Teaching Trial Advocacy in Africa: The Magic of Mombasa

As I write this, I am sitting in a room at the Royal Court Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, unwinding from the 2015 Justice Advocacy Africa/Mombasa Law Society Trial Advocacy Training. It was a busy week, but a wonderful one. As always when I come to the end of a short, intensive trial advocacy course, I find myself experiencing a combination of physical exhaustion from the labors and revelry of the week, and mental rejuvenation from the chance to work with a group of gifted colleagues and students.

Students and faculty of the 2015 Trial Advocacy Training Course, jointly sponsored by Justice Advocacy Africa and the Mombasa Law Society. This picture was taken in the moot court room of the University of Nairobi School of Law, Mombasa campus.

Turning the Tables: Advocacy Students Reflect on Serving as Witnesses and Jurors

The last assignment of every semester in my basic trial advocacy course is a self-analysis memorandum in which the students analyze their performances in the final jury trial of the semester and reflect on their growth throughout the semester. I always enjoy reading these assignments. For my purposes, they are superior to the course evaluation survey instrument the law school uses. When I read what the students have to say about their own personal experiences during the semester, I learn how well they understood the pedagogical objectives of the course, what lessons they learned as advocates, and how they plan to continue improving throughout their careers.