Alberta Court of Appeal Moot, an appellate level moot competition between the Universities of Alberta and Calgary. It consists of three moots in the areas of criminal law, civil law (contract, property, or tort law), and constitutional law.
University of Alberta and University of Calgary ACA mooting teams, with the Hon. Patricia Rowbotham of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, the Hon. M.A. McCorquodale, Provincial Court of Alberta, and Hon. W.A. Tilleman, Court of Queen's Bench
On March 1 and 2, 2013, in Calgary, Curtis Steeves and Samantha Labahn (Criminal), Joshua Allen and Jordan Wray (Constitutional), and Alysha Rozon and Kathleen Kenny (Civil) competed against the University of Calgary in the Alberta Court of Appeal Moot.
Curtis Steeves and Samantha Labahn (Criminal Law Moot) argued R v JA, 2011 SCC 28, for the respondent before a bench composed of The Honourable Patricia Rowbotham of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, Mr. Eric Tolppanen Q.C, from Alberta Justice, and Mr. Michael Wylie of Norton Rose Canada LLP. Joshua Allen and Jordan Wray (Constitutional Law Moot) argued Reference Re Securities Act, 2011 SCC 66 for the respondent before The Honourable B.K. O'Ferrall of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, Mr. Eric Tolppanen Q.C. from Alberta Justice, and Ms. Letha MacLachlan Q.C. from the Environmental & Resources Law firm. Alysha Rozon and Kathleen Kenny (Civil Law Moot) argued Reece v Edmonton (City), 2011 ABCA 238, for the appellant before The Honourable Patricia Rowbotham of the Court of Appeal of Alberta, The Honourable W.A. Tilleman of the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, and The Honourable M.A. McCorquodale of the Provincial Court of Alberta.
All of the U of A Law mooters performed extremely well and earned high praise from panels of judges composed of members of the Alberta Court of Appeal, Court of Queen's Bench, and Provincial Court. The U of A Law students were professional, polished, and fine ambassadors of our school. We were proud to be associated with them. Although the U of A Law team did not win the ACA Moot competition, it looks forward to renewing its hard-fought rivalry with U of C when the moot returns to Edmonton next year.
The ACA mooters and coaches would like to give thanks to Vice Dean Law, Stella Varvis, Melissa Hartley, Sandra Teves, Renee Hunt, Kim Cordeiro and Katherine Thompson, for their work and support behind the scenes. They would also like to thank the following professors and members of the profession who generously gave of their time and expertise in helping us to prepare for the competition: Professor Gail Henderson, Professor Peter Carver, Professor Steven Penney, Professor Barbara Billingsley, Professor Cameron Hutchison, Professor Ubaka Ogbogu, Steve Phipps, Christine Enns, QC, and Margaret Unsworth, QC. Many thanks to all who helped, and congratulations to the U of A Law mooters on a job well done at the ACA Moot competiton.
2013 ACA Moot Coaches reactions:
(l-r) Alysha Rozon (2L), coach Professor Averie McNary, and Kathleen Kenny (2L)
"Being a moot coach can be extremely rewarding. Mooting is intensive - in a few short months students are challenged to learn new substantive law, procedural law, and advance their skills in advocacy, research, teamwork and project planning. Because it is one on one, a coach gets to directly contribute to - and to immediately observe - the growth in students' skills and knowledge. Katie and Alysha rose to the challenges. They demonstrated impressive learning on all fronts - they tackled an entirely novel legal question involving the status of Lucy the Edmonton Zoo elephant (which the moot judges acknowledged as a particularly complex case), they worked as a team in creating a polished factum and oral presentation, their preparedness meant they showed confidence under fire of judges' questions. I was well rewarded by the experience. I hope they were as well." ~ Professor Averie McNary, ACA Civil Law Moot coach.
(l-r) Samantha Labahn (2L), coach Professor Ron Hopp, and Curtis Steeves (2L)
"I can say that they were earnest, took the process seriously and doubtless enjoyed and benefited from their experience." ~ Professor Ron Hopp, ACA Criminal Law Moot coach.
(l-r) Joshua Allen (2L), coach Professor Eric Adams, and Jordan Wray (2L)
"Who wouldn't want to spend three months obsessing about the constitutional implications of the national regulation of capital markets? My mooters, Joshua Allen and Jordan Wray developed into very fine oral advocates over the course of our preparation. They met every challenge with hard work and vast improvement. In the process, they found their own unique and effective advocacy styles. In short, they began to take their first steps as litigators. I was immeasurably pleased at the chance to work with both of them." ~ Professor Eric Adams, ACA Constitutional Law Moot coach
Click here to read the interviews with the 2013 ACA Moot team.