MY AMERICAN CARIBBEAN LAW INITIATIVE EXPERIENCE

by Karine MacVean

As a first-year law student at the Eugene Dupuch Law School, I feel honoured to have been selected to attend the Spring 2017 Caribbean Law Clinic (CLC), a programme of the American Caribbean Law Initiative. The Clinic was hosted by the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and Tobago, March 8-10, 2017. This exposure to the wealth of knowledge generated by the CLC has broadened my horizons and has caused me to gain new insight of legal interpretation.

The moot problem that I addressed concerned financial services law, with specific focus on the Trinidad and Tobago law relating to the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Financial Obligations Regulations. Preparation for my legal argument entailed lots of research under those laws as well as the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism legislative regime and other applicable legislation and the common law.

Completion of the CLC has increased my confidence, research skills, negotiation skills, advocacy skills and collaborative skills. The opportunity to work and interact with the other participating students from Caribbean and American Law School was rewarding. I found the participants to be non-judgmental, professional and courteous. We were all there to learn from each other and used the opportunity to be professionally critical.

Overall the CLC was very informative and educational and I look forward to sharing my experience with my peers. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be a part of this wonderful initiative.