University of Waterloo Moot Court
Last active term
Club Name
The name of the club will be University of Waterloo Moot Court. We are not agent or representative of the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), and our views and actions in no way represent the WUSA.
Governance
The club will uphold the values, mission, and mandate of both the University of Waterloo (UW) and WUSA through following the directives outlined in the WUSA Clubs Manual, all WUSA By-Laws, Policies, and Procedures, as well as all policies and procedures outlined by the UW Secretariat. Furthermore, the club will abide by all laws of the Region of Waterloo, Province of Ontario, and Government of Canada. All club matters will ultimately be governed by the WUSA Clubs Manager.
Purpose
The purpose of the club is to gather University of Waterloo students, staff, faculty and members of the UW community at large to
allow students to develop and hone the verbal advocacy skills they will need in their current academic and future professional careers. Students will have the opportunity to engage with professionals in the legal field and sharpen their understanding of the courtroom through the resources that our club will provide in order to ensure they are fully prepared to compete in moot competitions. Students will have the opportunity to compete in moot competitions. Students will have the opportunity to compete in teams of two at moot competitions, which will broaden their knowledge of critical legal issues, strengthen their ability to present in a courtroom setting, and enhance their teamwork capabilities.
Club events, activities, and/or initatives will include
● A meet and greet style event or a general meeting, where students can meet one another. At competitions, teams consist of two members, so the club will allow students to find a mooting partner (if they do not already have a partner in mind), in order to form a team of two.
● Information session focusing on the Ontario undergraduate moot competitions students can attend. (U of T Cup (University of Toronto) and Osgoode Cup National Undergraduate Mooting Competition (Osgoode Hall Law School)).
● Information session focusing on mooting in general, what the competitions will look like, and how to develop the skills they will need to be successful at competitions. We will have associates from Gowling WLG host these information sessions, coach the students, and act as mentors throughout their preparation for the competition.
● The teams will meet separately to draft the oral presentations they will deliver at the competition.
● The teams will meet together before a competition and be in contact with their lawyer mentors to receive constructive criticism and feedback on their performance.
● The teams will travel to their choice's moot competition(s). Group transportation via bus may apply if enough students are attending the competition.
● As the club becomes more established and the interest increases, a Winter term annual in-house competition will be held at the University of Waterloo.
○ Students from across the province will be invited to participate alongside the general members.
○ A formal dinner for all club members at the end of the competition or Winter
Membership Structure
The club will be fully inclusive and welcoming to both its current and potential membership. New membership is welcome and accepted at any time during a club’s active term. Eligible club members may be current: WUSA Members, as outlined by the WUSA By-Laws; UW graduate students; UW staff or faculty; and/or members of the UW community at large, as defined in the Clubs Manual.
Only current UW students (graduate or undergraduate) may hold voting membership within the club. UW Staff, faculty, and members of the UW community at large may hold non-voting membership within the club. (If Applicable) UW undergrad students who are eligible to obtain voting membership in the club who do not wish to pay the club membership fee at the time of joining may hold non-voting membership within the club. Voting membership can be obtained for said members by paying the membership fee.
At least two thirds of the club's membership must be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate).
Membership Fee
The membership fee is $7.00 cash per term payable to the Director of Finance no later than one month after the first day of class. If joining after the first month, membership is due at the beginning of their first club function. Membership fees will be used for
the Club Competitive Team Membership for events. General Club Membership is free.
Executive Officers
The majority of executives will be current UW students (graduate or undergraduate). The club president will be a current UW undergraduate student. All club executives will be elected, not hired or appointed. The term of office for all executive positions is one academic term, as outlined by the UW Registrar’s Office. All club decisions will be determined by executive vote, as no executive officer (not even the President) holds decision making power for the collective.
The President ensures that:
- The club operates according to the guidelines of its constitution and some agreed upon guidelines for running a meeting, such as Robert's Rules of Order;
- The club works towards its objectives as agreed upon by the membership; and
- Their successor is trained.
The President is a signing authority.
The Director of Affairs ensures that:
- Records of what the group has done are maintained, distributed, and are accessibile to all the members;
- Meeting minutes/notes are recorded and made available to all voting members;
- All club correspondence is monitored and brought to the attention of the appropriate person(s);
- Their successor is trained.
The Director of Affairs is a signing authority.
The Director of Finance ensures that:
- The club's WUSA bank account and all financial transactions for the club are monitored and verified;
- All club revenues are collected, deposited into the club's WUSA bank account, and reconciled correctly and within a timely manner;
- Club cheque requests are submitted correctly and in a timely manner; and
- Their successor is trained.
The Director of Marketing ensures that:
- Manages all club social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook and Discord)
- Manages emails and sends communications to club members and executives
- Ensures all designs are adequately made, including but not limited to: banners, merchandise, social media publications, etc.
- Ensures that the next Director of Marketing is trained.
The Vice President ensures that:
- The president is assisted in carrying out their duties
- Club membership, retention, project management, and communication between external sources and club members run smoothly and orderly
- Ensures that the next Vice President is trained.
The Vice President is a signing authority.
The Director of Education ensures that:
- Members are given opportunities to learn, grow, and develop their legal written and oral advocacy skills
- UW Moot members and executives are educated and creates educational materials
- Ensures that the next Director of Education is trained.
The Director of Communications ensures that:
- Coordinates email and message communications with the executive team.
- Drafts and publishes communications
- Ensures that the next Director of Communications is trained.
The Director of Corporate Relations ensures that:
- Builds relationships with law firms, legal organizations, and potential sponsors
- Organizes networking events and career panels
- Coordinates mentorship opportunities with legal professionals.
- Seeks sponsorship opportunities (Negotiates sponsorship agreements and benefits)
- Ensures that the next Director of Corporate Relations is trained.
The Peer Support ensures that:
- Supports competitors with writing submissions and clarifying competitors’ packages
- Steps in as a competitor if competitors drop out day of competition or during workshops and the team can’t find someone.
- Ensures that the next Peer Support is trained.
It is important to assure that the person with the most information and/or knowledge in the club is not the full-time chairperson. Therefore, the club will occasionally rotate the role of chairperson among voting members.
Meetings
General Meetings
The club will hold termly general meetings. Quorum for general meetings will be 15 voting members of 20% of voting membership (whichever is more).
Executive Meetings
The club will hold bi-weekly executive meetings. Quorum for executive meetings will be 2 executives or at least 51% of the executive body (whichever is more).
The first meetings (both general and executive) of the following term will be arranged by the outgoing executive. At said meetings, subsequent meeting dates and locations will be set. Meeting dates and times will be forwarded to voting members by:
- Instagram, Discord
Emergency meetings can be called by an executive via:
- Instagram, Discord
and must be sent to the appropriate members at least 48 hours prior to the meeting time.
ELECTION PROCESS
Elections shall take place at the end of each term for the following academic term. Only University of Waterloo students who are members of the club can vote. Club members must be notified, by email, two weeks in advance of the meeting where executive elections will take place. The term of office shall be for one term. An executive can only hold office (any position) for a total of up to three terms.
Nominations for executives can be made from any club member. The majority of executives must be undergraduate University of Waterloo students. The successful candidate will be the one with the most votes. In the case of a tie, a re-vote will take place until the tie is broken.
IMPEACHMENT AND DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES
A movement to impeach an executive officer may be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. When the motion is made the Clubs Manager will be informed. An emergency general meeting will be called as soon as is reasonably possible. No club funds will be spent until the issue is resolved.
At the impeachment meeting, the individual(s) who initiated the process will state their case. Afterwards, the officer(s) under impeachment will have an opportunity to defend their position(s) on the matter.
There will then be a question and answer period followed by the selection process for a Chief Returning Officer (CRO) who will oversee the voting process to ensure the decision is fair and democratic. Any executive officer who is neither the initiator nor subject of the impeachment may volunteer as CRO. If there is no such officer, then any voting member of the club present at the meeting may volunteer. If there are multiple volunteers, then the CRO will be selected based on a simple majority vote cast by secret ballot and tallied publically by the chairperson of the meeting. If there is no such volunteer for CRO, then the meeting will be at a standstill until either an eligible executive officer or voting member volunteers.
The vote will be by a “YES/NO” secret ballot, tallied publically by the CRO. If at least two thirds of the votes are for impeachment, then said officer will immediately be stripped of their position. The remaining executive may choose to call an immediate by-election to replace the newly vacant executive officer position.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
A claim against any executive officer or club member regarding a potential conflict of interest can be made by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. If such a claim arises, then said individual(s) under suspicion have the opportunity to remove them self (or themselves) from said potential conflict without acknowledging intention of wrongdoing. In the event the claim is contested, then the Clubs Manager will be informed and an emergency executive meeting will be called to determine the validity of the claim. Executive officers who have a claim against them cannot vote to determine the validity of said claim. If executive quorum is not possible due to the removal of said vote(s), then an emergency general meeting will be called and the same proceedings described for impeachment will be used to determine the validity of the claim.
If the claim is validated and there is suspicion of intentional wrongdoing, an immediate impeachment proceeding may be called by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members, of whom are not named in the claim. If it is determined that a club member is involved in intentional wrongdoing, the impeachment proceeding will be called to determine said member’s club status.
AMENDMENTS
Constitutional amendments may be proposed by any executive officer or by petition of at least five voting members. The amendment will then be voted on by referendum. The voting procedure will be the same as for the impeachment process. If the vote passes, the amendment and the vote will be forwarded to the Clubs Manager for final approval. If the Clubs Manager approves, then the constitution will be amended and any changes will be inserted into the constitution.
A motion to officially close the club will follow the same procedure as a constitutional amendment. If such a motion passes, then the club will be purged from the clubs system.
AFFILIATIONS
No organization(s) is/are currently affiliated with this club.
Membership Structure
The club will be fully inclusive and welcoming to its current and potential members. New membership is welcome and accepted anytime during a club’s active term. Eligible club members may be current: WUSA Members, as outlined by the WUSA By-Laws; UW graduate students; UW staff or faculty; and/or members of the UW community at large, as defined in the Clubs Manual.
UW Moot has a “Competitive Team” that will be assembled through tryouts and a membership purchase; New members who wish to join the Competitive Team must participate in a formal tryout process: a mini moot, conducted by the club executive members. Returning members who have competed in a competition before will not need to try out and will just have to purchase a membership.
It will be coached by our Director of Education, who will act as a Team Captain/Coach and a coach who is a member of Waterloo’s community. The community-based coach shall be a volunteer connected to the club through an executive member. This coach will provide their services pro bono and shall not receive any form of compensation for their role.
This competitive team will have 24 spots to compete in competitions such as the Osgoode School of Law annual Osgoode Cup and other non-beginner level cups. Non-beginner moot cups are moots cups that in order to be successful require experience in mooting; this can be achieved
through the training for the Competitive Team.
Spots in non-beginner-level cups will initially be reserved for Competitive Team members. These members are not obligated to participate in every competition and retain the ability to select which cups they wish to compete in. If they wish to not compete in a cup they will have to opt out. Any unfilled spots after confirmation from the Competitive Team will be opened to the general membership on a first-come, first-served basis.
This team will reset every academic term. Training will be decided termly by the Director of Education and both Vice-President and President. It will consist of typical information sessions as listed above and mini-moots.
Moot cups are simulated appellate-level legal competitions where participants in teams of two argue legal questions before a panel of judges. Unlike mock trials, moot cups do not involve witnesses or evidence and instead focus on oral and legal advocacy and reasoning.
Membership Guidelines
The following guidelines apply to all members:
A competitive season is one academic term.
1. Strikes for Dropping Out After Workshops
● Rule: If a member drops out after attending the second workshop, they will receive 1 strike.
● Consequence: After accumulating 3 strikes, the member will no longer be eligible to compete in any future competitions during that academic term of the strikes incurred.
● Note: Strikes are accumulated throughout the competition season and do not reset until the end of the academic term.
2. Immediate Disqualification for Dropping Out During a Competition
● Rule: If a member drops out during a competition for a non-valid reason (as determined by the executive team or relevant authority), they will be immediately disqualified from participating in future competitions during that academic term.
● Consequence: The member will be barred from competing in all future events for the remainder of the competition season. However, the members can still attend any other UW Moot Court Club event that is not a competition.
● Refund Clause: In addition, no refund will be issued for any fees paid if a member drops out during a competition for a non-valid reason.
3. Workshop Attendance and Waitlist Priority
● Rule: Members who attend workshops are given priority on the waitlist for competitions.
● Reason: Attendance at workshops is seen as a commitment to preparation and training, reducing the overall training required for moot court or competition readiness.
● Benefit: Attending workshops will move members up the waitlist for competition spots as it signifies a lower need for additional training, benefiting both the members and the team as a whole.
4. Valid and Non-Valid Reasons for Dropping Out
● Valid Reasons: Medical emergencies, personal crises, or other situations deemed acceptable by the committee. These do not result in penalties.
● Non-Valid Reasons: Lack of preparation, disinterest, or dropping out without sufficient notice or justification.
5. Time Management Responsibility
● Rule: This club has a large time commitment component to it, especially if you are on the competitive team. It is your responsibility that you are managing your time responsibly to meet the demands of the workshops, competitions and personal commitments. If you’d like support with your time management strategies please reach us to us and we’d be happy to help and try to adjust for your schedule.
● Consequence: Time conflicts or mismanagement will not be considered valid reasons for dropping out. Members are expected to plan their schedules accordingly, prioritize their commitments to the team, and reach out for help when needed.
By adhering to these rules, members contribute to the overall fairness, accountability, and competitive success of the team.