We have developed a highly efficient method for the copper-catalyzed coupling of 2-haloacetanilides with phosphine oxides and phosphites in the presence of a catalytic amount of copper(I) iodide and N-methylpyrrolidine-2-carboxamide tinder mild conditions (45-55 degrees C); the P-arylation products were synthesized in good to excellent yields in short times using 2-bromotrifluoroacetanilides and 2-iodotrifluoroacetanilides as the starting materials. This represents the lowest reaction temperatures for copper-catalyzed P-arylation thus far.