Grade 10 student, Ryan Ferreira, has been appointed as one of the executive producers for the 2022 International Youth Law Conference, a free online event run by students, for students. Leveraging his passion for law and tech know-how, the Bishops High School student will play a vital role in running the conference. Hosted via Zoom, the conference runs from the 2nd to the 3rd of April, and is open to anybody interested in learning more about taking up a career in law.

“The goal of the conference is to give high school students from all over the world an opportunity to interact with and learn from law students and top professionals in the legal field. We’ve organised mock trials, live speeches, and debates for students to watch and participate in. For anyone who is interested in studying law after high school, it’s a great way to get an idea of what it’s like to work in the industry,” says Ryan.

Conference speakers include Ahmed Farooq, an incoming law clerk at the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, David Lyman, the Chairman and Chief Values Officer at Tilleke and Gibbins and author of ‘Lyman’s Laws for Lawyers’, and James Simpson, a University of Melbourne law graduate, among others.

The Cape Town-based Crimson student teamed up with founders, and fellow Crimson students from Bangkok, Thailand, Jenna Jokhani and Sohee Yim. The conference is sponsored by the Crimson Youth Fund, a philanthropic arm of global mentorship company Crimson Education, created to provide students or recent graduates, aged 13 to 21-year-olds, with essential resources to bring their event or project to life.

“Attending the conference is a great way for students to explore their passion and interest in a career in law. We’re excited to be backing this project, which has the potential to impact the future of each and every person who attends,” says Rebecca Pretorius, Country Manager at Crimson Education, who will be speaking at the conference on behalf of Crimson.

All three students are working with Crimson Education to build out their university applications, including choosing the best institutions and majors; standardised test preparation, extracurricular mentoring, and application support. “The conference was my first big extracurricular project, and it’s really been a mind-blowing experience. I’ve been able to connect with international students, who are just as passionate about law as I am, and start building my university application portfolio,” says Ryan.

After school, Ryan plans on applying to top universities in the United Kingdom, unsurprisingly, to study law. “The conference put me on the path to creating some of my own projects at school, as well as landing me the role of Chief Editor for International Law on the Law Insider website. Working on the conference with students from all over the world really pushed me out of my comfort zone and showed me how much can be accomplished when we work together. I hope it can do the same for the future lawyers who attend,” says Ryan.

To register to attend the International Youth Law Conference for free, visit their website. To apply for the Youth Fund, visit the Crimson Education website. The company has also created the Crimson Access Opportunity programme, to provide high achieving students who need financial support with free access to Crimson’s consulting services.

Ryan Ferreira