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 of the 2022 Sopinka Cup:
Best opening: Mark Browne – University of New Brunswick
Best closing: Julie Grivel – University of Alberta
Best examination-in-chief: Benjamin Charlebois – Western University
Best cross-examination: Jenna Bragg – University of Saskatchewan
Best overall advocate: Mark Browne – University of New Brunswick
First place: University of Ottawa (Civil Law French)
Second place: University of Saskatchewan
Third place: University of New Brunswick