The entire community is invited to attend the 24th Annual Virgin Islands High School Appellate Moot Court Competition, hosted by the Virgin Islands Bar Association, which will be held as follows:
May 1: 10 a.m. at Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas
May 2: 10 a.m. at District Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix
May 3: 10 a.m. at District Court of the Virgin Islands, St. Croix
The event is free of charge and open to the public. The following six schools will participate in this year’s competition:
St. Croix District: Good Hope Country Day School, St. Croix Central High School and St. Croix Seventh-day Adventist School
St. Thomas District: Antilles School, Ivanna Eudora Kean High School, Charlotte Amalie High School
The competition provides an opportunity for high school juniors and seniors in the territory to vie for scholarship prizes by presenting oral arguments in 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 regarding the substance and presentation of their arguments.
During the first two days of competition, each team will present their 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 justices and judges from the Supreme Court of the Virgin Islands, 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 legal action for declaratory judgment in which the petitioner, whose home was completely destroyed by Hurricane Irmaria, challenges his insurance company’s denial of his insurance claim.
The V.I. Bar Association is pleased to carry 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 community.
For more information, contact Ernest Morris Esq. at 690-5373 or ernest.morris@aya.yale.edu
