Call for applications: Moot Coaches

The Faculty of Law at McGill is welcoming applications from legal professionals to coach our teams of students for the following competitive moots:

• The Julius Alexander Isaac Moot (appellate advocacy on issues affecting equity-seeking communities);
• The Tort Law Moot Competition (tort law, insurance law, health law);
• The Wilson Moot (constitutional and Charter issues, equality law).

Coaching a moot is a rewarding experience that allows you to contribute to the practical and professional training of the next generation of jurists, and give back to your alma mater. Because the competitive moots will shortly get underway, we invite you to express your interest as soon as possible by email to brittany.williams [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Moot%20Coach%20Application) (Brittany Williams), with cle.law [at] mcgill.ca in copy.

About the Julius Alexander Isaac Moot

The Faculty of Law at McGill is seeking two legal professionals to coach the Faculty's team for the Julius Alexander Isaac Moot, a competitive, for-credit moot administered by the Black Law Students' Association of Canada. The McGill team is composed of four upper-year law students. The moot is named after Julius Alexander Isaac, the first Black judge appointed to the Federal Court of Canada, and has focused since 2008 on legal issues related to equity and diversity, often incorporating critical race theory and questions of systemic discrimination into the moot problem.

Historically held at the Ontario Court of Appeal in Toronto, the Isaac Moot provides students with an opportunity to develop appellate advocacy skills before panels that have included judges from the Supreme Court of Canada, the Ontario Court of Appeal, and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The competition is widely recognized for fostering thoughtful engagement with issues affecting equity-seeking communities and for connecting students with legal professionals and judges from across Canada.

Coaches are invited to support students through factum review, oral advocacy preparation, moot practices, and strategic discussions throughout the academic year.

About the Tort Law Moot Competition

The Faculty of Law at McGill is seeking one or two legal professionals with experience or interest in civil litigation, insurance law, health law, or tort law to coach the Faculty's team for the Tort Law Moot Competition (Tort Moot).

The Tort Moot is designed to promote excellence in advocacy in the fields of tort, insurance, and health law. The competition encourages students to engage with practical and unsettled legal issues while developing their written and oral advocacy skills. The moot also provides participants with opportunities to appear before jurists and receive feedback from experienced litigators.

The competition is a collaborative initiative involving law schools with Common law degrees, the Ontario Bar Association Insurance Law Section, and members of the Bar and Bench. In addition to preparing written submissions, students participate in multiple rounds of oral argument and benefit greatly from coaches who can share practical litigation insights and advocacy techniques.

Coaches will work closely with students throughout the year to review written materials, conduct practice moots, refine oral arguments, and help the team prepare for competition rounds held in February.

About the Wilson Moot 

The Faculty of Law at McGill is seeking two legal professionals to coach the Faculty's team for the Wilson Moot, one of Canada's premier moots focusing on constitutional and Charter issues.

Named in honour of Justice Bertha Wilson, the first woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, the Wilson Moot brings together law students from across Canada to engage with complex constitutional and public law questions. The competition regularly attracts participation from law schools across Canada and internationally and is held at the Federal Court facilities in Toronto.

The Wilson Moot is known for its high level of appellate advocacy and for providing students with valuable opportunities to develop advanced oral and written advocacy skills. Teams prepare appellate facta and argue before experienced lawyers and judges, making strong coaching support particularly important to student success.

Coaches are asked to provide feedback on written submissions, assist students in developing effective advocacy strategies, and participate in practice moot sessions leading up to the competition.

Additional Information for all Moot Coaches

Costs

The Faculty of Law will reimburse coaches for any transportation, hotel, taxi and charges in relation to attending the moot competition.
There is also a reimbursed stipend of up to $500 for meals for the coaches and student competitors, typically used for a celebratory dinner and other meals around the Moot.* (Further details will be made available from the Faculty of Law Finance team.)
 

Expectations for Coaching Support

Coaches are called upon to comment on drafts, discuss strategies and provide feedback on the students’ pleading skills. Students will be particularly keen to hear tips and advice based on your courtroom experience.

These moots are primarily in English, but bilingual/Francophones coaches are a valuable asset to the coaching team.

Time Commitment

The expected time commitment will be 3-4 hours weekly, on average (flexible), from now until the competition in February.

Typically, students meet with their coaches every other week from November to December, and will increase to once a week as the competition approaches.

The coaching schedule is determined in collaboration with the coaches and the students, always keeping in mind the coaches busy work schedules.

If you have any questions about the mooting process, please do not hesitate to email brittany.williams [at] mcgill.ca (subject: Moot%20Coach%20Application) (Brittany Williams), with cle.law [at] mcgill.ca in CC.