Trial Moots
Trial moots give students vital experience perfecting the analytical, research and writing skills they will need to practice law. The Advocates’ Society is thrilled to administer two important trial moots, giving Canadian law students the chance to formulate arguments and express them in front of members of the bench.
The Arnup Cup
The Arnup Cup is an annual trial advocacy competition for Ontario law schools, organized by The Advocates’ Society and generously sponsored by WeirFoulds LLP. The Cup bears the name of the Honourable John D. Arnup, O.C., Q.C., who for many years sat as a distinguished member of the Court of Appeal for Ontario following a career as one of Canada’s finest litigation counsel.
First held in 1988, the Arnup Cup has increased in prominence over the years. Teams from each of Ontario’s law schools participate in trials held in a Toronto courtroom and presided over by judges of the Superior Court of Justice. Senior members of The Advocates’ Society act as assessors. The teams vie for the right to represent the province in the prestigious Sopinka Cup, Canada’s national trial advocacy competition, held annually in Ottawa.
Congratulations to the Winning Teams!
 |
| From left to right: Robert Goddard (Coach); Mark Lerner (TAS President); Zoe Marszewski Paliare (Arnup Winner); Robert Thomson (Arnup Winner); The Honourable Edward F. Then, Regional Senior Judge for Toronto Region, Superior Court of Justice; Jermir Punthakey (Coach). |
2012
Winners
Robert Thomson
Zoe Marszewski Paliare
Queen’s University Faculty of Law
Coaches: Robert Goddard and Jermir Punthakey
Second Place
Blair Siemens
Matthew Hickey
University of Western Ontario Faculty of Law
Coaches: Doug Ferguson and Jason Voss
2011Winners Dorothy Charach Eric Pellegrino Osgoode Hall Law School Coaches: Moiz Rahman and Jonathan Rosenthal
Second Place Andrea MacGillivray Ryan Truax University of Windsor Coach: Scott Kerwin |
2010Winners Mark Rieger Joseph Heller University of Toronto
Second Place Jeff LaPorte Eric Costaris University of Windsor |
Sponsored by:
The Sopinka Cup
The Honourable Justice John Sopinka was a multi-talented person. An outstanding lawyer, teacher, author, expert in law of evidence, concert violinist and played for the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL, he became one of Canada’s foremost trial and appellate advocates. He was counsel in many high-profile and renowned cases, and one of the few lawyers to be appointed directly from practice to the Supreme Court of Canada, where he quickly established himself as one of the country’s most distinguished judges.
Following his untimely death in November 1997, The American College of Trial Lawyers honoured its former member by joining his family, colleagues and associates to develop the annual Sopinka Cup competition, inaugurated in 1999 as the national trial advocacy competition for Canadian law schools. A fund created with generous donations from the American College, law firms, former associates and friends across Canada provides annual financial support. The Advocates’ Society assumed the role of competition administrator in 2003.
Congratulations to the Winning Teams!
 |
| From left to right: Ashley Smith (coach), Andrea Johnson, Riley Potter, Jared Epp, The Honourable Marshall E. Rothstein, Melanie Sopinka, and Lauren Ignacz. |
2012
Winners
Lauren Ignacz
Jared Epp
University of Saskatchewan
Coaches: Ashley Smith
Second Place
Anna Kontsedalova
Molly Shamess
University of British Columbia
Coach: Karima Andani
Best Overall Advocate: Zoe Marszewski Paliare, Queen's University
2011
Winners
Evan Thompson
Jason Demers
University of Saskatchewan
Coaches: Ashley Smith
Second Place
Andrea MacGillivray
Ryan Truax
University of Windsor
Coach: Scott Kerwin
Best Overall Advocate: Evan Thompson, University of Saskatchewan
2010
Winners:
Renée Blanchard
Richard Deveau
Université de Moncton
2nd place:
Ryan Lepage
Yana Sobiski
University of Saskatchewan
Best Overall Advocate: Ryan Lepage, University of Saskatchewan
2010 Sopinka Cup
2009
Winners:
Laura McPheeters
George Roper
University of British Columbia
2nd place:
Alison Cathcart
David Ireland
University of Manitoba
Best Overall Advocate: David Ireland, University of Manitoba
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