SUMMER SCHOOL OF LEGAL SKILLS 2019
FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF PARTICIPANTS AND ORGANIZERS
Summer School of Legal Skills 2019 from the point of view of participants and organizers
Participants‘ point of view
In September, we attended the fifth year of the Summer School of Legal Skills 2019, which was held at the Faculty of Law of Comenius University under the auspices of your dean doc. JUDr. Eduard Burda, PhD. The whole organization was provided by the Institute of Clinical Legal Education of the Faculty of Law, Comenius University, which has been preparing and organizing the event since the beginning of the summer. Although the organizers gradually informed us that there really was something to look forward to, the programme itself and the activities of the summer school remained secret to the very last moment. Finally, we experienced many pleasant surprises. Thus the interest of students in summer school increases every year and the organizers bring something new every year.
As the title suggests, the aim was to acquire the legal skills needed in practice, with a particular focus on providing legal services to clients, conducting meetings with potential clients or drawing up legal submissions, reasoning and more. However, that was not all. In addition to it, we were acquainted with the law firm's routine activities and used to delegate tasks or work under pressure because we received many other related and unrelated motions during the whole Summer School, so each participant was busy at all times.
How did it work? The organizers divided us into 4 teams and we set up our law firms (Dominus Litis, Pressburg Legal, AK D Group and AK Illegal). Each team had its specific structure (partner - attorney - articled clerk - legal assistant), we chose a name, created an email, we even had own office premises and work aids and organizers did not forget even details such as business cards. We just had to wait for the first client with his legal problem. A client (future plaintiff or defendant) visited each office, explaining his problem and the situation in which he found himself, and our task was to hold a meeting with him and learn all the necessary information. The central case of this year's Summer School was the return of the gift from the ex-wife due to a breach of good morals. The client provided us with the material and evidence of the case from which we could draw (the organizers were creative and we got contracts, mail communication, various photos, etc.). The tasks were clear. We signed legal services contracts with clients, powers of attorney and started working. Each office drew up two submissions (the applicant's representative drafted a claim supplemented by replies and the defendant's representative drafted a defence with a rejoinder) and on the last day, the Summer School finished in a moot court where the return of the gift was decided. We tried the argumentation and the evidence itself before the court and we consider witness ´s and party´s interrogation to be a beneficial experience. The case was decided by Judge of the Regional Court in Trnava JUDr. Eva Behranová that ensured that the hearing was held on a highly professional level, which made us feel like before a real court.
In addition to addressing the main case, we had a series of lectures and workshops that helped us to cope with all tasks. They concerned the organization of the law firm (MCL), contact and work with the client (Maple & Fish) and we attended workshops with an experienced attorney JUDr. Tomáš Kamenec from PaulQ Law Office and with Judge JUDr. Andrea Sedlačková, so that we could handle the court proceedings both procedurally and practically. We also attended a workshop with JUDr. Pavol Cvik, an expert in the intellectual property law, who directed us in drawing up a contract for another client and a workshop with JUDr. Juraj Gyarfáš, PhD., LL.M. from Dentons, a law firm dedicated to the very hot topic of investing in start-ups.
The summer school brought much more. It helped us to get to know each other and make new friendships, whether for work or other activities: organizers prepared for us a “law cinema”, a screening of the movie My Cousin Vinny, and an evening Laser Tag involved us into physical activities where we even competed with Dean, Vice-dean O. Blažo and the organizational team. We finished the activities with an informal get-together.
On the last day, the program culminated with a ceremony and the organizing team evaluated the best participants in different categories (client access, quality of submissions, performance of secondary tasks, speaking at the hearing) who were awarded valuable prizes. The Dean and the main organizers (namely JUDr. Tomáš Mészáros, PhD. and JUDr. Zuzana Mlkvá Illýová, PhD.) handed over certificates of participation to all participants with the last surprise - an invitation to informal get-together and lunch, during which we had the opportunity to talk about legal and non-legal issues.
Should we recommend Summer School? Of course, yes! You will not regret that the Summer School will exceed your expectations. During the four days, we were able to experience weal and woe of real advocacy and to participate and compete in a moot court. Starting a semester a week earlier was worth it because we have acquired some new and useful skills. We have learned how to work under pressure and, despite the fatigue, to pursue all duties - after all, just as in real working life. Therefore, the Summer School of Legal Skills is a great chance for students to get experience and learn many practical skills. The organizers excelled as in previous years, brought new guests and prepared the program that again targeted the areas that we have not yet known ... All proved to be very original and professional and the slogan of famous teacher and scientist that gave the name to our alma mater, "school by play", came true again.
On behalf of all students, we would like to thank the whole organizing team, above all, Zuzka Mlkvá Illýová and Tomáš Mészáros, who put a lot of their effort, time and ideas into the Summer School of Legal Skills. We also thank the other team members and actors who prepared program, all documents and evidence to the dispute to the smallest detail (in the offices we were even receiving e-mails) and thus ensure a smooth running and a pleasant atmosphere of the summer school. Finally, we would like to thank the management of the Faculty, especially Dean doc. Mgr. Eduard Burda, PhD. under auspices of whom the Summer School was held. We would like to thank also all lecturers and sponsors who participated in this event and thus made it possible to be held.
Do not hesitate to enrol at the Summer School because a lot of students are interested and we are already looking forward to the next year. Long live the Summer School of Legal Skills!
Bc. Filip Tubler
Bc. Igor Hron
Bc. Sára Kiššová
Bc. Filip Miloslav Kováč
Organizers´ point of view
Each year of the Summer School of Legal Skills is a great challenge for us as organizers, as we always try to make the concept original and enriched with new elements. The jubilee fifth year was all the more challenging because we increased the number of places due to the great interest, so the summer school had up to 28 participants this year. On the first day, they were divided into four groups, law firms with their hierarchy. Each law firm received its premises, two laptops and access to the portal judikáty.info. Subsequently, “clients” visited the each firm and the mailboxes of our law firms were regularly “overloaded” with various legal and fictional issues. The participants were struggling with the work in a professional and proficient manner; we were pleasantly surprised by the prompt responses and professional approach.
At the same time, students took part in several workshops during four days, preparing them for the tasks that “attorney” life had given them. We would not be able to ensure the diversity of tasks without external assistance, and therefore we would like to express our sincere thanks to the cooperating law firms, attorneys and judges for attending the summer school, dedicating their valuable time to students and preparing extraordinarily interesting activities and quality workshops. We cordially thank our partners MCL, Maple & Fish, attorneys Juraj Gyarfáš, Pavel Cvik, Tomáš Kamenec and Judges Andrea Sedlačková and Eva Behranová. We would also like to thank the attorneys who provided our participants with assistance in the preparation of individual submissions (claim, statement, reply, rejoinder), namely Vladimír Kordoš and Lenka Katríková from Stentors, Tomáš Pavlovič from Prosman & Pavlovič and Ivan Puškáč.
We would like to thank Hillbridges, MCL, Allen & Overy, Stentors, PaulQ and Maple & Fish for their material support. We would also like to thank C. H. Beck for providing the publications we gave to the best three participants of this summer school and the portal judikáty.info for providing access to all participants.
Last but not least, we thank our great participants, who have been fully drawn into the action, have worked conscientiously and professionally. We are pleased with all the positive feedback and we are looking forward to the summer school in September 2020!
On behalf of the organizers of the Summer School of Legal Skills,
JUDr. Zuzana Mlkvá Illýová, PhD.
JUDr. Tomáš Mészáros, PhD.