightful and invaluable experience for any aspiring lawyer. This experience was a weekend for a young lawyer, but there are summer experiences that last more than a day. Because the summer experience is long, participants will delve into areas other than just human rights and crime, expanding their experience and legal knowledge as the next generation of lawyers.
https://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/23363279.young-lawyer-weekend-georgia-white-parmiters/?ref=rss
