A team representing the Law Society and Ireland has emerged victorious at the Brown Mosten International Client Consultation Competition (ICCC) in Maastricht University in The Netherlands.

Mariah Donnelly (Damien Tansey Solicitors LLP) and Doreen McCarthy (A&L Goodbody LLP) represented the Law Society and Ireland this year.

The team was coached by Dr Rachael Hession.

Competitors also received training under the Blackhall Place ‘lawyering skills’ module from John Lunney, as well as Dr Hession. 

Conor Cawley (from Ireland’s winning 2017 team), James Leahy and Aisling Ward (from Ireland’s winning 2020 team), Naoise Anderson (from Ireland’s winning 2021 team), as well as Eimear Brophy, Anthony O’Shea, Jane Moffatt and Mary Upton also gave valuable practice-round feedback and support before the 12-15 April finals.

Legal-advice skills

The ICCC aims to provide competitors with the opportunity to develop practical legal-advice skills.

The client-consultation competition simulates a law office in which law students conduct an interview with a ‘client’ and then explain how they would proceed further in the hypothetical situation.

The competitors establish key issues and provide advice.

Teams must have strong communication skills, analytical skills, and the ability to think on their feet, as well as adapting to the client’s presentation.

The topic this year was environmental law, and teams from Canada, England and Ireland made it to the finals.

Congratulations to the winners!