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Congratulations to Nina Butz and Vinayak Mishra, this year’s winners of the Smith Shield Moot, and to Lisa Delaney and Nick Hooper, who were awarded the Leonard A. Kitz Prize in Advocacy.

“I think it’s fair to say that both the Bench – composed of Justice Bourgeois of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal, Justice Chipman of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, and Daren Baxter, president of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society – and the packed audience were amazed at the exceptional calibre of the mooters,” says Michael Deturbide, Professor and Associate Dean, Academic.

Professor Jamie Baxter drafted this year’s problem, which raised challenging legal and public policy issues regarding testamentary freedom.

What struck me the most was how boldly each of the students crafted and embraced their own unique styles of advocacy."
— Professor Jamie Baxter

“Each and every one of the students at the Smith Shield Moot was outstanding,” says Baxter. “This year’s moot involved a challenging problem at the intersection of public and private law, but it was a challenge that all of the students met with great skill and creativity. Perhaps what struck me the most was how boldly each of the students crafted and embraced their own unique styles of advocacy. The moot made it clear to everyone in the audience that brilliant lawyering comes in many different forms.”