Western Law Students Excel at Julius Alexander Isaac Moot
February 06, 2026
Western Law had an outstanding showing at this year's Julius Alexander Isaac Moot, one of the most demanding competitions in Canadian legal education.
Organized by the Black Law Students Association of Canada, the Isaac Moot brought together teams from 13 law schools across the country. This year's problem centred on an appeal of a timely racial profiling case from the Ontario Court of Justice, requiring deep engagement with case law and Critical Race Theory.
The Western Law team travelled to Toronto from January 30 to February 1 to argue before the Federal Court of Canada. Under the guidance of Faculty Coach Professor Shimelis Kene, the team prepared extensively for the competition. Maira Khan and Anish Kurup argued for the appellants, while Jade Eberhard and Justice McKenzie represented the respondents. Sarah DiPronio served as the team's researcher, and Rachel Bipatnath (last year's finalist) provided leadership as student coach.
The team's advocacy earned well-deserved recognition. Anish received the Spirit of the Moot Award, and Jade was named Top Advocate. Maira and Justice also delivered exceptional performances, receiving glowing feedback from judges and nominations for both Top Advocate and Spirit of the Moot.
The team's success was made possible by a strong support network. Guest judges during practice rounds included students Arman Lakhu and Ali Marshall, Western Law alum and 2024 Isaac Moot winner Tega Odjevwedje, and Professors Andrew Botterell, Chris Sherrin, Nadia Lambek, Manish Oza, Andy Yu, and Sunil Gurmukh. Emilia Greco provided outstanding administrative support throughout.
Congratulations to the entire team on an exceptional achievement that reflects Western Law's commitment to advocacy, critical thinking, and leadership.
