Elizabeth McCandless News Archive

May 29, 2025 — 
For the first time since 2012, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law fielded a team in the 2025 Wilson Moot which took place February 21 – 22 in Toronto, ON at the Federal Court facilities. The Wilson Moot, is named in honour of the late Honourable Bertha Wilson, the first female justice appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, and pays tribute to her remarkable contributions to Canadian law.

May 28, 2025 — 
The L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic and Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts are operating at full speed, with a record seven law students hired to provide pro bono legal services throughout the summer of 2025 to clients anywhere in Manitoba with internet access.

May 27, 2025 — 
The third annual Art Braid Business Law Case Competition took place on Friday, February 28, 2025, at Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP (TDS)’s offices. This year’s case challenged students to review and analyze a services agreement on behalf of a client and present their recommendations. Congratulations to winners Jordan Wagner (3L), Eric Wagner (1L), and William Ho (1L), and to runners-up: Eric Martin (1L), Tyler Rubigny (1L), Thomas James-Davies (1L), and Alessandro Imbrogno (1L). The Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and the Law generously funded the competition.

May 26, 2025 — 
The 2025 Kawaskimhon Indigenous Moot took place March 7 – 8, hosted by the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University on the traditional Anishinabe territory of the Fort William First Nation, home to Anemki Wajiw (Mount McKay, Thunder Bay, Ontario). The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law sent two teams to compete, including Mary-Charlet Lathlin (3L), Janell Jackson (2L), Raven Morrisseau (2L), and Chloe Dreilich-Girard (2L). The team was coached by Marc Kruse, Director of Indigenous Legal Learning and Services, and Daniel Diamond, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law.

May 26, 2025 — 
The Gale Cup Moot’s Team Manitoba was in Toronto from February 27 - March 2. Kaitlyn Clarke and Andrew Bergen (2Ls) were a Respondent team while Sameer Harris and Derek Zaporzan (2Ls) were Appellants. Denise Sarmiento (3L) was the researcher, (plus clerk and timer at practices). The team was coached by Dayna Queau-Guzzi and Ashleigh Smith from the Appeals Unit at Manitoba Prosecutions.

May 20, 2025 — 
The Faculty of Law was pleased to host its annual community-building Spring Reception on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, where five new Jurists of Robson Hall were honoured, along with two recipients of the Faculty’s annual Alumni awards. In a jam-packed evening that honoured practicing professional instructors, moot competition coaches, mentors, externship supervisors and volunteers, the Faculty also presented its inaugural Externship Supervisor Award. The Manitoba Law Foundation announced a $4.5 million grant it has made to the Faculty to create transformative bursaries to ensure a diverse future practicing bar. Guests were also invited to tour the student areas of Robson Hall to see the many recent changes including a giant mural created by Indigenous artist and second-year law student, Jessie Canard.

May 9, 2025 — 
The Faculty of Law's Director of Clinics, Elizabeth McCandless announced Thursday, April 10, 2025, that Mary-Charlet Lathlin (3L) was the recipient of the inaugural Wolseley Law LLP Award for Student Clinical Excellence. The award highlights the importance of experiential learning for law students and serves to encourage excellence in the practice of law. “Wolseley Law is really happy to have the opportunity to inaugurate this award,” said Gerrit Theule [JD/15], founding partner at Wolseley Law, LLP.

May 8, 2025 — 
This term, the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law was proud to host the MacIntyre Cup (also known as the Western Canada Trial Advocacy Moot competition) on February 14 – 15, 2025, and even more proud of the Robson Hall team’s second-place finish. This meant the team went on to represent Western Canada at the national final competition, the Sopinka Cup, in Ottawa.

March 17, 2025 — 
Three University of Manitoba Faculty of Law teams from Robson Hall recently competed in the ninth annual Canadian National Negotiation Competition (CNNC). The competition was held at the University of Windsor, Faculty of Law in Windsor on March 6th and 7th, 2025, and had both a French and an English stream. Against a talented field of the best law student negotiators from across Canada, the three U of M teams of Larissa Einarson and Kirsten Nynych; Heather Peterson and Erin Kyriakopoulos; and Tess Poulton and Maia Bacchus put in extremely strong showings with Heather and Erin receiving an award for "Best Process Management."

March 10, 2025 — 
As I work through my last year at Robson Hall, I find myself reflecting on my time as a law student and the numerous opportunities that I have had the privilege of participating in. While I am grateful for every opportunity law school has presented to me, the most memorable and impactful experience that I had as a law student was participating in the Externship Program at the Legal Help Centre (LHC).