Mooting + Competitions
Moots — mock court trials — and other skills-based competitions are a key part of law school. They present students with the opportunity to develop their advocacy skills, confidence and knowledge in an environment that closely replicates legal practice. The ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s mooting opportunities are fully funded, ensuring there is no barrier to participation.
Why Moot?
In these prestigious competitions, you gain hands-on experience with courtroom advocacy and legal writing, while receiving invaluable feedback from your coaches and moot court judges.
On top of building practical skills, mooting is a perfect way to make friends, build connections with local lawyers who serve as coaches and meet law students from across the country.
“Mooting builds a skillset that is useful whether or not you become a litigator. When I started, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it, and it ended up being the most important part of my law school career. Mooting gave me confidence that I didn’t know I had, and showed me what I was capable of.”
Mooting at the U of A
The Faculty of Law provides support for students for every part of the mooting process, including:
- One-on-one coaching and mentorship
- Travel opportunities around the country
- Full funding for all costs associated with participation
U of A Moots
At the U of A, all first-year students participate in mooting as part of their Legal Research and Writing program. We are proud to host two internal faculty moots for U of A students each year.
Right Honourable Beverley McLachlin Moot
Mentored by upper-year students, all first-year law students participate in this winter term moot, which culminates in the top two teams facing each other in the final round before a panel of judges from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s courts
Brimacombe Moot
The Brimacombe Selection Round is a moot held every September. It is open to second- and third-year students who are applying to join a competitive moot team.
National + International Mooting Competitions
Each year, U of A law students compete in provincial, national and international moot competitions, with a long history of outstanding results.
We are proud to offer more than 20 different mooting and other competitive opportunities to students throughout the year. Competitions include:
The Wilson Moot was created to honour the outstanding contribution to Canadian law made by Supreme Court judge, the Honourable Bertha Wilson, and explores legal issues concerning women and minorities.
The Gale Cup competition is one of Canada's oldest and most prestigious moots. In this moot, the problem the students tackle is usually related to a recent Supreme Court of Canada criminal law decision.
The MacIntyre regional competition is the Western Canadian qualifying round for the Sopinka Cup Trial Moot, which focuses on trial advocacy.
The Canadian Client Counselling Competition is focused on developing students' interviewing and counselling skills, key skills for legal practice.
Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot
The Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot is a non-competitive moot that asks teams to make their cases in accordance with concepts such as peaceful negotiation and consensus building in the context of Indigenous customs and law, with the guidance of Indigenous facilitators and an Elder.
Applying to a Mooting Team
Second- and third-year students can apply to join a competitive mooting team. To apply:
- Read the Moot Manual
- Complete your Competitive Moots Application Form
- Attend the Moot Information Session in the fall, or speak to the coach specific to the moot. Registration for Law 598: Moot Court Competition occurs after selection.
Contact Us
Christopher Samuel (he/him)
Director, Legal Research and Writing Program
473 Law Centre
¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥
Edmonton, AB T6G 2H5