Law Society House in Belfast was the venue for the Northern Ireland regional heat of the Client Consultation Competition which took place on Thursday 22 January 2026.
The regional heat is part of the renown Brown Mosten International Client Consultation Competition (BM ICCC), an annual global competition for law students to practice interviewing, counselling, and problem-solving with simulated clients, focusing on developing crucial lawyer-client communication and empathy skills in a multicultural setting.
This year’s participants included teams from:
- Institute of Professional Legal Studies with team members Reece Simpson and Matthew McGuigan coached by Stuart Harper
- Queen's University Belfast with team members Gabriella McMullin and Henry O’Riordan
- Ulster University Belfast with team members Connor Nicholas and Pearse Smith coached by Melissa McKee
- And Ulster University Magee with team members Olivija Bilyte and Daniel Heagney
Each team presented to an expert panel of solicitor judges who included:
- Niall Hargan Chairperson from Carson McDowell
- Claire McNamee from the Law Society of Northern Ireland and
- Maria O'Loan from Tughans
Following a fiercely contested Competition the winning team was announced as Ulster University, Belfast. They will now go on to compete in the International Client Consultation Competition, hosted by the University of Zagreb in Zagreb, Croatia on 15-18 April 2026. In support of the winning team the Law Society will be providing a financial contribution towards their attendance at the International Client Consultation Competition.
The Society wishes to congratulate the winning team and all the teams including their coaches for their preparation and participation in making the 2026 Client Consultation Competition such a success.
The Society also wishes to thank Maria O'Loan from Tughans for taking the time to compose the complex real-life scenarios around planning, environment, and land law and for Dan Long in his role as the client in the scenarios.
