Many law students do not encounter the word “moot” until they enter law school. At first, it can certainly be an intimidating endeavour. After their first moot competition, some students may never touch another one again. But others may become absorbed in it, dedicating hours to mooting throughout their law school careers.
From 28 to 30 October, many of Osgoode’s 1L students got their first taste of mooting through the Lerners Cup, a three-day moot competition sponsored by Lerners LLP. Participation is exclusively for 1L students, and with ninety-seven participating teams, this year’s Lerners Cup saw a record-breaking turnout. For our coverage of the competition, Eric Charters, President of the Osgoode Mooting Society, also shared valuable insights into the Lerners Cup and mooting.
The year’s case was an appeal of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in Groia v. The Law Society of Upper Canada. Charters explained that the Mooting Society chose Groia because, for 1L students, it would be “intelligible without [yet] having a super in-depth knowledge of the law.” It covers topics that 1Ls have been introduced to through the Ethical Lawyering in a Global Community course. We’ve already started turning our minds to consider the role of zealous advocacy in the legal profession, which is a core part of the case. Additionally, Groia is a case where with strong policy arguments, the actual law is reasonably digestible, and the judgements are written clearly and well-organized. These reasons are why the Osgoode Mooting Society selected this case—it ensured that the competition’s main focus remained on students practicing their oral advocacy. This year’s judges consisted of 2L and 3L students, along with a few special appearances from Osgoode alumni filling out the roster.
Many 1Ls expressed that while they were nervous going into the competition and are relieved it’s done, they are grateful for the experience and felt it was an excellent learning opportunity. This growth and development in one’s legal skills is truly what mooting is all about. According to Charters, mooting is “one of the better environments to develop core skills [such as advocacy] that are applicable across every practice area.”
While some experiential learning opportunities involve working directly with real people and real cases, mooting is a space to try out risky and innovative arguments without the risk of impacting a real client. It’s a fun and empowering opportunity to advance your lawyering skills.
Obiter Dicta would like to extend huge congratulations to the winners of this year’s Lerners Cup, Zakir Kassam and Nikesh Mehta-Spooner from Section D, as well as all of the students who participated. The first semester has been nothing short of a busy time, and undertaking this nerve-wracking commitment in the midst of it is admirable. The judges and Osgoode Mooting Society consistently expressed throughout the competition how impressed they were with the students’ performances and how proud all the 1Ls should be. And a shout-out to the Osgoode Mooting Society for another fantastic year of Lerners!
So to my fellow 1Ls: we’ve done it. Now what? For some, this will be the end of our mooting journey, and for others, it’s just the start. There will be ongoing opportunities to become involved and many other reasons to do so beyond practicing oral advocacy. I had never mooted before this competition and found it to be such a thrill. It’s something that I think all Osgoode students should give a shot at. You may (as I did) really discover something amazing in it, leaving you feeling empowered and excited for the road of legal practice ahead.
As Eric Charters said, when it comes to mooting, “some people will love it and they just don’t know that yet.” We can hope that members of the 1L class discovered this love for mooting during the Lerners Cup.