Winners of the 2021 OTLA Cup for the best team performance in Ontario’s trial advocacy moot: Christopher Enright and Adam Higgins, both Law’22, and their coaches Brian Kolenda, Law’10, and Jonathan Chen, Law’12, partners with litigation firm Lenczner Slaght LLP.
Winners of the 2021 OTLA Cup for the best team performance in Ontario’s trial advocacy moot: Christopher Enright and Adam Higgins, both Law’22, and their coaches Brian Kolenda, Law’10, and Jonathan Chen, Law’12, partners with litigation firm Lenczner Slaght LLP.

The Ontario Trial Lawyers’ Association (OTLA) Cup is coming home to Queen’s. Christopher Enright and Adam Higgins, both Law’22, earned the Best Team Award and Higgins also received the Best Closing Award at last weekend’s competition. 

“The OTLA Moot was a fantastic opportunity to test our trial advocacy skills against other law students and legal professionals,” says Enright. “It was also a neat way to focus more on the facts of a case instead of solely on the law – something we have been doing now for almost three years.”

For this year’s trial-based moot competition among teams from six Ontario law schools, the case involved a negligence claim with multiple defendants. “Our client (one of the defendants) was alleged to have caused a gas line explosion,” says Higgins. “We argued that our civilian client relied on the competence of three of the other defendants and was therefore not liable for any of the harm caused to the plaintiff.”

Mooters argued before Ontario Superior Court Justice W. Danial Newton and a jury of six OTLA members who are practising trial lawyers rendered the verdict. “To keep them engaged, we made sure our submissions were concise, used plain language, and advanced cohesive themes,” explains Higgins. 

Coaching the Queen’s team were two partners from Toronto litigation firm Lenczner Slaght LLP: Jonathan Chen, Law’12, and Brian Kolenda, Law’10. “Our coaches threw every counter-argument possible at our case theory,” says Enright. “They played the role of uncooperative witnesses so well that once we got to trial day, every witness seemed to be on our side! Best of all, throughout all our preparation, they kept a great sense of humour and made the process very enjoyable.” 

The coaches were equally impressed by their mooters. “Our team examined the case from every angle,” says Chen. “Chris and Adam considered the applicable law, but equally important, they approached the case with common sense. By doing that, their presentation resonated with the judge and jurors.”

“As usual, the Queen’s team came out very strong,” adds Kolenda. “They developed a cohesive theory and relatable theme and executed throughout the trial.”

For the winning OTLA oralists, the experience is a highlight of their legal education. “It doesn't get any better than receiving constructive feedback from a dozen trial lawyers and a Superior Court judge!” exclaims Higgins. “We will take forward what we have learned for years to come.”