University of Guelph-Humber

Written by fourth-year University of Guelph-Humber Justice Studies student, Ruth Oudit.

On March 8th and 9th, 2024, I had the privilege of representing the University of Guelph-Humber at the 20th annual Osgoode Cup Moot Competition, hosted by Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario where seventeen schools were represented from across the country. As Canada’s largest and longest-running undergraduate mooting competition, the Osgoode Cup is full of opportunities to foster oral advocacy skills, network with legal professionals, and connect with passionate advocates from other schools across the country. 

Since 2005, hundreds of undergraduate students continue to compete each year for Canada’s most esteemed undergraduate mooting championship. Participants compete in pairs, presenting on behalf of the appellant or respondent in a recent Supreme Court of Canada case. Each pair presents their submissions to a panel of judges comprised of lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals. The judges evaluate the mooters based on their understanding of the law, knowledge of the case, proficiency in oral advocacy, and ability to respond to impromptu questions from the bench during their presentations. 

On the second day of the competition, the top 16 teams from day one advance to a bracket-style knockout round. After the elimination rounds, one winning team will emerge from the initial 16 teams, crowned as the Osgoode Cup champions. I am happy to announce that three of our teams advanced to the second day.

Alongside my dedicated partner, Navid Aseer, I made it through four intense rounds, faced with thought-provoking questions from judges. Our hard work and dedication paid off as we proudly placed sixth out of 108 teams, advancing to the second day of the competition, and placing as double quarterfinalists. Our achievements are due to the unwavering support from the Guelph-Humber Pre-Law Society moot team.

I commend my teammates, Jenny Trang, Serena Allidina, Kate Hilton, Julia Does, Ashon Vaz, and Emily Moore, for their relentless dedication and passion. Notably, after placing sixteenth on the first day and advancing to day two of the competition, Jenny and Serena's exceptional performance landed them a spot in the finals. They made history for the Guelph-Humber community, as this is the furthest a Guelph-Humber team has placed in the Osgoode Cup. 

Moreover, Kate and Julia, who placed fifteenth out of 108 teams on day one, showcased their skills and determination and placed as quarterfinalists on day two. As Pre-Law Society executives for the 2024-2025 school year, Kate and Julia strive to expand the moot team and look forward to participating in more moot competitions.

Additionally, first-time mooters Ashon and Emily demonstrated remarkable growth and commitment. Their participation in the competition contributed to our team's collective achievement. As one of the Vice Presidents of Moot Training, it was my honour to see their progress over the past month. Ashon and Emily are excited to compete in future moot competitions and hone their oral advocacy skills.

Reflecting on my experience at the Osgoode Cup, I am so grateful for the chance to cultivate my skills. Over the past year and a half, I have competed in four competitions, placing as a finalist, quarterfinalist, and double quarterfinalist, and earning Distinguished Advocate awards for my performance. Throughout this journey, I had the utmost pleasure of learning from my co-executives, Jenny, Serena, Navid, and our current Vice President of Communications, Rebecca Adam.

Despite the never-ending nerves throughout the day, the countless hours of preparation coming to fruition and reconnecting with friends across Canada made every moment worthwhile. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the University of Guelph-Humber and make history alongside my extraordinary teammates. 

Although my undergraduate moot journey has come to an end, I look forward to mooting in law school.

Team highlights:

• Out of 108 teams, only sixteen teams advanced to the second day of the competition; three of those sixteen teams were from the University of Guelph-Humber.
• Navid Aseer and Ruth Oudit: 6th out of 108 teams; ended as double quarter finalists on day two.
• Jenny Trang and Serena Allidina: 16th out of 108 teams; ended as finalists on day two.
• Kate Hilton and Julia Does: 15th out of 108 teams; ended as quarterfinalists on day two.
• Ashon Vaz and Emily Moore: These first-time mooters did not advance to day two, but showed tremendous growth!