News

When: January 30-February 1, 2026
Where: Toronto, Ontario
Team Members: Andrew Dogurga, Joshua Langston, Jazmyne McLaughlin, and Philip Biyi Taiwo
Coaches: Brandon Rolle and Lee Seshagiri

Congratulations to Schulich Law students Andrew Dogurga, Joshua Langston, Jazmyne McLaughlin and Philip Biyi Taiwo on their top-notch performances at this year鈥檚 Julius Alexander Isaac Moot, which took place in Toronto from January 30 to February 1, 2026.

The Isaac Moot is named after Julius Alexander Isaac, the first Black judge to sit on the Federal Court of Canada. It was established by the Black Law Students鈥� Association of Canada and focuses on areas of law where equity, diversity, and issues of racism arise, often incorporating elements of Critical Race Theory (CRT) into the problem.

This year鈥檚 moot problem was based on R. v. Murray, where Justice F. Mirza concluded that police had engaged in racist mistreatment of a driver during a traffic stop.

Dogurga and McLaughlin successfully argued for the respondent side, defeating the University of Toronto in the final round at the Ontario Court of Appeal. Both students were nominated for Top Advocate, with Dogurga taking home the Top Oralist prize. The appellant team of Langston and Taiwo also had a strong showing and were nominated for the Top Advocate and Spirit of the Moot awards, respectively.

鈥淚t was a real pleasure to work with this group of incredibly talented and insightful future lawyers,鈥� share coaches Brandon Rolle (JD '09) and Lee Seshagiri (LLB '06). 鈥淭he students worked as a team and showed impressive improvement from practice rounds to the final competition. Philip and Joshua made the most of an incredibly challenging Crown argument, while Andrew and Jazmyne connected with the judges through evocative, articulate, and effective oral submissions. We are thrilled with their performances!鈥�

When: January 30-February 1, 2026
Where: Toronto, Ontario
Team Members: Mikaleigh Cairns and Jared Christopher
Coaches: Gus Richardson and Andrew Taillon 

The 28th National Labour Arbitration Competition, hosted by Mathews, Dinsdale & Clarke LLP, took place from January 30-February 1 at the offices of the Ontario Labour Relations Board in Toronto.

This moot requires teams to participate in two rounds of mock arbitration, arguing once for both the union and the employer sides. The scenario grounding this year鈥檚 competition concerned questions arising from the duty to accommodate: the employer鈥檚 duty to enquire, its duty to accommodate to the point of undue hardship, and the varying obligations of three parties 鈥� employer, union, and griever 鈥� to cooperate in seeking and finding accommodation.

The Schulich School of Law faced off against Queen's University and the University of British Columbia in the first two rounds, ultimately meeting the University of Toronto in the final before a panel of judges that included the Labour Board Chairs of British Columbia and Ontario, as well as Justice Eileen E. Gillese of the Ontario Court of Appeal. 

鈥淢ikaleigh and Jaden鈥檚 performances were spectacular,鈥� says coach Gus Richardson. "Their presentations made significant impressions on both the judges and members of the audience, many of whom were from the local labour and employment law sectors."

Fellow coach and part-time Schulich Law faculty member Andrew Taillon (LLB 鈥�06, LLM 鈥�16), says he was happy to return to the moot after taking part 20 years ago as a law student. 鈥淲orking with Gus was a great experience, as was the opportunity to coach two amazing students.鈥�

A special thank you to Pink Larkin and McInnes Cooper, who assessed the team's employer-side arguments and union-side submissions, respectively, and provided the students with invaluable feedback.

When: February 13-14, 2026
Where: Fredericton, New Brunswick
Team Members: Adrian Colbert, Evan Jennex, Maheen Nadeem, and Galen Tweedale
Coaches: Brian Casey, Kathryn Pich茅, and Jeremy Smith

The Schulich School of Law had a strong showing at the 27th McKelvey Cup hosted by the University of New Brunswick (UNB).

The Stewart McKelvey-sponsored competition is a trial moot in which students do a mock jury trial. Each student prepares a direct examination and a cross-examination, as well as a jury address. The competition is then judged by that jury, which this year included lawyers from New Brunswick and Chief Justice Richard of the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

On Friday, the Schulich Law Crown team of Adrian Colbert and Galen Tweedale prosecuted Mark Johnston for attempted murder, with the team from UNB defending. On Saturday, Schulich Law students Evan Jennex and Maheen Nadeem defended Johnston against the Crown team from Universit茅 de Moncton (U de M). UNB ultimately defeated U de M in the final and were named champions of the competition.

"One of the challenges of trial work is dealing with the unexpected," says coach Brian Casey, KC. "It was great seeing that our students could pivot when the witnesses presented unexpected versions of the events while testifying."

The McKelvey Cup is the regional competition for the Sopinka Cup. The winning team will go on to represent Atlantic Canada in Ottawa at the national moot in March.

When: February 14, 2026
Where: Toronto, Ontario
Team Members: Chaeyon Lee and Graham Muise
Coach: Sara Seck

The 2026 Willms & Shier Environmental Law Moot took place on February 14 at the Federal Court in Toronto.

Teams representing 12 law schools from across Canada mooted an appeal of the Ontario Court of Justice Decision in R. v. Consolidated Homes Ltd., an appeal of a conviction under the Ontario Endangered Species Act for allegedly damaging the habitat of a threatened species, namely the Blanding's turtle.

Arguments centered around statutory interpretation and the need to reconcile the Crown's burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt in regulatory prosecutions, with the challenge of meeting evidentiary thresholds when attempting to prove that a habitat is a habitat of a species that is increasingly rare, and so less likely to be seen due to its at-risk status.鈥嬧��

The Schulich School of Law was represented by Chaeyon Lee and Graham Muise, arguing first as the appellant and then as the respondent. While the team did not advance beyond the first rounds, both students were well-deserved recipients of Distinguished Oralist Awards.

The final round featured teams from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the University of Victoria, with the UBC team emerging victorious in a close contest.

鈥淥n behalf of myself and both students, I would like to extend our sincere appreciation to volunteers Erin Dobbelsteyn, Tina Northrup, Emma Peckham, and Elizabeth Tuscano, who offered their insights during rounds,鈥� says Seck.

When: February 20-21, 2026
Where: Toronto, Ontario
Team Members: Jasneet Butter, Davin Caratao, Jessica Duffney, and Ewan MacLean
Coach: Brendan Peters

The Schulich School of Law continued its streak of excellence at this year鈥檚 Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property (IP) Moot with outstanding performances by Jasneet Butter and Ewan MacLean, who represented the appellants, and Davin Caratao and Jessica Duffney, who represented the respondent.

The 18^th annual Harold G. Fox IP Moot problem focused on unsettled law regarding the patentability of computer systems and the availability of non-infringing options for disgorgement in an accounting-of-profits analysis in patent infringement. It was recognized by moot judges as one of the most challenging problems they had encountered at this competition.

Nevertheless, Caratao and Duffney wowed the judges with their capacity to handle tough questions while staying on track, and Butter and MacLean earned the Gordon F. Henderson Award as runner-up for Best Appellant Factum.

鈥淚 am incredibly proud to have seen each team member come into their own at the moot, especially when you take into consideration that these students pumped out such a high-quality product having never taken a single IP course prior,鈥� says coach Brendan Peters. 鈥淚 am blessed to have watched these exemplary law students grow so much in so little time and to have been supported by a roster of benevolent practice judges who gave so many of their evenings to help build this team into what it became.鈥�

When: February 19-21, 2026
Where: Ottawa, Ontario
Team Members: Meggie Chamandy, Shawn Courtney, Anna Doyle, and Gen Ferguson
Coach: Professor Rob Currie and Sarah MacLeod

The Canadian rounds of the 2026 Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, hosted by the Canadian Council on International Law, were held in Ottawa from February 19-21.

The competition involved a hypothetical dispute between two fictitious countries, Alekostria and Restovia, in a case brought before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The issues involved matters of procedure before the ICJ, Indigenous participation in large-scale extraction projects, extradition in a potential 鈥榙ouble jeopardy鈥� situation, and state immunity.

Appellants Anna Doyle and Gen Ferguson mooted against students from three other law schools, while Meggie Chamandy and Shawn Courtney did the same as respondents. While the teams ultimately did not advance to the final rounds, they performed with poise and great ability, earning praise and compliments from several of their judges, many of whom are international law practitioners, members of the judiciary, and practicing Jessup alumni.

鈥淲hile the Jessup Moot always has fun and interesting facts, in the end it鈥檚 a chance for our students to engage with the fundamentals of international law and constructively use these tools to help resolve contentious international disputes,鈥� say coaches Rob Currie and Sarah MacLeod. 鈥淭he Schulich Law team performed admirably, absorbing an enormous amount of material in a short period of time, preparing written memorials, and making effective arguments before several different panels of volunteer judges. We are very, very proud of them.鈥�

The team would like to thank the many practice judges who gave their time in the weeks leading up to the competition.

When: March 6-7, 2026
Where: Toronto, Ontario
Team Members: Joshua Hutchinson, Mitchell Macdonald, Jaron Rykiss, and Nicole Wickenberg
Coach: Professor Colin Jackson

Congratulations to the Schulich School of Law team on a strong showing at the Donald G.H. Bowman National Tax Moot which took place at the Federal Courts Building in Toronto from March 6-7.

The moot problem had the students argue whether a particular money-losing contract should be considered a 鈥渂usiness鈥� and therefore a 鈥渟ource of income鈥� under the Income Tax Act, a topic that has troubled tax judges for over a century.

Joshua Hutchinson and Jaron Rykiss formed the appellant team while Mitchell Macdonald and Nicole Wickenberg argued for the respondent. While Queen鈥檚 came away with the victory this year, the four Schulich Law students performed incredibly well.

鈥淭he students鈥� extensive preparation paid off at the competition, as they handled challenges thrown their way with aplomb,鈥� says coach and Schulich Law Associate Professor Colin Jackson. 鈥淚鈥檓 tremendously pleased with our team who worked hard and earned praise from the judges for both their written and oral submissions.鈥�

A special thank you to President Kim Brooks (and her Principles of Taxation class), retired Tax Court Justice Steven D鈥橝rcy, third-year student Will Chisholm, and many members of the local tax Bar 鈥� not to mention a pair of Dal alumni in Toronto 鈥� for their support.