IPLS team triumphs in Northern Ireland regional heat of client consultation competition

IPLS team triumphs in Northern Ireland regional heat of client consultation competition

Pictured (L-R): Jemma Smyth, lecturer Stuart Harper and Georgia Holley from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen's University Belfast

Trainee solicitors Jemma Smyth and Georgia Holley have triumphed in the regional heat of the Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Client Consultation Competition 2022.

Ms Smyth and Ms Holley made up the team from the Institute of Professional Legal Studies at Queen’s University Belfast, going head to head with Kang Seng Law and Chloe Jia-yi Yap from QUB and Siobhan Moss and Jodie O’Reilly from Ulster University at Magee.

The competition, which has been successfully run by the Law Society over the last number of years, provides law students and trainees with an opportunity to test their client communication and interview skills in scenarios judged by practising and former solicitors.

The winning team will now proceed to the final of the Louis M. Brown and Forrest S. Mosten International Client Consultation Competition which will take place at The Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law of Swansea University in Wales between 19-24 April 2022.

Darren Patterson, head of professional development at the Law Society, said: “We are grateful to students from our local universities who participated in this year’s client consultation competition.

“Thank you to our judging panel including Judge Ken Nixon (retired), Keith McGarry from Conn & Fenton Inc. WJ Baxter Solicitors, Niall Hargan from Carson McDowell, and Colin Mitchell Law Society Council member and solicitor in McCartan Turkington Breen.

“Congratulations to the winning team of Georgia and Jemma from the IPLS who go forward to the final of the international competition in Swansea in April 2022.”

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