Appleby’s Bermuda office has concluded its second annual summer internship mock trial.

Interns Kyla Lowe, Owen Neal and Seon Tatem served as the plaintiffs while Ashley Attride-Stirling, Thomas Evans and Juron Tucker were the defendants.

They were involved in comprehensive preparation leading up to the mock trial which was designed to simulate real-world legal challenges, with Ms Lowe, Mr Tatem, Mr Evans and Mr Tucker competing the day of the moot.

The competition focused on the Sale of Goods Act 1978, involving a dispute regarding whether a recently purchased broken television was of merchantable quality. Over eight weeks, interns were introduced to various aspects of legal practice and attended workshops, including bundle creation and advocacy training sessions, designed to prepare them for trial.

Dispute resolution senior associate James Sellick, and counsels Jordan Knight and Anna Markiewicz provided invaluable support to students involved in the mock court project.

John Wasty, partner and head of dispute resolution in Bermuda said their expert training and guidance gave the interns a rare opportunity to develop practical advocacy, analysis, and strategic skills through the mock trial experience.

The law firm said the competition was intense, with the teams showcasing impressive drive, determination and enthusiasm throughout.

The plaintiff won the legal case, but the winner of the overall Appleby moot were the defendants in consideration of their argument drafting, bundle creation, timeliness of submissions, trial preparedness, and overall performance during the trial.

“Both teams demonstrated exceptional collaboration and diligent preparation, while illustrating their outstanding skills in drafting and general practice management,” an Appleby Bermuda spokesman said.

Brad Adderley, managing partner in Bermuda said his company believed that immersive real-world experience builds the best foundation for a successful legal career.

“We are pleased to provide this experience through our internships, intensive mock trial project, and later through our two-year trainee programme,” he said. “Congratulations to our interns for their hard work throughout the comprehensive mock trial project.”