WeirFoulds is proud to announce the winners and congratulate all the law students who participated in the 2025 WeirFoulds-Arnup Cup. The trial advocacy competition is held each year for teams from all eight of Ontario’s law schools. The competition this year took place on February 6th and 7th in Toronto.
Established in 1988, the WeirFoulds-Arnup Cup is named in honour of the late Honourable John D. Arnup OC, QC, a legendary Canadian litigator, former partner of WeirFoulds, and esteemed member of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
While WeirFoulds has sponsored the trial competition from the beginning, this is the first year that the firm also organized and administered all aspects of the competition. Partner Caroline Abela chaired the Committee of WeirFoulds staff members and lawyers that organized this year’s event.
As in previous years, the Honourable Justice Clayton Conlan of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice presided over the trials while a jury of experienced litigation lawyers acted as assessors. The student teams conducted full trials, with opening statements, examinations-in-chief and cross-examinations of witnesses, and closing arguments.
Members of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and the Ontario Court of Justice attended a reception on Thursday evening to meet the student teams, their coaches, and others assisting with the competition. In delivering his formal remarks, the Honourable Michael H. Tulloch, Chief Justice of Ontario, applauded the student teams for their hard work and emphasized the importance of their participation in a competition that is devoted to learning the skills and principles of trial practice. The judges attending the reception from the Ontario Court of Justice included the Honourable Sharon M. Nicklas, Chief Justice, and the Honourable Aston J. Hall, Associate Chief Justice.
Teams of student advocates from each of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (Lakehead University), Lincoln Alexander School of Law (Toronto Metropolitan University), Osgoode Hall Law School (York University), Queen’s University Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Western University Faculty of Law, and University of Windsor Faculty of Law participated in the 2025 competition.
The winners and finalists from the WeirFoulds-Arnup Cup will represent Ontario in the Sopinka Cup, Canada’s national trial advocacy competition, to be held in Ottawa on March 14 and 15, 2025.
We congratulate this year’s winners and finalists and look forward to another exciting competition in 2026.
Arnup Cup Winners:
- Osgoode Hall Law School – Bahar Taherian and David Townshend
Finalists:
- University of Toronto (Faculty of Law) – Janna Getty and Olivia Schenk
- University of Windsor (Faculty of Law) – Nicole Kinloch and Jared Colthurst
Founded in 1860, WeirFoulds’ history spans 165 years of litigation excellence. Many of the firm’s lawyers have made significant contributions to the legal profession and broader community, including service as members of the judiciary, key regulatory bodies, panels, commissions, and professional organizations. These include four Treasurers and multiple Benchers of the Law Society of Ontario, 14 federally appointed judges, multiple appointments to appellate courts, and recipients of the Order of Canada.
For more information about the WeirFoulds-Arnup Cup, please visit the overview page.
To learn more about WeirFoulds’ Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group or to contact one of our litigation lawyers, please visit our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Practice Group overview page.
