Danielle Edwards, far right, with coach Timothy Affonso, teammate Luan Harford and Professor Gardner
Two Dominican student attorneys, Danielle Edwards and Cara Shillingford were selected to represent the Hugh Wooding Law School at various prestigious international Law Moot competitions from the months of January to April 2013.
“Mooting” is an extracurricular activity at many law schools. It is the oral presentation of a legal issue or problem against an opposing counsel and before a judge. It is perhaps the closest experience to appearing in court that a student can have while at university.
Shillingford, along with her two team mates Carlon Mendoza of Trinidad & Tobago and Stephen Roberts from Guyana, won the Caribbean and Central America Segment of the Price Media Moot Competition Americas Regional Round in New York earlier in January. The team was coached by law lecturer Akhail Khan.
Shillingford’s team advanced to the competition finals at the prestigious Oxford University in April, and competed against advocates representing numerous Universities from all over the world, including countries such as Australia, Africa, China, India, the UK and US.
By the competition’s end, her team ranked in the top eight competing teams, a testament to their outstanding advocacy skills.
Edwards and her team mate Luan Harford of Grenada, coached by Law Lecturer, Timothy Affonso, represented the Hugh Wooding Law School at the 17th annual Stetson International Environmental Moot Court Competition from February to March.
The Competition’s Regional Round was held at American University Washington College of Law in Washington D.C. where the team competed against 16 North American Universities to advance to the finals.
Edwards’ team emerged 2nd and she was awarded the prize for 4th best advocate out of over 30 advocates.
Her partner Luan was also awarded the prize for 2nd best advocate.
The Hugh Wooding Law School Stetson team advanced to the finals at Stetson University in Florida, where it ranked in the top 8 teams by the competition’s end. Law Schools from China, Australia, India, Brazil and Ireland were also represented.
Edwards was again awarded the prize for 4th best advocate, and her partner ranked 2nd best advocate, out of over 30 finalists.
Both Shillingford and Edwards are grateful to their schools, teammates, families and God for their success.
Both young ladies are National Scholars of Dominica: Edwards is the 2007 Island Scholar, and Shillingford is the recipient of the FOC Harris Award.
They are expected to be called to the Bar by November 2013.
Cara Shillingford, second left, poses with teammates and competition organizer at Cardozo School of Law, New York
Congrats my dear Dan. Continue to aim n achieve high
Congrats Danielle from the Alfred family, great performance,keep up the good works
O Woah!! Go Little Danielle…. Congrats ladies
I remember you Cara when you and Kevin debating partners at ITSS. You are destined to do great things. Bravo and may God be with you always
well done cuz.. keep it up. B Bless
that comment is so irrelevant.you’re supposed to be commenting on their archievement and not on people’s comment. you’re such a hater
There is no such thing as ‘student attorneys’ or ‘attorney students’, they are simply students at law school!!! only after they complete the programme and Called to the bar, will they become attorneys!!!
I’m done with D.N.O i dont even want to read anything coming from you all. you want to control everything that is said, comments with nothing out of order people congratulating there fams and D.N.O playing politics by deleting fair comments shame on you D.N.O what you should delete you dont, Dominicans should look out and sue you when you allow your garbage to be posted by Forvever
How does Cabinet feel? They fought tooth and nail to deprive Ms.Shillingford of the FOC Harris Scholarship. Today, she’s flying the flag of Dominica at the HIGHEST level..It could ever be flown in the legal circles, WORLD DEBATE COMPETITION.Dominica, we need to reward success! Clearly, she was deserving of the scholarship.She has put it back in their face.”You can’t stop me”. She did it in Barbados, nobody fought her. She did it in Trinidad, nobody fought her. We keep fighting our professionals in Dominica. Successive administrations have done the same.Where does it end? Skewo, let’s put these two in our bag so when they challenge next election, they’ll be on our side.I love my party, let’s not be petty and continue to develop our country. I love my PM!
I remember our days in high school, I was a stunned supporter of yours when you won every single debate in Dominica.I also remember when in school you had to debate your debating partner to set the record as to who was the best between you and Kevin. He was defeated and from this day on, I knew the sky was your limit.As my former classmate, I want to wish you well and I’m confident you will be one of the most…if not the most successful and aggressive attorneys on Island when you return. Cara, I look forward to retaining you in whatever matter or legal transaction that involves me. I also know Ms.Edwards from college…She’s a very bright young lady and she will do very well. You both make Dominica proud. Once again Cara…the sky is your limit!I’m in tears!
For once, I want to hold my party responsible. When this young lady’s dad (Cara) went frequently on the radio talk shows claiming that his daughter was being victimized re: FOC Harris scholarship, and that none of the attorneys who were practicing in Dominica including all the senior councils did not have a first class degree, he insisted that he was taking the state to Court and also leashed an attack on both Julius Timothy and Roosevelt Skerrit in the media.This in itself resulted in them recalling the scholarship and awarding it to Ms. Shillingford. Today, again she is the only Dominican who have represented at the WORLD debate competition. I can imagine her father must be proud knowing that his daughter could represent at the prestigous Oxford University on the World stage ranking in the World TOP 8. I apologize on behalf of my party. I say let’s pull all our brains together…these young kids Edward and Shillingford are NOT involved in politics and they should be given a fair chance to make their contribution in their country at the highest level. The outside world will be more than interested in grabbing them. Dominica, the ball is in your court…you either embrace them or lose them to the Caribbean. Congratulations to the ladies and their families!!!Congratulations Bush Lawyer…
Congrats Cara, you make your dad Hilary Shillingford and mom proud. Shine girl make Dominica know that you deserved the scholarship. Well done ladies
Cara i am so proud of u.u make the Shillingford family smile
i hope u come down soon so we can be united
Cara, If your grandfather Green shillingford was alive he would have been a proud man. I know you mom and dad worked very hard to ensure your success. I also know your sisters and brother are very proud of you and also prayed a lot for your success.
Me and my family are very proud of you. May the good Lord continue to bless and shine on you to succeed further.
Congratulations! Dominica needs you Cara.
Senior Counsel Hilary Shillingford is a happy man. – Local, Regional and International.
From Uncle D.C.
Miss Edwards keep up the good works. We are also proud of you. May the good Lord shower blessings on you. dominica also needs you
Congratulations Ladies, you’ve made us proud. Well done.
Congratulation to Slyvia Vidal and Hillary Shillingford, walk with your heads high this is your moment to shine, you did a great job in raising Cara .My dearest Cara you are like a diamond in the sky keep on shining.You did your parents,Salisbury,Dominica and most importantly yourself proud.
Congrats to Cara and Danielle. I must say the both of u r two awesome young ladies. I had the opportunity to evalute the both of you during the time you all worked in our chambers and must attest that the quality of work produced, I have no doubt in my mind that you have a bright future
Excellent Performance Danielle….Continue to work hard and shine. From all of us!!!!
COngratts ladies. Cara I am so proud. May God continue to bless you in all that u do.
CONGRATS…..it is in our genes!
Now I understand why Cara’s father made noise about she not receiving FOC Harris Scholarship.. Congrats
Doe go back DA nuh….allu better off elsewhere! Go and make the big bucks away!!
Oh!!! I am so proud of you. Mom must be ecstatic. Continue to make Salisbury and Dominica proud. Go girl!
Congratulations to these women, they are a testament that through hard work and perseverance we can achieve anything. Even if we come from a small country like Dominica and are up against the major first world countries.
Well done ladies. We continue to shine wherever we go. Pity our own people can never see our skills, and try to press us and see the negatives instead. And when they cannot find, they make up. We will continue to run away where we are elevated while we watch our country suck. I hope they will see something in these two Dominicans and try a bit harder to keep our people without getting them caught up in politics.
Congratulations young ladies. Hope I am not mistaken, but I think Danielle is the daughter of a great man from Wesley, Mr. David Edwards, and Annie of Marigot. I hope where ever they practice law that they uphold the integrity of the profession. And if they were to return to Dominica, I hope that they will not be silent of pertinent issues like a lot of Dominicans lawyers do.
Proud of you all. Keep up the great work!
Danielle, I am ultra proud of the young woman you have become. We knew you could do this and you ARE doing it! Congratulations!
congratulations ladies.
Congratulations ladies, make your mark….
So proud of you my 4-H student!
Very well done ladies! Brilliant! You make us all proud.
Keep it up girls. Fly the D/A flag high!
congratulations to you ladies. Dominica needs more like you.
Cara you made our school and your former classmates proud….. Isaiah Thomas production.. On the verge of becoming on of the greatest lawyers ….
congratulations
I am so proud oft them. Go girls
This is great for them congrats all the best in thair cuarear
Great work, congratulations!
Go head ladies with ur bad selves.
Their parents should also be mentioned!
Well done Cara, you make your country and family proud. We all know how hard your mother is working to get you through this. She must have a big smile on her face right now.
If it is not UWI, then I don’t know!!! University with high standards!! I am a proud past student of the University of the West Indies!!!
Brilliant Dominicans……. Hope you all will help to transform DA if and when you return……….
Excellent performance Danielle. We know how hard you worked. Congratulations from the entire Edwards and Matthew families.
Nonsense, Hope Dominicans are prepared for the change they are will to initiate.
people don’t like change. They expect professionals to move in the same wave length as those surrounded by ignorance. Many times they hide under clouds like ‘experience’ and cripple potential agents of change. Then we complain about ‘brain drain’. A Healthy educated Human resource brings about healthy economic reform especially for developing countries such as Dominica.