TRU Law students competed in 10 moot court competitions across Canada and the United States during the 2024–25 school year.
In October 2024, TRU Law finished fourth at the National Sports Law Negotiation Moot and had notable results at four other moots this year. This is the first of a two-part overview of this year’s moot competitions.
The Wilson Moot team, left to right: Christopher Weibe, Saijal Patel, Adam Richert, Lucas O’Fee and John Hawthorne
Wilson Moot
TRU Law received the Top Factum prize for the second year in a row at the Wilson Moot, held in Toronto on February 21–22. This year’s team included John Hawthorne, Lucas O’Fee, Saijal Patel, Adam Richert and Christopher Weibe.
The 2025 Wilson Moot focused on a hypothetical scenario where a province implemented a universal basic income scheme. Following an election, the new government reduced the payments. The case examined possible violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms arising from to the decrease in payments.
Coaches of the Wilson Moot were: Sergio Ortega, Brodie Noga, Jayne Mayfield, Karin Kotliarsky and Simone Penny.
Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada
The Hockey Arbitration moot team, left to right: Cassidy Bell and Charlotte Hutchinson
TRU Law made it to the semifinals of the Hockey Arbitration Competition of Canada (HACC). The HACC took place in Toronto on February 15–16. This year’s team included Charlotte Hutchinson and Cassidy Bell.
The HACC focuses on National Hockey League salary arbitration. Teams are required to represent either an NHL player or an NHL team, and then argue for the appropriate salary for a player who is up for salary arbitration.
Bell found the competition to be “an incredible opportunity to see behind the scenes and gain insight into the world of NHL salary arbitration.”
Hutchinson noted that preparing for the arbitration was a lot of work, but she “couldn’t be happier that we put ourselves through it.” She said it was one of the highlights of law school for her, and that it was “so much fun to present our arguments and feel the months work pay off as we progressed through the competition.”
Coaches of the HACC team were: Michael Geib, Tiana Reid and Dylan Taylor.
BC Law Schools Moot
The BC Law Schools Moot team, left to right: Adam Yates, Kirah Janzen, Daniela Schulz, Danna Houssain and Maedeh Esmaillu
Sponsored by Rush Ihas Hardwick LLP, the BC Law Schools Moot is a competition between the province’s three law schools. The moot took place in Victoria on February 8, in front of sitting judges of the BC courts. This year’s team included Maedeh Esmaillu, Danna Houssain, Kirah Janzen, Daniela Schulz and Adam Yates.
The 2025 BC Law Schools Moot focused on a commercial dispute. Namely, the problem involved the ending of a lease agreement, and the duty of a landlord to mitigate damages caused by the early termination of a lease.
The team found the experience of presenting before a panel of sitting judges to be insightful, and they were grateful for the experience.
Coaches of the BC Law Schools Moot were: Danielle Ching McNamee and Catharine Bisbicis.
MacIntyre Cup
TRU Law sent a team to the MacIntyre Cup, which took place in Winnipeg on February 14–15.
The MacIntyre Cup team, left to right: Alex Gould and Brynn Pedlow
The MacIntyre Cup is a trial advocacy moot, where students engage in all aspects of trial advocacy such as examining and cross-examining witnesses, entering evidence, and presenting opening and closing arguments. This year’s team included Alex Gould and Brynn Pedlow.
Gould said the moot challenged him to set out of his comfort zone, which taught him to think on his feet and trust his intuition in high-pressure situations. Pedlow found the opportunity to develop practical courtroom skills to be valuable. Both were also highly complementary of their coaches.
Coaches of the MacIntyre Cup team were: Kelly Melnyk, Lana Walker and Iain Currie.
Jessup International Law Moot
The Jessup Moot team, left to right: Elizabeth Carney, Joshua Harrick, Alex Howman, Luke Conkin and Jacob Benson
Sponsored by Gillespie and Company LLP, the Jessup International Law Moot was held in Ottawa, February 20 to 22. TRU Law’s team, along with other competitors, focussed on international legal issues.
This year’s problem focused on what happens to maritime boundaries when a coastline recedes, and immunity for government officials accused of grave violations of human rights, amongst other issues. This year’s team included Jacob Benson, Elizabeth Carney, Luke Conkin, Joshua Harrick and Alex Howman.
Carney found that getting insight into international law changed the way she thinks about law — for the better. Harrick appreciated the networking experiences and the opportunity to work and laugh alongside four of the most talented law students he has ever met. Conkin found that “preparing for the Jessup is like navigating a rally car race through untouched wilderness. You know the start and finish, but with no clear paths to follow, mapping the best route is up to you and your team.”
Coaches of the Jessup Moot were: Alex Devitt and Natasha Little.
TRU Law is grateful for the support of the Sherman Jen Fund, the TRU Students Union and donors to the Lance Finch Memorial fund for making the travel to all of these moot competitions possible.
