Research Quiz for trainees

Something else I like to do is to finish trainee training with a quiz. Trainees are always very competitive and the prize of some chocolate is usually enough to produce high levels of motivation. The training reason is to get them to use the skills they've learnt while they're still fresh in their minds, thus reinforcing the learning - but it's also a bit of fun. The smaller the teams the better and tell them that each member of the team has to work on every question rather than split them up (on the threat of disqualification), or you'll find them just doing a few questions each, which defeats the object.

I have listed some of my questions below as examples, but feel free to use them. You can use some of the other possible quiz questions in the other ideas pages to replace or supplement them. 

Sample questions

Using Westlaw, find the Licensing Act 2003.

Q: What is the title of section 142?

A: Obtaining alcohol for someone who is drunk.

Q: What is the penalty for breaching the rules of this section?

A: No more than a level 3 fine (up to £1,000).

OR

Using Westlaw, find the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

Q: What marsupials are listed under Schedule 1?

A: Tasmanian Devil, the western and eastern grey kangaroos, the wallaroo and the red kangaroo.

Q: When was the [Dingo] added to the list?

A: 2007

Using Westlaw, find articles on chocolate bunnies.

Q: What is the title of the most recent article?

A: [This will need to be looked up on the day].

Q: What was the chocolate bunny case about?

A: Trademarks of three dimensional objects: in this case Lindt chocolate rabbits.

OR

Using Westlaw, find an article on a rampaging squirrel.

Q: What is the journal reference for this article?

A: NLJ [1999] 149 (6884) pp561-2

[If you have this issue in paper copy] Find this journal article on the shelf.

Q: What was the estimate total cost of the damage caused by the squirrel?

A; c£5,000

[If you don't this in paper, and sadly it's not on LexisNexis - that part is, but this article isn't for some reason].

Q: What is this article about?

A: Case law on interpretation of insurance policies according to accepted rules of construction and applicability of exclusion clauses.

Using Halsbury's Laws online.

Q: What is a Rouge Dragon?

A: A Pursuivant (in heraldry – an agent for the grant of arms)

Q: What are the six heralds?

A: Windsor, Chester, Lancaster, Somerset, York and Richmond.

OR

Q: When did the Court of Chivalry last sit?

A: 1955 (case began in 1954, but judgment was the following year)

Q: What kind of cases does the Court of Chivalry deal with?

A: Question of rights to a coat of arms.

Using LexisNexis

Find the case of Tolley v Giddings.

Q: What is the first law report reference for this case.

A: [1964] 2 Q.B. 354

Q: What is the make of car that was stolen?

A: Morris Minor saloon.

OR

Find the latest case to mention the McCarthy Rules.

Q: What is the name of the case and give its case reference?

A: Moto Hospitality Ltd v Secretary of State for Transport (currently – will need to check each time). [2007] EWCA Civ 764

Q: To what do the McCarthy Rules relate?

A: The principles governing compensation under s 68 of the Land Clauses Consolidation Act 1845.

Using Stroud's Judicial Dictionary.

Q: What is the definition of 'scandalous conduct'?

A: The misuse of the privilege of the legal process in order to vilify others etc etc

Q: What was the name of the case in which this definition was made?

A: Bennett v Southwark LBC [2002] I.C.R. 881

OR

Q: What is the definition of 'royal fish'?

A: The sturgeon, porpoise and whale only, not salmon or lamprey.

Q: Quote both the sources.

A: Hale, De Jure Maris ch.7 / Blackstone 1 Com 290

Using the Library Catalogue

Questions will depend on your own collection. I usually ask them to find the book on the catalogue, then question one is: What is the classmark? and for question two they will need to retrieve the book from the shelves (an underrated skill!). Then there is a follow up question. Below are the books I've used in the past with the follow up question in brackets:

Incoterms 2010. (Q: What does buyer obligation B1 state in the Free Carrier rules? A: The buyer must pay the price as provided in the contract of sale).

Neighbours and the Law (Pugh-Smith). (Q: How high can a hedge legally be? A: 2 metres ).

Law of Mobile Homes and Caravans (Clayden). (Q: Legally, what is the difference between a caravan and a mobile home? A: There isn't one.)

Licensed Premises (Kolvin). (Q: What is the agreed definition of binge drinking? A: There isn't one).