Campbell Law in Scotland: Advanced School of the Trial teaches through feedback, watching others

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND — When I left Raleigh for Scotland, I really didn’t have a clue what I was getting myself into. One of my good friends, Tatiana Terry, had convinced me to apply for the 2019 Academy of the Advocate. As Tati is a seasoned pro, I usually do whatever she tells me to do and this was no exception.

Participating in the advanced school of the trial with the Baylor Law School Academy of the Advocate at St. Andrews has been one of the best things I have done for myself while in law school. When we arrived on day one, we got right to work. There were six total students in the advanced school this year. The small group setting allowed us to get to know each other very well and receive individualized attention from the professors who taught us for sixteen days.

All of my peers were some of the top advocates from their respective schools. We learned from not only the feedback we were given on our performances, but also from watching each other perform.

Over the course of the program, we worked on each individual piece of a civil trial, as well as trying two full cases. In between each performance we would have strategy sessions with some of the most experienced trial lawyers in the country. They helped us understand not only what we should be doing during a trial, but why we should be doing it. I was really lucky to have my friend and classmate Halee Morris with me for this experience. We even got to be opposing counsel in the last trial which was a lot of fun!

Outside of the classroom we were able to explore the beautiful and historic St. Andrews and learn about the rich culture of Scotland. We had a traditional Scottish Cèilidh full of good food, dancing and plenty of kilts! From walking the old course, to exploring the ruins of the cathedral, or just popping into a pub for a pint with fish and chips there was always something to see or do in St. Andrews!