Training in oral advocacy has long been an integral part of legal education at Queen’s. With a generous donation of $53,700 from 10 grads practising with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, the school’s Moot Court Room named for their firm is being modernized for mooting and more.

Lynne Golding, Law’87, a partner with Faskens who led the fundraising campaign, reflects on how she and her colleagues realize how fortunate they were to have received great legal training at Queen’s. “That education has allowed us to succeed in our profession,” she says. “This gift was our opportunity to help today’s students benefit from the same excellent education and experiences we had at Queen’s.”

The renovations have already increased seating capacity and added mobile furniture to make the room easily adaptable for many uses. A mobile Skype cart to enable off-site coaching will be added, as well as a new podium. State-of-the-art audio/video technology will be installed to support presentations and record moot practice sessions so mooters may review and then refine their performances.

Students describe their mooting experiences as both fun and as one of the best ways to prepare for a legal career. “The experience of arguing a case in front of lawyers and judges provides an insight into what such a career will be like that simply cannot be reproduced through any non-practical form of education,” says Professor Chris Essert, Chair of the Moot Court Committee.

“The Moot Court Room renovations will improve our students’ experiences in mooting by providing an environment that allows them to better prepare for competitions against other schools,” he adds. “The various new technologies and types of equipment will make our practices more like actual competitions.”

For more photos of the upgraded Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Moot Court Room, check out our Facebook page.