Laying Down the Law

Justis Danto-Clancy and Justin Blanco participated in the national trial advocacy competition held in Ottawa and were victorious against seven other law schools from across Canada.

A Bora Laskin Faculty of Law team took on the country’s best and brightest to take home the Sopinka Cup in March 2020.

Law students Justis Danto-Clancy and Justin Blanco participated in the national trial advocacy competition held in Ottawa and were victorious against seven other law schools from across Canada.

In order to compete in the Sopinka Cup, the team first had to win the Arnup Cup provincial meet held in Toronto in February.

Both young men attribute their success to around 150 hours spent preparing – and to the experiences that helped shape them.

Justis says Professor Frances Chapman’s first-year criminal law course at the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law made him comfortable trying cases.

“Dr. Chapman taught me the nuts and bolts of manoeuvring through complex criminal litigation, and the basic principles that underlie much of the Criminal Code and our Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” says Justis, who also holds an Early Modern Studies and History interdisciplinary degree from King’s College University.

Working at Lakehead’s Community Legal Services Clinic as a student caseworker helped Justis become comfortable with the legal profession. Now he is on a placement at a criminal law firm, PM Law Offices, in Thunder Bay.

“Not only did I represent real people in court in Thunder Bay, but I also prepared their cases and managed their files. I reviewed Crown disclosure documents and prepared legal arguments,” he says.

“The clinic further provided me with invaluable experience appearing before judges and justices of the peace at the Thunder Bay Court.”

Many Bora Laskin Faculty of Law courses involve delivering oral arguments, which gave Justis confidence.

He and Justin are thankful for the help they received from their classmates, from coaches Amanda Gallo and Marco Frangione, and from their teammate, Kim Young.

Before heading to law school, Justis worked behind the scenes in film – first as a carpenter and then as a camera assistant, spending long hours on set.

“This instilled a confidence in me that almost anything can happen if hardworking people make a coordinated effort. As the Sopinka Cup unfolded, I leaned heavily on that trust in my own ability to think quickly and act decisively,” he says.

Like Justis, Justin is also at PM Law Offices in Thunder Bay, as a senior law student who will soon be called to the bar.

He earned a degree in psychology at Lakehead and became interested in the law while working as a court reporter for the Ministry of the Attorney General. Justin says his knowledge of psychology benefitted him at the Sopinka Cup.

“Psychology is an underrated discipline for those contemplating law,” he says.

“Human nature and the precepts that underlie our legal system are inextricably intertwined. Engaging with the fundamentals of human behaviour – whether on an intuitive level or through a formal education – can go a long way in the study of law.”

Justin was nervous before the Sopinka Cup, but their hours and hours of preparation helped calm his nerves, along with being comfortable working with Justis.

“I never thought I’d compete in a national trial advocacy competition,” he says. “But I believe that voluntarily exposing oneself to uncomfortable situations is a surefire way to positively develop as a person.”

Justin and Justis worked well together, they knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses and trusted each other.

“Our personalities played off one another in a way that inspired confidence in our trial strategy.”

People started referring to the pair as a “good cop, bad cop” duo.

“I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that characterization, but it's amusing nonetheless,” Justin says. “I also won’t tell you who the bad cop was.”