The entire community is invited to attend the 25th Annual Virgin Islands High School Appellate Moot Court Competition. It will be hosted by the V.I. Bar Association and will be held on three dates at these locations:
May 21: 10 a.m. at Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas
May 21: 10 a.m. at District Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix
May 23: 10 a.m. at Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas
The event is free of charge and open to the public. The following seven schools will participate in this year’s Moot Court Competition:
St. Croix Schools
Good Hope Country Day School
St. Croix Central High School
St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School
St. Thomas Schools
Antilles School
Ivanna Eudora Kean High School
Charlotte Amalie High School
All Saints Cathedral School
The competition provides an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors to vie for scholarship prizes by presenting oral arguments during which they analyze relevant legal issues in a mock appellate court proceeding. Members of the V.I. Bar Association mentor the students, advising the teams about the substance and presentation of their arguments. During the first day of competition, each team will present its arguments to a three-judge panel comprised of local attorneys who will select the top two teams from each district.
On the final day of competition, the selected teams will present their arguments before a three-judge panel comprised of judges from the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands and the District Court of the Virgin Islands.
This year the students have been presented with a challenging and timely hypothetical case involving a Syrian immigrant seeking asylum and the withholding of removal based on a fear of persecution in Syria.
The Virgin Islands Bar Association carries on the tradition of the Appellate Moot Court Competition, recognizing and understanding the positive impact it has on young people and the legal awareness it generates in the V.I. community.
For more information, contact Robb Kuczynski Esq. at 719-8086 or robb@beckstedtlaw.com
