UNB Law's mooting
programs allow students to develop their written
and oral advocacy skills and argue cases in front
of practicing judges and lawyers.
First Year Moot
Each first year student participates in a moot
court as part of the Fundamentals of Advocacy
course. Moots involve four students, two representing
the appellant and two representing the respondent.
Students choose their own partners but a random
draw determines which teams will moot against
each other. Teams submit a written factum and
book of the legal authorities on which they are
relying preparatory to the oral presentations.
Each moot is judged by a bench of three individuals,
usually a practitioner, a law professor and a
third year law student.
Upper Year Moots
UNB participates in several national and international
competitive moots. There is also an in-house,
upper year moot. Students apply to participate
in these moots in the spring. The faculty advisors
meet towards the beginning of July of each year
and, equipped with the student's G.P.A., ranking,
year in law school and moot mark, select representatives
for the team for which they are responsible. The
selection process is similar to a professional
sports draft where each team selects one member
in rotation until each team's complement has been
satisfied. Traditionally, academic standing has
been the predominant criterion for competitive
moot selection. Information on the competitive
moot application process will be posted in the
spring. Students are reminded to take note of
the strict application deadline.
Harrison Shield Moot
The school's most prestigious in-house moot
is limited to third year students.
Trilateral Moot
The Trilateral Moot involves competition with
the University of Maine and Dalhousie University.
Gale Cup Moot
This national moot involves a criminal law
issue recently decided by the Supreme Court of
Canada. The moot is sponsored by the Ontario Bar
Association and is held at the Osgoode Hall courthouse
in downtown Toronto.
Laskin Memorial Moot
This is a national administrative law moot,
in which at least one UNB representative moots
in French.
Jessup Moot
This is the leading international law moot.
The Canadian Round is part of a US-based competition
typically involving teams from 50 - 70 states.
Canadian winners enter an international finals
competition in Washington, DC.
McKelvey/Sopinka Cup Moot
The Sopinka Cup Moot is a trial moot sponsored
by the American College of Trial Lawyers. Mooters
examine and cross-examine witnesses and deliver
opening and closing addresses to a jury of evaluators
made up of judges and lawyers. UNB competes against
University of Moncton and Dalhousie University
for the McKelvey Cup (named in honour of E. Neil
McKelvey, Q.C. of the Law firm Stewart McKelvey
Stirling Scales.) The winner of the regional competition
travels to Ottawa to compete nationally for the
Sopinka Cup. Students must write a substantial
paper on an issue related to current trial practice.
Limited to students who have successfully completed
not less than sixty credit hours of courses taken
for credit towards their law degree.
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