Ultra Vires Volume 25, Issue 1 - September 2023

Ultra Vires

“A True Giant”: Remembering Stephen Waddams Scholar, teacher, and friend

conviction that the law needed to change and adapt to the society it purports to govern. As he saw it, the flexibility of the common law was one of its greatest strengths.

Prof. Waddams taught several current faculty members, who continued to learn from him as colleagues. Prof. Peter Benson, a former student, became a contract law theorist himself. It is from Prof. Benson that I borrow the title of this article: his respect and admiration for his former teacher and colleague are a testament to the enduring impact an outstanding teacher can have on a student. Prof. Waddams was also particularly close with (former) Justice Robert Sharpe of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The two often disagreed, sometimes fundamentally, about legal issues both small and large, but still maintained a strong personal and professional relationship.

Colleen Flood, Dean at Queen’s University Faculty of Law, remembers him fondly. She commented, “Stephen had a superb mind but he also was a lovely and gentle person, with a wonderful, wry sense of humour…he was particularly keen on persuading all his colleagues that morning tea was the high point of civilization.”

Recent students experienced the same combination of intellect and humour. Alessia Woolfe (2L) described her first year contracts class with Prof. Waddams:

I distinctly remember excitedly telling my parents after class how my contracts professor wrote the book on the subject, and how he lectured to the class without glancing at his notes. Though his lectures sometimes went over my head as a 1L student, he was often unexpectedly hilarious, cracking jokes about ridiculous contract cases that I still didn't understand the significance of at the time.

Faculty Responds to Backlash Surrounding Undisclosed

Amazon Donation

What you need to know about the U of T Law Amazon donation controversy

OLIVIA SCHENK (2L)

In August 2023, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law publicly addressed the controversial USD$450,000 (about CAD$600,000) Amazon donation received by the Faculty in December 2021. While the initial statement from the Faculty appeared to stand behind the decision to retain the gift, the Faculty swiftly adjusted its position in a second statement released less than two weeks later. In this second statement, the Faculty stated it had decided to return the gift to Amazon and amended its policies concerning corporate gifts.

The Logic Coverage

Professor Stephen Waddams passed away on May 27, 2023.

Prof. Waddams was born in Woking, England in 1942. He moved to Canada in 1959, where he would go on to have a major impact in the field of Canadian contract law. He earned his BA and LLB at the University of Toronto before going to Cambridge for an MA and PhD, followed by the University of Michigan for his LLM and SJD.

After completing his education, Prof. Waddams joined the Faculty at U of T Law, where he had a long, impactful career in legal scholarship and teaching. He was a fellow of Trinity College, an institution to which he belonged as an undergraduate, and a Senior Fellow of

Massey College. In 1988, he was made a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 2005, he was appointed University Professor, an especially prestigious rank granted only to a fraction of the University of Toronto’s tenured faculty.

The impact of both his scholarship and teaching is hard to overstate. He authored nine books, with a tenth on the way which he was, sadly, unable to finish. Prof. Waddams also wrote leading casebooks and textbooks on contract law. His success was partly due to his intricate knowledge of case law, a topic on which his knowledge remains nearly unrivalled. Prof. Waddams’s approach to the law was deeply rooted in history. Underlying this was a deep

Another student, Kristina Wolff (2L JD/ MBA), has described taking Prof. Waddams’s class as “like what movies say law school is like”: challenging, engaging, and with just enough comic relief. A recent 1L small group recalled his reaction to a malfunctioning clock. The clock would periodically move abnormally quickly, and Prof. Waddams never failed to comment “how quickly time flies” whenever he happened to notice it. At the end of the year, the class gifted him a (functional) clock as a token of their appreciation.

I knew Prof. Waddams only briefly, working for him before he passed, but he left a strong impression on me. He worked mostly alone, diligently and studiously refining his argument before turning to others for comment. Aside from being extremely well-dressed, he was polite and had a distinctly kind manner. Prof. Waddams was in many ways a model of what it means to be a scholar, and that is an inspiration I, and many others I know, will carry on. He will be sorely missed.

The undisclosed Amazon donation was first reported in an article from The Logic by Martin Patriquin on August 15, 2023.

According to Patriquin, The Logic obtained several documents through an access-to-information request that revealed events and details concerning Amazon’s gift to the Faculty. The documents revealed that a few days after a speech by the Commissioner of the Canadian Competition Bureau in October 2021, Faculty members exchanged emails with an Amazon employee. These emails detailed Amazon’s interest in being “more proactive on thought-leadership, including supporting research on emerging [sic] issues in competition/antitrust.” In addition, Amazon confirmed their comfort in providing “annual support in the mid-6 figures with room to expand moving forward” in the hopes of developing a “long-term relationship” with the Faculty. The Faculty received Amazon’s donation in December

Continued on page 4

EMILY TIVOLI (3L)

CREDIT: SUZANNE WADDAMS AND SCOTT MACKENZIE

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EDITORS' NOTE

Dear Readers,

Another year, another volume of UV! This year is the big two-five, as we mark Ultra Vires ’ 25th anniversary. Maybe we’re just getting old, but isn’t it crazy to think that UV is older than some of the incoming 1Ls this year?!

On that note, welcome 1Ls to Jackman Hall! To the upper-years, welcome back!

We’re excited to announce that even at age 25, UV is still growing—this year, we’re adding a brand-new section, Puzzles. In addition to the classic crossword, we’ll be publishing new brain teasers and challenges every issue. Give them a try and let us know what you think!

In this issue, you’ll find our now-annual coverage of student struggles with Cognomos, tales from some of our many U of T students studying abroad (including Alyssa), and plenty of other stories to tide you over until our next issue.

This month, we also remember the legal powerhouse Stephen Waddams. Even for those of us who have never met him, Professor Waddams’ impact on the Canadian legal landscape and on the University of Toronto cannot be understated.

If you have any comments, are looking for ways to get involved with UV, or just want to say hi, you can always reach us at editor@ultravires.ca or @ultravires.ca on Instagram.

Wishing you all the best this fall semester, and thanks for reading!

& Alyssa Wong Co-Editors-in-Chief

Welcome From the SLS

A note from the President of the Students’ Law Society

JUSTIN KIM (3L)

First, to all the 1Ls, transfer students, and exchange students, welcome to the law school! Congratulations on making it here and for choosing U of T Law as the destination for your legal journey. I am sure that each and every one of you will make a successful transition into law school, especially with the support of the Peer Mentorship Program and the Peer Mental Health Support Program.

A special thank you to this year’s Orientation Week Leaders: Brynne Dalmao (2L), Hyun Tae Kim (2L), and Michelle Slipanchuk (2L). I have heard great things from the 1Ls about this year’s programming, which included a visit to the Toronto Islands, a Toronto Blue Jays game, and an end of O-Week

mixer at Arta Gallery in the Distillery District. These events would not have been as successful without your hard work.

Second, to all the returning upper-year students, I hope you are ready for another exciting year. As your student government, the Students’ Law Society (SLS) represents all JD and joint-program students at the Faculty of Law. As many of our events require weeks and even months of advance preparation, many of us worked throughout the summer. We hope you enjoyed our first Call to the Bar and the free BeaverTails and ice cream at the Upper-Year Welcome Back event.

Furthermore, this summer, the SLS worked close-

ly with the Career Development Office in organizing Recruit Buddies, and we are committed to providing additional recruit-related mentorship opportunities throughout the year. For 2Ls, we have our 2L Recruit Chats event on October 2. This is an opportunity for students to ask upper-years specific questions about anything OCI-related in a student-only environment.

Lastly, the SLS has advocated and will continue to advocate for the interests of students. Recently, the SLS has secured new chairs and whiteboards for the library and free menstrual products in the washrooms.

The SLS has three committees: the Social and

Orientation Wrap-Up

Finance Committee (SFC), the Student Life and Academic Committee (SLAC), and the Executive Committee, made up of myself, the VP Student Life, VP Academic, VP Social, and VP Finance. On September 25, our Fall Election concluded, and the SLS welcomed some new faces to each of our committees.

I am keen to work closely with each of you and hear your thoughts on how our law student experience can be improved. Whether it be initiatives targeted at addressing students’ needs at large or more focused topics, such as better support for individual clubs, the SLS is always open to hearing your thoughts. Next month, the Accessibility Roundtable and Academic Planning Committee will begin their meetings, and both will play an important role in shaping the overall student experience. The SLS will continue to work hard to ensure that student experiences and perspectives are acknowledged. Let’s have a great year!

This year’s the SLS consists of the following:

• President: Justin Kim (3L)

• VP Student Life: Caeleb “Rae” Goff (3L)

• VP Academic: Matthew McGreer*

• VP Social: Chris Kozak (2L)

• VP Finance: Diego Jimenez-Juri (3L)

• 3L SLAC Reps: Aimee Veiner*, Julia Campbell, Milana Grahovac, and Emily Sarah Hean*

• 3L SFC Reps: Jane Jiang, Marco Ciccone*, Hassan Valji^, and Jamie Oneschuk^

• 2L SLAC Reps: Akash Jain, Carson Cook, Isabel Brisson*, and Mahnoor Noor*

• 2L SFC Reps: Taylor Clapham, Quinn Rozwadowski, Brynne Dalmao*, and Francis Rweyongeza*

• 1L SLAC Reps: Maria Bon*, David-Niddam Dent*, Andrew Lanoue*, and Chelsea Musanhu*

• 1L SFC Reps: Alexander Kelly* and Ryan Dickson*

• Officers: Alice Min (2L, Administrative Officer), Arielle Amacker (2L, SFC Secretary), Ella Ryu (2L, SLAC Secretary), Hyun Tae Kim (2L, Communications Officer), Jarren Fefer (2L, SFC Equity Officer), Manreet Brar (2L, CRO), and Sian Shin (2L, SLAC Equity Officer)

*either acclaimed or elected via the Fall General Election

^ as per Section 13 of By-law 3 and Section 3.6.3.1 of the SLS Constitution, 2Ls can fill vacant 3L SFC positions

A review of an orientation week for the books

BRIANNA ROWE (3L)

1Ls are now a full month into their law school journeys, and there is little doubt about how they’re feeling: nervous, scared, and exhausted, but also excited, despite the trials and tribulations that await them. Their first two weeks at the Faculty of Law were marked by the annual Legal Methods course in an effort to prepare them for the realities of law school. As always, it seemed to both prepare and frighten our incoming class.

With a new cohort also comes their orientation, led by a team of their upper-year peers. This year, orientation leaders Brynne Dalmao (2L), Michelle Slipanchuk (2L), and Hyun Tae Kim (2L) decided to take orientation in a different direction than previous years after experiencing the first post-COVID orientation just last year.

Dalmao, Slipanchuk, and Kim started their

campaign to make the new cohort feel included and welcomed on the very first day, providing post-lecture snacks, which continued throughout the two weeks of Legal Methods. The social events kicked off with a games night, where 1Ls could play an assortment of board and card games, such as Jenga and Uno, while entering raffles to win some new Faculty of Law swag.

The following morning was the traditional Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt, where friendships were forged and rivalries were made. Ultimately, Ikran Jama (1L), Kabir Dhillon (1L), Yasmin Rajwani (1L), Harjaap Brar (1L), Will Smith (1L), Sam Rayner (1L), and Ufuoma Akalusi (1L) took home the gold. The afternoon rounded off with trivia hosted by a Hawaiian shirt-sporting Associate Dean Chris Essert. At trivia, the 1Ls continued to surprise by coming out in full force and overcrowding the large lec -

ture hall. The grand prize of U of T Law swag ultimately went to the victorious Tim Hong (1L), Kyle Girdhari (1L), Justin Shin (1L), Jared Sloan (1L), Rayyan Esmail (1L), and Tristin Bezte (1L).

The new cohort’s first weekend of law school began with a trip to the Toronto Islands, a new feature of this year’s orientation. With the help of upper-year volunteers, Dalmao, Slipanchuk, and Kim escorted the 1Ls to the island and provided snacks, drinks, and lawn games.

The following week kicked off with another games night, with the focus this time being an exhilarating game of Bingo! Winners included Michael Barbour (1L), Natalie Chow (1L), and Sahara Mehdi (1L). Bingo was followed up with an evening trip to Rogers Stadium, where 1Ls could behold the Blue Jays in all their glory. (Or,

considering their defeat, their lack thereof.)

The week rounded off with the mock exam for their Legal Methods course. Later that day, the annual evening mixer was held at the beautiful Arta Gallery in the Distillery District, where 1Ls had the chance to decompress and get to know their classmates after an intense two-week introduction to the law school.

From some of the upper-year volunteers, there were whispers that this year’s orientation was one of the best in recent memory, particularly with COVID restrictions finally taking a background role in regard to social events. As someone who was in the first cohort of in-person 1Ls after the pandemic, and a volunteer for orientation the past two years, I certainly felt it was an exciting and special two weeks that next year’s orientation leaders will have to aim for the stars to beat.

THE SLS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE. LEFT TO RIGHT: MATTHEW MCGREER (3L), VICE-PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC; CAELEB “RAE” GOFF (3L), VICE-PRESIDENT, STUDENT

LIFE; JUSTIN KIM (3L), PRESIDENT; CHRIS KOZAK (2L), VICE-PRESIDENT, SOCIAL; DIEGO JIMENZ (3L), VICE-PRESIDENT, FINANCE. CREDIT: PRARTHNA KASHYAP

Faculty Responds to Backlash Surrounding Undisclosed Amazon Donation Continued from page 1

2021.

The donation has allegedly been used to help fund several items, with the most controversial being a Future of Law Lab webinar speaker series. The documents contained an exchange in which a Lab member referred to selecting webinar guests from academics on “Amazon’s list.” Notably, the webinar speaker series has since included speakers critical of expanding competition legislation, and according to The Logic, two of the thirteen speakers in the webinars were present on “Amazon’s list.” The Faculty did not disclose the origin of the program’s funding to the webinar participants. The Logic also alleged that the University planned to fund a portion of the Future of Law Lab’s budget from the donation.

Following publication of the article in The Logic , organizations such as the University of Toronto Faculty Association and the Canadian Association of University Teachers spoke out against the University for its lack of transparency and alleged violations of academic freedom.

The Faculty’s initial statement after The Logic coverage

On August 18, 2023, U of T Faculty of

Law Dean Jutta Brunnée posted an initial statement titled “Statement from Faculty of Law Dean Jutta Brunnée regarding a corporate gift.” In this statement, Dean Brunnée asserted that the gift from Amazon was to be spent at the Faculty’s discretion, without restriction. However, Dean Brunée later clarified to The Varsity , U of T’s student newspaper, that Faculty staff had spoken with Amazon about ways the Faculty might use the donation.

Dean Brunnée’s initial statement went on to specify that the gift had been spent on “stipends for six student research assistants; venue, travel-related and hospitality expenses for events; and communications costs” as well as a staff position to “coordinate, among other things, an online speaker series.” According to The Logic , USD$250,000 was used for a visiting scholars program, USD$50,000 was used to hire five research assistants, and USD$150,000 was used for the speaker series.

Dean Brunnée’s statement affirmed that the donation was properly reported under University policy. The Logic received confirmation from a university spokesperson that Amazon’s gift was in fact included in reports received by the

relevant boards in March 2022. However, board reports are not generally accessible to the public.

Dean Brunnée addressed why this source of financial support was not shared publicly:

I decided not to share the source of financial support because fostering open discussion and debate that reflects the full range of perspectives in the field was my top priority. All viewpoints were welcome, and communicating the source of the funding could have created a misperception that some perspectives would be prioritized over others. I recognize now that more information may have been preferred to enable some of our participants and invited speakers to fully evaluate their engagement in these activities. However, The Logic reported that Amazon had discouraged the University from generating publicity surrounding the donation and advised against any press releases.

Dean Brunnée finished the statement by confirming half the gift remained and would be used to support internships, noncurricular activities, and financial aid for students with demonstrated interests in competition law, innovation law, and law and technology.

The Faculty’s second statement

The Faculty’s initial stance on utilizing the Amazon donation would prove to be short-lived. Less than two weeks later, on August 29, 2023, Dean Brunnée posted a second statement regarding the Amazon donation titled “Statement regarding a corporate donation to the Faculty of Law.” Dean Brunnée announced that she, in conjunction with the President of U of T Meric Gertler, had decided to return the donation. Dean Brunnée went on to state that the University would immediately introduce a new guideline to ensure that going forward, “all philanthropic donations from corporations will be publicly disclosed.” Finally, Dean Brunnée shared that the University will be commissioning an independent survey of best practices among post-secondary institutions regarding recognition and disclosure of corporate giving to inform future decision-making and policy decisions.

Want to know more?

This story was covered extensively by The Varsity in its article “U of T Faculty of Law returns undisclosed donation from Amazon following backlash” by Jessie Schwalb.

U of T Removes Course Location Information From Public Websites

Move comes as Ontario universities step up campus security

ALYSSA WONG (3L)

Warning: Mentions of violence.

On September 7, 2023, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law announced that classroom locations would be removed from publicly accessible websites. Formerly, timetables including course names, instructors, and room locations were posted online and could be viewed by anyone. Now, only times and instructor names are available, with more complete timetables moved to E.Legal, the Faculty’s internal website accessible only to faculty and students. The University of Toronto as a whole had previously announced that it

was doing the same on August 30, 2023, joining the ranks of Ontario universities that have taken the same measure.

Universities are removing course information as a safety response to a stabbing earlier this year at the University of Waterloo. On June 28, 2023, a University of Waterloo (UW) student entered a gender studies class, where he attacked and injured three people, including the professor. Police later said that this was a planned, targeted, and hate-motivated attack. UW later removed class locations and instructor names from its websites, acknowledging the potential risk of this

information being publicly accessible.

The incident has raised concerns over UW’s response to the attack, prompting a safety review. Although authorities responded to the situation promptly, UW’s internal emergency alert system did not function as intended, and only sent out an emergency alert to students over an hour after the incident had occurred. The attack has also prompted wider discussions about campus safety across the country, with student groups advocating for stronger safety measures. Advocates have called for increased funding for university safety programs, mandated safety audits, better

security training, and the creation of a gender-based violence prevention framework. It remains to be seen whether universities and governments will implement these recommendations.

The University of Toronto has multiple safety resources that are available for students. Students can contact Campus Safety at 416-978-2222 or through their Safety App to report incidents. Students may also register for the TravelSafer or Work Alone programs. All students are automatically enrolled in the UTAlert system through their school emails and may register to receive alert texts as well.

OLIVIA SCHENK (2L)

“New” Legal Process Requirement in Effect

Legal process changed from a first-year course requirement to an upper-year course requirement

TAYLOR RODRIGUES (3L)

2Ls, 1Ls, and future JD students now need to take an upper-year course dedicated to the study of legal procedures for a minimum of two credits. On March 22, 2023, the Faculty Council introduced an upper year legal process graduation requirement.

Previously, Legal Process (LAW100H1) was a mandatory course in the 1L curriculum. It was replaced with the mandatory 1L course, Indigenous Peoples and the Law (LAW108H1S).

3Ls and 4Ls who already took Legal Process in their 1L year do not need to

take another legal process course to graduate.

Currently, nine courses satisfy the legal process course requirement. These include Civil Procedure (LAW260H1S), formerly known as Legal Process (LAW100H1), and more specialized courses such as Criminal Procedure (LAW232H1) and Constitutional Litigation (LAW237H1).

There are now seven upper-year course requirements, including three course requirements and four breadth requirements. Students must take Administra -

tive Law (LAW202H); complete a competitive moot or the Upper Year Moot (LAW432); and complete Legal Ethics (LAW362) to satisfy the Ethics and Professionalism requirement.

In addition, students must also take an intensive course during the January intersession in 2L or 3L; an International, Comparative, or Transnational Law (ICT) course worth at least two credits; and a Perspectives course worth a minimum of two credits. ICT courses involve the study of some non-Canadian law. The JD Academic Handbook describes Per -

Meet the Mooters

spectives courses as “concerned with the nature, sources, and purposes of legal regulation in general rather than with the study of legal doctrine in a particular area.”

Some courses can satisfy your ICT or perspective requirement, or your perspective requirement or legal process course requirement. However, no one course can satisfy two upper year course requirements.

Make sure you are on track to satisfy your upper year course requirements— Cognomos will not.

U of T Law has selected the students for upper-year competitive moots

NICOLAS WILLIAMS (3L)

U of T Law’s competitive mooters for the 2023–2024 school year have been selected following this year’s inperson tryouts. First- and second-round tryouts took place on September 12-13 and September 14 respectively, with calls being made to the successful candidates on September 15.

As is the case each year, tryouts were coordinated by the Moot Court Committee (MCC), a student-run committee charged with choosing candidates that fall within the parameters set by the Faculty of Law and with finding student coaches for each team.

Candidates were tasked with mooting the 2014 Wilson Cup problem, British Columbia and Don Sterling v. Keith Baxter and Jasmine Liu. The issue centred around an application for adoption made by Keith Baxter and Jasmine Liu for Xavier Jackson, a fouryear-old child who had spent most of his life with the couple.

The application sought waiver of the consent of Don Sterling, a member of the South River First Nation: under s.17(5) of the British Columbia Adoption Act, “the consent of an aboriginal child’s biological parent” cannot be waived unless the child is at risk of serious harm or adoptive placement with the parent’s extended family is not possible.

Baxter and Liu challenged s.17(5) as a violation of their s.15 right to equality and their s.7 right to security of the person per the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Mooters were challenged with arguing that any purported violation of s.15 or s.7 could not be saved under s.1.

Below are the finalized results of this year’s tryout.

Adam F. Fanaki Competition Law Moot

Jonathan Herlin (3L)

Donya Ashnaei (3L/MBA)

Emily Chu (2L)

Olivia Schenk (2L)

Callaghan Memorial Moot

Jason Ruggeberg (2L)

Zachary Train (2L)

Daniel Kiesman (2L)

Abby Craswell (2L)

Alison Borch (2L)

Hannah Rosenberg (2L)

Janna Getty (2L)

Emily Jin (2L)

Angela Shi (2L)

Emma Davies (2L)

Maddy Schneider (2L)

Madison Regan (2L)

Jules Lyon (2L)

Christine Wang (2L)

Yiwei Bian (2L)

Maheen Akter (2L)

Davies Corporate/Securities Law Moot

Lauren Di Felice (3L)

Brody Zukerman-Schure (3L/MBA)

Alexander McGuigan (2L)

Riya Thomas (2L)

Donald G. Bowman National Tax Moot

Nina Varghese (2L)

Taylor Rodrigues (3L)

Yinzi Gao (4L)

Jeffrey Liu (3L)

Gale Cup Moot

Nina Patti (3L)

Brynne Dalmao (2L)

Julia Campbell (3L)

Elizabeth Hicks (2L)

Harold G. Fox Canadian Intellectual Property Moot

Alessia Woolfe (2L)

Mina Alam (2L)

Avital Sternin (2L)

Rebecca Tyli (2L)

Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship

Law Moot

Emma Seip (3L)

Isaiah Hasham (2L)

Justin Lyon (2L)

Abby Sasitharan (2L)

Jessup International Moot

Vidit Desai (2L)

Eyal Wilk (2L)

Arik Portnov (2L)

Foti Vito (3L)

Julius Alexander Isaac Moot

Mahnoor Noor (2L)

Grace Chan (2L)

Sherry Li (2L)

Samir Reynolds (3L/MPP)

Laskin Moot

Alex Horbal (2L)

Marisa Benjamin (3L)

Michel Hajjar (3L)

Chelsea Gordon (2L)

National Labour Arbitration Competition of Canada

Benjamin McLean (3L/MBA)

Nathan McLean (3L/MBA)

Tort Law Moot

Tiger Zheng (2L)

Alex Nyikos (2L)

Jonathan Kleiman (2L)

Roman Chorneyko (2L)

Walsh Family Law Moot

Julia Fine (2L)

Laura Hunter (3L)

Aviva Ripstein (3L)

Constantine Kanagelidis (2L)

Wilson Moot

Joshua Schwartz (2L)

Jarren Feffer (2L)

Carson Cook (2L)

Liza Markova (2L)

Winkler Class Actions Moot

Ian Thomson (3L)

Kareem Elmankabady (3L)

Noam Epstein Roth (2L)

Bjorn Wagenpfeil (2L)

Meet Professor Galit Sarfaty

Associate Professor Sarfaty brings a background in anthropology and legal scholarship to U of T Law

SHELBY HOHMANN (2L)

Over the summer, U of T Law welcomed Associate Professor Galit Sarfaty to the Faculty. As an anthropologist and legal scholar, Prof. Sarfaty’s background allows her to examine how legal institutions and the law function in practice. For example, her doctoral dissertation—which was later published as a book—examined the marginality of human rights in the World Bank using fieldwork within the organization.

Previously, Prof. Sarfaty taught at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the Department of Legal Studies and Business Ethics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. This year, she will be teaching Public International Law in the fall and Transnational Business and Human Rights in the spring.

Although she grew up and studied in the United States, Prof. Sarfaty became interested in Canadian law early on in her career. While studying anthropology at Harvard, she wrote her senior thesis on the campaign for political sovereignty among the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Cross Lake, Manitoba. Through this project, she was introduced to the concept of legal pluralism, whereby multiple systems of law interact. An internship at the International Labour Organization deepened her interest in international law, the field she primarily works in today.

Prof. Sarfaty always sought to combine her passions for law and anthropology, which she has clearly been successful in doing. Currently, she is working on a project on the regulation of global supply chains and human rights among multinational corporations entitled “Supply Chain Governance at a Distance: How Technocratic Tools Shape the Implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence.”

While Prof. Sarfaty may be a little sad

CREDIT: MACY YAP

about having to trade mountain views for concrete buildings, she is already exploring all that Toronto has to offer. Her two young children particularly enjoyed Centre Island. Together, the family braved the Ontario heat and humidity to go multiple times this summer. As indicated by the Hokas underneath her desk, Prof. Sarfaty is also a runner and enjoys the outdoors (like most others hailing

from BC). If you are looking for some reading material that is not case law or an academic article, she recommends her recent read, Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House , and its prequel, A Visit from the Goon Squad . The novels explore themes of love, corporate power, technology, and memory. If you don’t feel like doing any non-essential reading, you can probably explore (at least some of) those themes in her

Meet Aglaia Lowo U of T Law welcomes its newest Career Development Advisor

This May, the Career Development Office of the Faculty of Law welcomed its newest Career Development Advisor, Aglaia Lowo. Despite having joined the Faculty of Law only four months prior, Aglaia has already been instrumental in helping students navigate through the haze of job applications and summer interviews. This month, in an interview with Ultra Vires (UV), Aglaia shared her experiences and thoughts relating to her decision to join the Faculty of Law, her transition from private practice, and her perspective on the OCI process. This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

UV: Can you tell us a little bit about your background, education, and career?

Aglaia Lowo (AL): I’m originally from Vienna, Austria and came to Canada as an international student. I completed my BA in History, International Relations, and Jewish Studies at the University of Toronto and then went on to Windsor Law, where I obtained my JD degree. Throughout law school, I was heavily involved in one of the student legal clinics affiliated with the law school, Community Legal Aid, which greatly shaped my law school experience and desire to become a litigator. I articled at Community Legal Aid before being called to the Ontario Bar in 2018. I then practiced exclusively in Family and Child Protection Law at a number of boutique law firms across Toronto. In May of this year, I joined the CDO as a Career Development Advisor.

UV: What drew you to your role as a Career Development Advisor?

AL: Throughout my years living in Canada, I have benefited greatly from formal and informal mentorship and made it my goal to pass forward all the kindness and support I have received (and continue to receive to this day). During my undergrad, I became a mentor to other students who were the first in their family to attend university in Canada. During law school, I worked my way up from caseworker … to summer student and ultimately articling student at Community Legal Aid. In these roles, I often mentored more junior law students who were working on client files, going to Court for the first time, etc.

When I started working in private practice, I often found myself working with students and junior lawyers. I enjoyed the opportunity to impart career advice or connect people with others who were better able to advise. I soon found that mentorship was the most rewarding part of my job, and decided that I wanted it to be the focus of my career.

UV: What is your favourite part about your role so far?

AL: The excitement, ambition, and kindness of the students have been so energizing and have made working with students the highlight of my role.

UV: Given that the 2L OCIs are rapidly approaching, what is something that you wish for all 2Ls to hear?

AL: The main thing I want 2L students to be aware of, if they choose to head into OCIs (and infirms), is that this recruit is not the only way to find a 2L summer job. Many more opportunities become available throughout 2L, particularly in the winter term, in addition to fellowships and externships supported by the faculty and donors.

UV: What is the worst/best advice that you’ve ever been told, and is there something that you’d like for all students to hear?

AL: Worst advice: “If you don’t enjoy public speaking, you shouldn’t pursue a career in litigation.” Growing up, I was very averse to public speaking. Even in law school, mooting was something I dreaded. However, volunteering and working at legal clinics taught me that litigation is in many ways distinct from public speaking and that it is very much a skill one can develop with practice. I ended up pursuing a career in litigation that I felt was exciting and fulfilling, despite having been a very anxious public speaker.

Best advice: “I am a human being, not a human doing.” – Kurt Vonnegut. This is one of my favourite quotes. It reminds me of the importance of being kind to oneself. I think all students should remember that law school is the beginning of an exciting and challenging career path (for those who choose to practice). Try to be present and enjoy your three years here, because they will fly by!

spring course as well!

Prof. Sarfaty expressed that she has already felt extremely welcomed by U of T Law’s vibrant and enthusiastic community. If you see her around, feel free to say hi, share your favourite running trails, and keep the good vibes going.

UV: What is your favourite restaurant in Toronto?

AL: This is a tough one! My favourite restaurant has been Little Sister (Dutch-Indonesian fusion) on Portland Street; however, I recently tried Bar Raval on College Street, which is now my new favourite spot.

UV: What is your favourite pasttime?

AL: It’s hard to choose just one, but I love reading a good thriller, while enjoying a steeped tea from Tim Hortons. (Feel free to ask me for book recommendations!)

UV: What is something fun that you did this summer?

AL: I played kickball in a recreational league (and had so much fun)!

UV: What is a typically unknown, funky fact about you?

AL: I consider myself a hobby dermatologist and love all things skincare!

Aglaia can be reached at her email, a.lowo@mail. utoronto.ca, and her cellphone, 416-978-1353. Her office is located on the third floor of the Jackman building, at room P304.

CHRISTINE WANG (3L JD/MBA)

U of T Law on Exchange

48 U of T Law students are studying abroad this year

ERIN LEE (2L)

This year, 48 U of T Law students are on exchange at 13 partner institutions located in 11 different countries. The Faculty’s International Exchange Program enables eligible JD students to study abroad for one semester at some of the world’s leading law schools. This year marks the second year of the program’s return after being put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the Faculty sent 38 exchange students to 15 different law schools across 11 countries.

The program allows upper-year JD students in good academic standing to go on exchange. During their exchange period, students may satisfy their International, Comparative, and Transnational (ICT) course requirement. However, students must complete all other required courses at the Faculty. Students hoping to participate in the exchange program in their second term of 3L must have successfully completed all of the JD requirements beforehand.

The Faculty currently has established exchange agreements with 16 law schools across 15 countries. Queen Mary University (London, UK) has the greatest number of U of T Law students, followed by Copenhagen University (Copenhagen, Denmark). However, the number of students at each institution does not necessarily indicate which destinations are the most desirable. Most schools offer limited spots, and placements are determined using a lottery system based on students’ ranked preferences of host institutions.

Student Programs Director Sara-Marni Hubbard noted a wider range of interests among students this year as compared to pre-pandemic years. Prior to 2020, the majority of students chose the same four cities: Amsterdam, Hong Kong, London, and Dublin. However, this year’s cohort has diversified their choices, with students pursuing their exchanges at Lund Uni-

versity (Lund, Sweden), the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Israel), and Auckland University (Auckland, New Zealand).

This year, U of T Law students are on exchange at the following 13 institutions:

• Center for Transnational Legal Studies (London, UK)

• Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Jerusalem, Israel)

• Lund University (Lund, Sweden)

• Lyon 3 – University Jean Moulin (Lyon, France)

• National University of Singapore (Singapore)

• Queen Mary University London (London, UK)

• Tel Aviv University (Tel Aviv, Israel)

• Trinity College Dublin (Dublin, Ireland)

• University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

• University of Auckland (Auckland, New Zealand)

• University of Copenhagen (Copenhagen, Denmark)

• University of Geneva (Geneva, Switzerland)

• University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong SAR)

• University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia)

Ultra Vires has reached out to two students on exchange this semester for comments on their experience abroad so far.

Janice Fung (3L) | Studying at Queen Mary University of London

UV: Why did you choose Queen Mary University?

Janice Fung (JF): I knew I wanted to explore more of Europe, and London felt like a great central travel hub! I also thought I would feel more comfortable being based in an English-speaking country.

UV: What surprised you the most about London?

JF: It takes 30-40 minutes to get anywhere no matter where you are. London is a much

bigger city than Toronto and will take some getting used to.

UV: What experience do you look forward to in London?

JF: London is such an international city, so I'm really looking forward to making new friends from around the world. Other than that, of course, travelling during the weekends!

Alyssa Wong (3L) | Studying at the University of Hong Kong

UV: Why did you choose the University of Hong Kong?

Alyssa Wong (AW): I came to Hong Kong with my family once when I was young and have always wanted to come back since then. I also wanted to improve my Cantonese, although it's fairly easy to get by without speaking any!

UV: What do you like most about Hong Kong?

AW: The food is amazing. There is no shortage of restaurants serving anything you can think of and plenty of places serve quick, cheap meals that cost CAD$6–7.

UV: What advice would you give to someone considering studying at the University of Hong Kong?

AW: Be prepared to walk! While it's really easy to get around the city using public transit, it is also very hilly, and there are stairs and slopes everywhere.

UV: What did you pack that turned out to be useful in Hong Kong?

AW: An umbrella and good shoes! For the first two weeks I was here, it was rainy and incredibly humid because of typhoons that forced us to stay indoors on the weekends. As a result, I was trying to get out as much as I could during the week and it would have been a much worse experience if I wasn't prepared.

TIFF Review: The Boy and The Heron

Miyazaki’s latest film asks How Do You Live?

MANREET BRAR (2L)

Note: Contains spoilers.

On September 7, the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) opened with Studio Ghibli’s highly anticipated The Boy and the Heron (2023), directed by Hayao Miyazaki.

Hayao Miyazaki is an animator, a filmmaker, and a co-founder of Studio Ghibli, a prominent Japanese animation studio. Miyazaki made his directorial debut with The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) and is behind beloved animated favourites such as My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). The Boy and the Heron marks Miyazaki’s long-awaited return since his previous film The Wind Rises (2013).

TIFF describes The Boy and the Heron as an “especially precious gift” before Miyazaki’s retirement. It was initially announced as an adaptation of Genzaburo Yoshino’s novel How Do You Live?, from which it derives its Japanese title, Kimitachi wa Do Ikiru ka (translated: “How Do You Live?”). Now, the prem-

ise of the novel instead serves as one of many layers within the film, which also draws upon Miyazaki’s own youth in Japan during the Second World War.

The Boy and the Heron’s official logline reads: “A young boy named Mahito longing for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead.” Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) loses his mother and moves to the countryside with his father (Takuya Kimura) to live with his mother’s sister and his father’s new wife, Natsuko (Yoshino Kimura). Suffering from grief and loneliness, Mahito explores the landscape, where he encounters a persistent grey heron (Masaki Suda) who leads him to an abandoned tower and the fantastical world within.

The Boy and the Heron showcases Miyazaki’s signature talent for beautiful world-building through both narrative and technical aspects. From the outset, the film masterfully forms a heartfelt connection between the audience and Mahito through the nuanced display of his emotional vulnerability.

The first act evokes a sense of wonder regarding the mystical realm within the abandoned tower created by Mahito’s mad great-uncle and the anthropomorphic heron-man. As Mahito ventures through the mystical realm, he encounters magical characters, such as giant parakeets, all of which contribute to the film’s “phantasmagoria.”

The film excellently weaves whimsicality and lightheartedness throughout its narrative which brings levity to heavier themes. For instance, the “warawara” are adorable white balloon-like entities that become the souls of future humans.

While The Boy and the Heron is fantastical, it is also deeply rooted in the socio-cultural context of Japan during the Second World War. Mahito’s father is shown working, in some capacity, for the Japanese military building fighter jets. Through his storytelling, Miyazaki explores the complexities of history, society, and the human condition, making his films simultaneously entertaining and thought-provoking.

Unfortunately, the second act falters, as it is bogged down with an overstuffed narrative that struggles to juggle too many themes. The storyline is laden with a plethora of details and metaphors which are not satisfactorily unravelled, and the storyline ultimately loses its narrative thread. The film’s attempt to pack numerous elements into its two-hour runtime makes it feel drawn-out and overwhelming to digest. Some scenes flow seamlessly despite quick transitions, such as when Mahito encounters his great-uncle in search of Natsuko in the abandoned tower. However, the latter half’s scenes feel more abrupt, demonstrating an overall ambitious complexity and making the film lack narrative cohesion.

Perhaps How Do You Live? could have been a fitting title, as the film begs the audience to question how one should move on from their grief while contributing to the harmony of their current world. The film deeply explores poignant themes of trau-

TIFF Review: The Boy and The Heron

Continued from page 7

MANREET BRAR (2L)

ma, change, and grief, particularly focusing on the profound pain of losing a parent and the extraordinary lengths one is willing to go to for a chance at reunion. Mortality, loneliness, and isolation also play central roles in the narrative, making for an emotionally charged viewing experience. However, at times, the heavy-handed metaphors seem unnecessary to carry out the message and spell out themes. Miyazaki’s other works demonstrate that subtle inclusion of a theme throughout a film may be more poignant than, for instance, the overt use of literal

building blocks to depict the balance of the greatuncle’s delicate world.

The Boy and the Heron’s animation is nothing short of phenomenal, a hallmark of Studio Ghibli’s iconic work. The beautiful animation breathes life into the story through immersive worlds filled with magical creatures, lush landscapes, awe-inspiring architecture, and mouth-watering food. The deliberate and intentional use of colour throughout the film is not only visually stunning but also emotionally evocative. The opening scene stands out in particular: as

Mahito runs towards his mother, he remains in focus while the background lines and colours blur amongst the striking flames and smoke, forming a tragically beautiful backdrop, almost as if the animation is struggling to catch up with Mahito.

As is typical in Miyazaki’s work, the soundtrack composed by Joe Hisaishi is outstanding. The music perfectly complements every scene while enhancing the emotional impact of key moments, drawing viewers deeper into the film’s world and complementing Mahito’s literal and emotional journey to great effect.

The Boy and the Heron was released in Japan in July, where it has already been “acclaimed as a masterpiece.” The film is scheduled to release in North American theatres on December 8, 2023. While The Boy and the Heron may not reach the storytelling heights of some of Miyazaki’s more celebrated films, it nevertheless weaves a visually stunning world filled with universal themes, accompanied by a charming and atmospheric soundtrack. For fans of Miyazaki's trademark brand of animation and storytelling, it is well worth a watch.

September in Music

A highlight of musical releases in September 2023

EMILY SARAH HEAN (3L)

September 2023 saw the release of a number of highly anticipated albums spanning various genres. In fact, according to Album of the Year, there were 870 Long Plays (LPs) and 251 Extended Plays (EPs) released. Given these prolific numbers, it bodes well to focus on the most “popular” releases—ones which have been most hyped by fans, news outlets, and even celebrities.

Possibly the most anticipated album of the month—at least, to teenage girls in their 20s—was Olivia Rodrigo’s sophomore release, GUTS , on September 8. Like her debut album, this album is once again featureless. While GUTS is officially categorized as pop, it is evident that the rock genre had some influence on the album’s overall sound and lyricism. Rodrigo has already done multiple live performances of songs from the album,

including on NBC’s Today show and at the VMAs. She also announced the GUTS World Tour this month, with Toronto performances on March 29 and 30, 2024.

The following Friday was another busy day for music, with Mitski, the Pretenders, Demi Lovato, and various other artists all dropping new albums. Previously, Mitski had already released three singles from The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We , a short album lasting approximately 30 minutes. This album is a perfect example of quality over quantity—there is a dreamy, picturesque quality to it that tells a story. There’s also something to be said about an album that can be comfortably consumed in one sitting—or, at the very least, without switching out the record. A local Toronto record store, Sonic Boom, hosted an early listening party for the album on September 13, two days be -

fore its release.

Similarly, The Pretenders released three singles in anticipation of their twelfth studio album, Relentless . While the album was originally anticipated to release on September 1, its actual release date was September 15. On September 3, when the Pretenders rocked out on stage at the Rogers Centre, Chrissie Hynde, lead vocalist and guitarist, demonstrated her exceptional vocals—which have not diminished in the slightest with age. Relentless is a strong album, mixing upbeat rock with melodic ballads—The Promise of Love , with its bluesy piano intro, is the first example to come to mind. The band has since been busy promoting the album with performances, opening for multiple bands, and headlining their own tour in Europe this month.

Speaking of rock music, Demi Lovato

makes her comeback as a rock artist with Revamped , a rock re-recording of some of her greatest hits. Multiple big names feature on this album, including Guns and Roses’ lead guitarist, Slash, and Bert McCracken from The Used. The album has been described as “unrecognizable,” alongside a host of other praises. Indeed, Lovato plays expertly with the sound of the songs, making each one musically interesting to listen to and undeniably reflective of the rock genre. In most cases, her vocals, which have always been rockoriented, are nearly identical to the original—one factor that makes this genre transition so successful. Revamped has been well-received, and Lovato got a chance to perform a number of the rockified songs at the VMAs just days before the album’s release.

It wouldn’t be an album wrap-up with -

CREDIT: THE RONIN.

out some mention of Taylor Swift—1989 (Taylor’s Version) comes out on October 27. On September 19, Swift brought back the famous vault track game, in which fans solve puzzles to find the names of new album tracks, with a twist—in order to play, Swifties googled “Taylor Swift” to commence an 89-puzzle sequence. 33 million completed puzzles were needed to unlock the vault, but it took less than 24 hours for Swifties to complete this task. A hidden voice message from Taylor announced the vault track titles, and Taylor finally revealed the entire tracklist, which includes 22 songs with no features.

On the same day, Jack Antonoff revealed that Bleachers’ fourth album is in the works, with the release of new single “Modern Girl” and promotion mentioning the term “B4.” The band’s last studio album was released in 2021, so fans are eager to see

what the next era of Bleachers will bring. This song prominently features upbeat saxophone lines mingled with an anthemic chorus sung in unison. Now, the question on everyone’s minds is whether we will see B4 before the end of 2023, or if we will be left waiting until 2024.

It is safe to say that September 2023 was an incredibly rich month for the music industry. This round-up barely scratches the surface, and many gems were inadvertently overlooked in the writing of this piece. With over 1000 releases, there was surely a release for every taste. October 2023 promises to be the same, with Drake’s For All the Dogs release date pushed to the 6th, the Taylor Swift: the Eras Tour movie on the 13th, rumours of a Maisie Peters Good Witch deluxe release, and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) on the 27th.

1989 (TAYLOR’S VERSION) BY TAYLOR SWIFT. CREDIT: TAYLOR SWIFT OFFICIAL STORE

REVAMPED BY DEMI LOVATO. CREDIT: ROAN RECORDS

RELENTLESS BY THE PRETENDERS. CREDIT: APPLE MUSIC

GUTS BY OLIVIA RODRIGO. CREDIT: APPLE MUSIC

Attention Transfer Students

How to make friends when you’re new in town

MICHAEL CHEN (2L)

As I reached the three-week mark in my 2L journey at U of T Law, it was time for some introspection. The overall transfer experience has been notably positive, gradually alleviating my initial anxieties. However, transitioning from a close-knit 1L group at the University of Ottawa hasn’t been without its challenges, occasionally evoking a sense of solitude when I see bar nights being organized in our previous small group chats. I decided to check in with my adopted family of transfer students and discuss their experiences thus far.

During our conversations, a common thread became evident. Our primary concerns did not revolve around the 2L OCI process, the substantial tuition increase relative to other Ontario law schools, or even academic challenges (though one student did voice concerns about not knowing where they stood in a "non-bell curve" grading system that is unique to U of T Law). Instead, we all grappled with some degree of insecurity when connecting with our peers and forming meaningful bonds with other upperyear students. For many transfer students, the central issue boiled down to one question: How can we achieve social integration when tight-

knit bonds within 1L small groups have already solidified?

To future transfer students, I'd like to share five steps I've personally taken to address this concern:

1. Participate in the Transfer and Exchange Student Orientation

The Faculty hosts a dedicated orientation session for transfer and exchange students on the first day of the semester. During this session, you'll gain insight into the resources available at the law school and receive an overview of extracurricular activities. To help you get acquainted with the campus, an upper-year student will provide a guided tour of the law buildings. More importantly, this event offers a valuable opportunity to connect with peers in the same circumstances as you. Building those initial connections is easier during lunch, and yes, it's free. It’s strongly encouraged to attend this event, so make every effort to be there—it's worth it!

2. Enroll in the Student Mentorship Program and connect with your mentor

In late July, you'll receive an email from Admissions inviting you to join the Peer Mentor Program. Ensure you submit your application by the August 1 deadline. I highly recommend taking advantage of this opportunity; my peer mentor, who coincidentally shares my first name, has been an invaluable resource. It's a simple way to acquaint yourself with some incredibly helpful and genuinely fantastic law students. Of course, your experience may vary, but my mentor even organized a party that I'll be attending.

3. For those participating in OCIs, enroll in the 2L Recruit Buddy Program

Upon receiving your transfer admissions email, reach out to the Career Development Office to inquire about the OCI recruit buddy program. My own recruit buddy has proven exceptionally valuable in offering guidance for navigating the insane OCI process. She is also super nice and generally a great human to be around. Additionally, it's a great opportunity to know another friendly face on campus!

4. Check out the Clubs Fair

One of the easiest ways to meet new friends is to share a similar interest or hobby. Fortunately, the law school hosts a club fair at the beginning of the fall semester. I strongly recommend you attend and join clubs that align with your interests. If you want to get a preview of what's available, you can check out the active clubs on the U of T Law website.

5. Email the Students’ Law Society (SLS)

Admissions might overlook sending the transfer student email list to SLS, which organizes various social events. To be in the loop and stay informed about events like Call to the Bar, shoot an email to the SLS to ensure you get on their mailing list. Attending social events organized by fellow law students is an excellent way to expand your circle of friends!

These steps are all based on my personal experiences. While I can't claim to have fully settled in, I can certainly say that Jackman feels much more like home today than it did on Sep -

5 Coffee Shops for Your Next Study Date

Get in loser, we’re going for a little treat.

VIVIAN LI (3L) WITH ASSISTANCE FROM RAE GOFF (3L)

Tired of the Starbucks on Bloor? Try these new alternatives instead:

1. The Oats Kafe (31 Phipps St.)

This little Vietnamese cafe is a great place for a lunch study session. Grab one of their banh mi specials for fuel as you type away at your latest reflection paper. Do be warned, though: the space is pretty small, so it might be hard to find seating if you come in a group. Save this one for a solo or duo study date instead.

2. The Sidekick (1374 Queen St. E.)

East end girlies, this one’s for you. The Sidekick is a cute little comic book store that also serves up coffee, tea, snacks, and alcoholic beverages. Spend a cozy afternoon there doing admin readings—and when you’re done, you can grab a much needed drink without ever leaving the building.

3. Aroma (1110 Bay St.)

Sometimes you just need a dependable, chain latte that feels just a *smidge* fancier than your typical Tims or Starbucks. Aroma is a law student staple for a reason, but with popularity comes a price. This coffee shop is typically on the busier side, so expect a noisier and more crowded atmosphere. While it may not be the place to write your final papers, it’s a good spot for killing some time with your friends between classes.

4. Hello Coffee (800 Bloor St. W.)

This little shop in the west end comes fully equipped with wifi and an outlet under each table, as well as pumpkin spiced drinks in both hot and cold variations. While the cafe is small in size, there

are plenty of empty tables on weekdays, making it a good place to study on afternoons when you don’t have classes or when the law library is crowded. Also, if anyone tries the banana hot chocolate, please let me know if it’s good!

Ok, so this last one isn’t actually a coffee shop, but it deserves a mention nonetheless. It’s got ample seating, lots of outlets, and free wifi—what more

could you want? It’s also only a 15 minute walk from the law school, so it’s perfect for those days when you can’t stand the Fishbowl but don’t want to stray too far. Plus there’s a Balzac’s in the lobby, so you can still get your caffeine fix before that 6pm class.

5. The Toronto Reference Library (789 Yonge St.)

THE TORONTO REFERENCE LIBRARY. CREDIT: ALYSSA WONG

Beer and Class Pairings to Get You Through the Semester

A boozy start to the school year with the Craft Beer Club

ABBEY BUTLER (3L) AND ALEX NYIKOS (2L)

Note: Do not consume alcohol during class! That’s what Craft Beer Club and Call to the Bar nights are for. This article is for entertainment purposes only.

Has the start of the new school year got you feeling down and in need of a little pickme-up? Can’t hold out until after class to start feeling warm and fuzzy? How about trying one of these delightful beverages, expertly paired with the class in which they will be most enjoyed (and most needed):

Criminal Law: Berry White (raspberry wheat ale), Sons of Kent

Legal Ethics: Delirium Tremens (blond ale), Brewery

Huyghe

Is your head in the clouds while you’re trying to understand Vavilov ? Check out this hoppy, refreshing IPA to give you a brief respite while you’re recharging your brain power. Oh, and we won’t judge you if you pick this beer simply because of the pretty design on the can.

Any 8:30am course: Mezza Notte (espresso milk stout), Bar Volo

Sometimes the Cognomos gods shine their light upon you. Other times, they stick you in an 8:30am lecture like Law of Work or Canadian Income Tax. If you were up late the night before finishing your readings—or, let’s face it, scrolling through Instagram—then consider energizing yourself with this espresso milk stout to make it through the morning. With a smooth, creamy texture and a mildly sweet taste, this beer may even make you enjoy getting up for that 8:30.

Hegel's Legal Philosophy: Westmalle Tripel (tripel ale), Westmalle Abbey

Bonus: Financial Crimes and Corporate Compliance: 2016 Civility Chardonnay, 16 Mile Cellar

Perhaps you’re a 1L, struggling to keep up with your Crim readings, longing for a simpler time when you cared more about playgrounds and dinosaurs than wilful blindness and unlawful act manslaughter. If that sounds anything like you, then relax with a pint of this fruity wheat ale. With a light pink colour, aromas of raspberry and citrus, and only 4 percent ABV, this beer will make you feel like you’re a kid again, drinking from a juicebox. And kids don’t have to worry about starting their outlines. But since you might, this could make you feel better.

At 8.5 percent ABV, this beer is strong enough to help you push through anything—even an Ethics lecture that runs from 6:10pm-8pm on Monday nights. The golden colour and airy texture will help you pretend that Reading Week has come early and you’re relaxing somewhere far, far away. And who doesn’t need a bit of time away?

Administrative Law: Life in the Clouds (New England IPA), Collective Arts

Complex. Esoteric. Made by monks. Almost as strong as some wines, if you're looking to branch out at your next symposium. Much like one’s understanding of (or wrestle with) Hegel, its flavour develops over time, undergoing a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Available at Prenup Pub, it pairs exquisitely with sausages, apple pie, and sophisticated legal thought.

Though not a beer, this pairing is too exceptional to overlook. The names of the wines from 16 Mile Cellar—such as Rebel, Renegade, Tenacity, and Incivility—are a nod to the owner Joseph Groia, a lawyer who became engaged in a prolonged legal battle against charges of incivility by the Law Society of Upper Canada. If you’re lucky, Professor Jull may once again invite Groia to speak to the class in person this semester (perhaps with a plug for his winery). Learn about being a zealous advocate for your client while you enjoy a glass from some “zealous” Niagara winemakers.

Abbey Butler and Alex Nyikos are Co-Presidents of the U of T Law Craft Beer Club.

BERRY WHITE (RASPBERRY WHEAT ALE), SONS OF KENT. CREDIT: SONS OF KENT BREWING CO.

DELIRIUM TREMENS (BLOND ALE), BREWERY HUYGHE. CREDIT: BREWERY HUYGHE

ARTS BREWERY

WESTMALLE TRIPEL (TRIPEL ALE), WESTMALLE ABBEY. CREDIT: WESTMALLE TRAPPIST

2016 CIVILITY CHARDONNAY, 16 MILE CELLAR. CREDIT: 16 MILE CELLAR

Donner Fellowship Recaps

This summer’s Donner Fellows share their experiences and advice

SHELBY HOHMANN (2L)

Background

Funded through a donation from the Donner Canadian Foundation, Donner Civic Leadership Fund Fellowships have a value of up to $10,000 and are awarded to fund summer student roles with public interest organizations. While previously students had to arrange their own fellowship placements, the Faculty has begun to pre-arrange placements for some students. 1Ls and 2Ls can apply for their desired Donner Fellowship positions through the Law School Summer Employment Program (LSSEP)—which accepts applications early second semester—without needing to draft their own project proposals or coordinate directly with organizations.

Beltran worked in three departments during her tenure with CCHR: Services and Education, Strategic Litigation and Law Reform, and Policy Advocacy. Her duties as a Donner Fellow included legal research and writing as well as client intake. Beltran drafted memos for CCHR to support arguments made in LTB hearings and their submissions to provincial legislatures regarding housing laws. She was also responsible for her own caseload, providing clients with legal information regarding topics such as eviction rights, housing discrimination, and applications. The best part of Beltran’s summer was getting to see the tangible impacts of her and CCHR’s work. For example, a memo she wrote on a Friday afternoon was used in a Monday morning hearing and helped to get the matter dismissed within seven minutes in the CCHR’s client’s favour.

strengthened Beltran’s summer experience and helped expand her legal knowledge and skills. Although having minimal knowledge of tenant rights from 1L Property initially presented a bit of a learning curve, her time as a Donner Fellow with CCHR was incredibly rewarding.

In terms of advice for those who may be interested in pursuing similar public interest roles over their 1L summers, Beltran says not to fear going into a role where you don’t have a lot of familiarity or experience with the area of law you are working in—you will be given space to learn and be provided with a knowledgeable support system.

Ostara McDonald (2L) - Innocence Canada

of Appeal for Ontario (ONCA) to help with procedural matters. Once a week, McDonald and the rest of the summer students participated in Zoom meetings highlighting individuals working in wrongful convictions. These educational sessions demonstrated the many different aspects of the field. For example, one guest was a forensic pathologist who discussed how flies can be studied and used as evidence of an accused’s innocence in cases involving bodily decomposition. Innocence Canada also hosted people like the Career Development Office (CDO) Director Theresa Chan to provide students with broader career advice. This confirmed for McDonald that the organization genuinely cared about her success even beyond the summer.

Hannah

Beltran (2L JD/MBA) - Canadian Centre for Housing Rights

Over the summer, Hannah Beltran worked at the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights (CCHR). CCHR works to advance the right to housing in Canada. The organization advocates for tenants’ rights and protections, especially those who are low-income. They represent clients at the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) in Toronto and intervene in cases related to housing rights nationwide.

Overall, Beltran found that working within CCHR’s litigation department strengthened her interest in pursuing a career in the field. She is glad she took advantage of the day-to-day opportunities presented to her during her time with CCHR—she only wrote the seven-minutedismissal memo after a message asking for lastminute help was sent out to all summer students, and she volunteered to assist. Essentially, any role is what you make of it. Volunteering to go above and beyond what she was required to do

As a Donner Fellow, Ostara McDonald served as a caseworker with Innocence Canada, an organization dedicated to advocating for wrongfully convicted individuals and preventing future injustices.

McDonald’s work centred around one focal case. In her role, she reviewed the court transcripts and other relevant documents to prepare a memo in which she preliminarily assessed whether the case was one with which the organization should move forward. She also gained experience in practical matters by assisting the staff lawyers with filing and attending the Court

One of the highlights of McDonald’s time with Innocence Canada was attending the exoneration of Bernard Doyle, a St. John’s man wrongfully convicted in the death of his partner’s son, which was ultimately revealed to have been accidental in nature. On June 12, ONCA heard new evidence regarding the 1996 incident and agreed to overturn Doyle’s conviction and enter an acquittal. McDonald felt genuinely involved with and appreciated by Innocence Canada as she got to attend this important and impactful event, which was featured in national news. She also had the opportunity to meet other exonerees and see firsthand the organiza -

tion’s impact when she went to their Annual General Meeting.

As someone who also participated in the 1L Recruit, McDonald emphasizes that not landing a firm job does not preclude you from having a fulfilling summer. She enjoyed her time with Innocence Canada so much that she is continuing her work with them through the Faculty of Law’s externship program.

Sharon Liyento (2L JD/MSW-ITR)Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund

Sharon Liyento was a Donner Fellow with the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). LEAF seeks to advance gender equality through case intervention, education, and law reform. The organization also publishes reports and working papers. They often intervene in cases related to gender-based violence, socioeconomic rights, sexual assault and consent law, and family law.

Liyento’s main responsibility over the summer was assisting with research for LEAF’s upcoming case interventions and coding research data for their Alternative Justice Mechanisms project, whose final report will be released soon. Additionally, she conducted research on topics such as the charitable statuses of anti-abortion organizations and the impact of marital status on disability benefits. Liyento participated in LEAF’s Equality Day event, which featured notable guests, a drag show, and many lawyers in attendance. The event was focused on showcasing LEAF’s advocacy and raising funds to continue supporting its mission.

Given that this was her first time working in a legal role, Liyento was grateful to have worked in a small, close-knit team of lawyers whose work closely aligned with her ultimate career aspirations, which include working with a public interest organization. She was also able to realize that she prioritizes a role that includes more of a balance between client-facing and individu-

al work, which she may not have known without her experience at LEAF.

Liyento recommends leveraging background skills and focusing on applying to jobs that are truly and personally interesting. Not only will this narrow the field (which may feel necessary given the broad range of interesting Donner Fellowships offered), but it helps ensure that you can speak candidly and genuinely in your interviews. Liyento’s past roles, which included volunteering for a sexual assault crisis line, working with McMaster’s Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office, and working with the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights’ Reproductive Rights Working Group, were applicable to LEAF, and she was able to highlight them during the interview process. She believes these sorts of relevant experiences make a strong candidate and can demonstrate interest in a fellowship even in the absence of any actual legal experience.

Potential Improvements

Some interviewees expressed feelings that the LSSEP process could have been made less stressful—a sentiment with which I, as a fellow participant, agree. Overall, they expressed that emailing candidates individually with offers felt a bit chaotic and that perhaps a ranking system, whereby candidates and organizations rank one another through U of T Law Connect (UTLC), may have streamlined the process.

Nevertheless, interviewees expressed gratitude for the CDO’s advocacy and support throughout the job search process and during the summer. Beltran recounted how the CDO helped ensure that her and other JD/MBA students did not miss out on opportunities due to their program’s earlier start date. McDonald also shared that when she sustained a concussion in early June, the CDO and Innocence Canada were extremely understanding and did not pressure her to go back to work before she was ready.

HANNAH BELTRAN. CREDIT: LASSMAN STUDIOS PHOTOGRAPHY

OSTARA MCDONALD.

SHARON LIYENTO.

The International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law

An independent student-led publication

2022–23 Rights Review Editorial Board

Editors-in-Chief: Fatima Aamir (3L) and Duncan Crabtree (3L)

Senior Editors: Hannah Beltran (2L), Jason Quinn (2L), and Vidit Desai (2L)

Junior Editors: Yasmin Rajwani (1L) and Daniel Edmeades (2L)

Online Editor: Cassie Heward (1L)

A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE IDLO ADVOCATING

FOR JUSTICE AND SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT

By Samantha Misner (3L JD/MGA)

This summer, I had the incredible opportunity to work as a research intern in the Research and Learning Department at the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) at the Hague. The IDLO is the only global intergovernmental organization exclusively devoted to promoting the rule of law to advance peace and sustainable development. Their work centers around empowering governments and individuals to reform laws; strengthen institutions; and promote peace, justice, sustainable development, and economic opportunities in more than 90 countries worldwide.

My primary responsibilities during this internship revolved around supporting the production of two knowledge products slated for publication in 2023. These projects offered a deep dive into two interesting aspects of international development and human rights law: the transformation of the Kenyan judiciary and a policy brief advocating for a peoplecentered approach to pre-trial detention.

The Transformation of the Kenyan Judiciary

The country brief on the transformation of the Kenyan judiciary aimed to analyze the transformation in the Kenyan judiciary since the adoption of the 2010 Constitution. Further, it aimed to shed light on the IDLO's work with the Kenyan judiciary, providing valuable insights for national and international policymakers and practitioners. My role involved extensive research, including writing a comprehensive 30-page memo exploring the intersection of justice, democracy, and stability, with a focus on the role of the judiciary in democratization and peace-building.

To compile the country brief, I synthesized various project documents and conducted interviews with key informants both within the IDLO's Kenya country office and external experts within the Kenyan judiciary. Subsequently, I co-drafted the report and co-edited it based on feedback from various stakeholders, including my manager, director, the IDLO’s research gender team, and the Kenya country office. I also developed a communications package to facilitate the dissemination of the report, recognizing its potential to influence critical policy decisions.

A People-Centered Approach to Pre-Trial Detention

The policy brief advocating for a people-centered approach to pre-trial detention sought to identify legal and institutional policy changes within the formal justice sector that would reduce pre-trial detention while also exploring state and non-state based complementary interventions. The overarching goal was to promote a measurable and sustainable reduction in pre-trial detention over the long term.

During the summer, I conducted interviews with professionals who possessed extensive experience and expertise in pre-trial detention and conducted desk research on the topic. This research was instrumental in crafting the initial 60-page draft of the policy brief, which was enriched by feedback from within the organization. Additionally, I organized a consultation with experts, specifically focusing on the pre-trial detention of juveniles and young adults, to ensure that the final publication addressed this critical issue comprehensively.

Exploring Customary and Informal Justice

One of the most intriguing aspects of my internship was delving into the realm of customary and informal justice systems. I organized and facilitated a consultation involving 23 top experts in the field of customary and informal justice, with an audience of approximately 45 people, including a delegation of 20 African Supreme Court Justices.

My research, particularly in collaboration with the Kenyan judiciary, revealed an interesting perspective. Many experts within the Kenyan legal system emphasized the need to reframe the discourse surrounding customary and informal justice. For them, these systems were not "informal" but rather the original justice systems in Kenya. These systems have regained recognition as the main justice systems, as outlined in the 2010 Constitution. The terms "informal" or "alternative" justice systems were often viewed as a Western concept. Instead, these systems should be considered legitimate justice systems, working in tandem with the "formal" court system to provide diverse avenues for justice to citizens. This perspective highlights the evolving nature of terminology and its alignment with local contexts.

Personal Development and Networking

Beyond contributing to these impactful projects, my internship at the IDLO provided me with invaluable personal and professional growth. It allowed me to deepen my knowledge of international development, international human rights law, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I gained hands-

on experience in research methodologies and technical writing. Further, I learned about the inner workings of international development programming, institutional learning, and influencing policy making.

Living in The Hague, a city known as the International City of Peace and Justice, afforded me the opportunity to connect with numerous legal experts in international human rights law. I attended events hosted by prominent organizations such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), expanding my understanding of the field and building a robust professional network.

Conclusion

My internship at the IDLO was a transformative experience that deepened my understanding of international development law and policy. Working on impactful projects, participating in consultations with experts, and engaging with professionals in the field broadened my horizons and expanded my network.

Exploring the dynamics of customary and informal justice was particularly enlightening, showcasing the importance of cultural sensitivity and context in international development work. As I reflect on my time at the IDLO, I am grateful for the knowledge and experiences gained, and I look forward to continuing my journey in the field of international development and human rights law, advocating for justice, peace, and sustainable development.

PHOTO FROM THE CONSULTATION ON CUSTOMARY AND INFORMAL PATHWAYS TO TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE I

ORGANIZED. CREDIT: SAMANTHA MISNER

MYSELF AND SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE HAGUE OFFICE. CREDIT: SAMANTHA MISNER

The International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law An independent student-led publication

A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE HRLU ADVOCATING FOR THE UNHCR’S PERSONS OF CONCERN

By Jeffrey Ma (3L)

This summer, I had the privilege of interning in the Human Rights Liaison Unit (“HRLU”) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (“UNHCR”) through the International Human Rights Program (“IHRP”). In reflecting upon my experience, I feel confident in saying that my internship was monumental with respect to both personal and professional growth. In my role, I was afforded the chance to work on projects which felt truly meaningful and which painted a much clearer picture of what a career in international law might actually look like. I am deeply grateful to have had the chance to work in a team of dedicated and passionate professionals and to integrate myself into the vibrant and di-

verse intern community at UNHCR. Meeting and befriending so many talented and passionate people from around the world has been an irreplaceable experience and has allowed me to forge connections which I hope will remain far into the future.

In the broadest sense, the HRLU’s work lies at the juncture between human rights law (i.e., international human rights treaties, treaty bodies committees, etc.) and UNHCR’s persons of concern. While the HRLU is a relatively small unit, it falls within the broader Protection Policy and Legal Advice Section, under the Division of International Protection. Accordingly, throughout the summer, I was given the chance to work on topics which concerned

both international human rights law and international refugee law. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to not only approach these topics from the perspective of legal research, but also to observe and participate in their practical application under the supervision of two incredibly kind and knowledgeable supervisors.

One of my first assignments working in the HRLU was to support the unit in a Human Rights Engagement Workshop which was to be held in person with UNHCR field colleagues in Iraq. I conducted research on the international, regional, and national human rights frameworks in Iraq in order to better inform the training workshop. This included reviewing the treaty body committees’ most recent reports relating to the nine core international human rights treaties and distilling the most relevant recommendations contained therein. I also had the opportunity to research frameworks such as the regional Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s human rights framework, as well as Iraq’s own national human rights infrastructure. While I did not get to go to Iraq in person, this assignment allowed me to better understand the relationship between regional and national frameworks and how they interact with realities on the ground.

The most substantive (and exciting) assignment I worked on during my time with the HRLU was attending the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council (“HRC 53”), which is the primary human rights body of the United Nations. HRC 53 covered a vast array of human rights topics including the Rohingya refugee crisis, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the conflict in Sudan, and the human rights implications of emerging digital technologies. In my role, I attended and took notes on sessions most relevant to UNHCR’s persons of concern. Further, I helped lead UNHCR’s engagement with HRC 53 through coordinating with colleagues who were subject-matter focal points. While the prospect of attending the HRC session was certainly intimidating at first, having the opportunity to attend such a significant forum allowed me to cultivate a much deeper understanding of numerous human rights issues and the manner in which such

concerns often intersect.

While HRC 53 was the primary conference I attended during my time with the HRLU, I also had the opportunity to attend several other conferences on relevant topics. This included the RightsCon conference on human rights in the digital age and the Global Summit on Gender and Nationality Laws. Another conference I was able to participate in was the Fourth Annual Nelson Mandela Human Rights Lecture, which complemented the 15th Nelson Mandela Human Rights Moot Competition. For this conference, I drafted the statement of the Assistant High Commissioner, who was slated to provide opening remarks for the event. While I did not get to attend the event in person, this opportunity was deeply exciting and a highlight of my time with the HRLU.

Finally, while interning at UNHCR, I had the opportunity to work with the Intern Board. Composed of around a dozen interns, the Intern Board serves to improve the livelihoods and well-being of interns at UNHCR. This includes the organization of recreational social activities as well as more serious matters such as fair pay and treatment. Despite being a relatively young organization, the Intern Board (along with the Fair Internship Initiative) was responsible for successfully advocating for non-sponsored interns at UNHCR to be financially compensated for their work through a travel/living stipend. Much of the Intern Board’s work remains in its early stages, but during my time, I saw many exciting ideas take off, including the drafting of a constitution and the establishment of a global UNHCR intern directory. In addition, I got to meet with the High Commissioner himself and assist in composing a survey and research report on timely pay and working conditions. Above all else, participating in the Intern Board provided me with an opportunity to connect and befriend an amazing group of young professionals who I hope will remain close friends long into the future. To any future IHRP fellow who may seek to pursue this opportunity, I strongly encourage you to do the same!

A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT MEDIA DEFENCE, LONDON ADVOCATING FOR FREE SPEECH

By Sarah Farb (2L)

My summer at Media Defence was a transformative experience for me as a student and future lawyer. While working here, I had the opportunity to engage in research at the cutting edge of free speech litigation, work closely with lawyers in the field, and gain ample hands-on exposure to the practicalities of the international legal process as it pertains to defamation and privacy litigation. Overall, my brief time here has clarified my interests in law and oriented me for the years ahead, and I am grateful to both the IHRP and the welcoming community at Media Defence for making it all possible.

Media Defence’s mandate is to provide legal help to journalists, organizations, and independent reporters across the globe who are under threat for their reporting. These threats often come from the victims’ own governments, the governments of other states, or high-powered corporations eager to suppress unflattering coverage. The accordant help that Media Defence provides takes a variety of forms. On some occasions, the organization opts to litigate cases itself, representing clients in strategic cases before international bodies or intervening in key cases as amicus curiae, often in collaboration with other non-profits in the sector. At other times, Media Defence takes a support-based approach, providing

legal guidance to domestic lawyers working on the ground to defend embattled journalists and other vulnerable groups whose speech has been stifled or compromised. Media Defence is deeply committed to safeguarding freedom of expression across the globe, and in the two and a half months that I got to be a part of their team, I learned about the organization’s advocacy for individuals in Europe, Asia, Africa, and beyond.

I was eager to reach out to Media Defence when my fellowship application process began because the organization sits at the intersection of the passions that led me through my undergraduate degree and into law school: free and open journalism, dem -

ocratic policy, and the way in which the law can be harnessed to safeguard both these values. Over my time, I loved seeing just how deeply these tenets inform Media Defence’s work, animating their advocacy and guiding the selection process for the organization’s ever-expanding list of cases. Equally, however, I have appreciated the opportunity to travel beneath those overarching ideals into the practical realities of global litigation. As a non-governmental organization with a staff of lawyers, Media Defence has the freedom to work on cases of great social and public importance while tackling that work with in-house expertise and efficiency. As their legal intern this summer, I applied erstwhile research and

INTERNS AT UNHCR HEADQUARTERS IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND. CREDIT: JEFFREY MA

The International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law

An independent student-led publication

writing skills to entirely new legal problems, while becoming much more familiar with the practicalities of the legal process. It is this combination of attributes—Media Defence’s dual focus on the political and the practical—that made this summer so fulfilling for me.

When I reflect on the work I did at Media Defence, perhaps the aspect I most appreciate is the way my supervisors strived to learn about my specific interests and assign me tasks that corresponded to those areas. For instance, having long been fascinated by the growing tension between technology and privacy in media, my first major assignment this summer required me to investigate the nature and proliferation of a form of spyware, which various authoritarian regimes are suspected of using to surveil their opponents. Shortly thereafter, I researched the mistreatment of foreign care workers in Europe, supporting Media Defence’s potential defence of an individual sued for creating a platform on which care workers share their experiences. Having studied the phenomenon of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) in Torts in 1L, the opportunity to watch such a case unfold in real-time—and to be part of the team attempting to thwart it—was deeply exciting.

Throughout the summer, I also acted as a general support to the legal team, taking on others’ work whenever capacity was low and wherever I was qualified to do so. Since much of Media Defence’s supplementary work focuses on legal education, including updating the training for domestic litigators around the world, my work often involved preparing presentations about emerging trends in free speech law or conducting preliminary research for those presentations. Accordingly, I often found my -

self harnessing insights from 1L to compile materials on topics like defamation and its defences or new developments in the law. Relatedly, I got to familiarize myself with adjacent trends, such as the advent of antiSLAPP procedures in some sub-Saharan African jurisdictions.

Furthermore, in my role as a support for the legal team, I was able to get hands-on experience assisting the group on multiple filings at the European Court of Human Rights. While my responsibilities consisted of clerical tasks (double- and triple-checking documents, confirming chronologies and spellings, making copies, paginating, etc.), being a part of the mechanics of the filing in that way allowed me to truly steep myself in the process, becoming familiar with both the substance of the given case and the process of applying to the Court. Carrying out these tasks made me more confident in my understanding of the law and better acquainted with the international legal process.

My experience with Media Defence has had a profound effect on my anticipated trajectory as a law student and eventual lawyer. Whether I was compiling research memoranda, creating external reading lists, or drafting issue-based presentations, my tasks this summer piqued my interest in defamation in a global, rather than purely domestic, context. The paradox of law school is that one seldom knows which areas of law one is interested in before working in the field, but fulfilling fieldwork itself requires at least a loose understanding of one’s interests. I feel like I have managed to circumvent that paradox somewhat by getting such thorough exposure to this area of litigation this summer, and I am thankful for the measure of clarity the experience has afforded me about my potential future in the profession.

A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE GLAN

MAKING AN INTERNATIONAL IMPACT WITH LEGAL ACTION FROM HOME

By Andrew Parker (3L)

This summer, I spent 12 weeks working alongside Bellingcat and the Global Legal Action Network’s Justice & Accountability Unit. My desire to work with Bellingcat stemmed from my passion for open-source investigations and familiarity with Bellingcat’s work. As the former Deputy Director of the Venezuela Accountability Project here at the University of Toronto’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP), I was already familiar with conducting an open-source investigation into violations of international law. In addition, Bellingcat is viewed by many as a leader in public interest open-source investigations, with its investigators contributing to the Berkeley Protocol, the world’s first international guide on best practices in opensource investigations. Navalny, a documentary which won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Documentary, follows, in part, a Bellingcat investigation into the poisoning of Russian political leader Alexei Navalny. Likewise, the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) describes itself as an “independent organisation made up of legal practitioners, investigative journalists and academics.” GLAN seeks to promote social justice through legal action, focusing on four core themes: war and occupation; environmental and economic justice; migration and border violence; and accountability

and supply chains. GLAN’s legal work has included, for example, bringing litigation against the United Kingdom for importing goods produced using forced labour.

My most substantial project this summer was a lengthy research guide on the elements of crimes against humanity for use by the European Union Advisory Mission Ukraine, which I spent several weeks writing. This involved thoroughly examining the facts of crimes against humanity case law from the International Criminal Court, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Ultimately, my research was used to assist Ukrainian legal professionals in understanding the elements of international crimes.

Beyond that project, I also worked on Bellingcat’s Global Authentication Project (GAP). Composed primarily of volunteers and led by Bellingcat investigators, GAP aims to “expose wrongdoing and to detail and clarify incidents using open-source information.” The GAP project I contributed to is an investigation into incidents of civilian harm in Ukraine. For myself and my fellow GAP members, this work involved scrutinizing digital evidence for clues that might help investigators corroborate an

incident. A great deal of this work involved geolocation -- the process of identifying the exact geographical location where an incident occurred. Generally, geolocating evidence requires an investigator to search for identifiable or unique visual clues which suggest that the incident may have occurred in a particular location. Avid TikTokers might be familiar with Trevor Rainbolt, a content creator renowned for his lightning-fast geolocations. Unlike Trevor Rainbolt, however, my geolocations often involve spending hours examining a piece of evidence in detail for any clues as to the location of an incident, a painstaking process of elimination and informed guesswork. Ultimately, I truly enjoyed my work and am grateful to Bellingcat and GLAN for allowing me to join their team this summer.

Still, this summer was not without its hiccups. Bellingcat is based in Amsterdam. However, I had to work remotely because two of my oldest friends were getting married in Saskatchewan this summer. As a result, I endured the usual challenges associated with remote work—namely, staying motivated and on task. Bellingcat’s horizontal organizational structure compounded these difficulties. At Bellingcat, researchers are encouraged to pursue the work which most interests them. The

same applies to summer students. As a result, myself and my "fellow fellows" and I were largely in charge of our own summer experiences, which enabled us to choose the projects we found most interesting. However, occasionally, this caused us some lulls in the workflow if, for example, we had finished our work and there was no room for us to contribute to other projects. Overall, however, my experience with Bellingcat and GLAN was overwhelmingly positive.

As an unusual two-time IHRP Fellow, I am likely best suited to evaluate the fellowship experience. It is hard to overstate how valuable my time as an IHRP Fellow has been. Last summer, with Amnesty International, I contributed directly to Amnesty International Canada’s legal work, writing memos, drafting letters to United Nations Special Rapporteurs, and drafting a section of a factum. This year, with Bellingcat, I worked on various legal and non-legal projects aimed at advancing international justice in Ukraine. As a student interested in public interest work, IHRP fellowships have allowed me to explore work in various public interest fields in unique ways. For other students fighting the pull of Big Law, the IHRP fellowship is, without a doubt, the best opportunity to explore other kinds of legal practices.

AT THE OFFICE. CREDIT: SARAH FARB

The International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law

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A SUMMER INTERNSHIP AT THE IHRP

ADVANCING THE FIELD OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS BY HOLDING CANADA ACCOUNTABLE

By Manreet Brar (2L)

This past summer, I worked as an in-house research fellow with the International Human Rights Program (IHRP) at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. It was an immensely rewarding experience through which I honed my legal research and writing skills and learned about the field of international human rights law. I look forward to remaining involved with the IHRP as a co-lead for the Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan Working Group.

The IHRP, as part of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, is an international human rights centre through which students can engage in meaningful social change. The IHRP aims to advance the field of international human rights law by encouraging Canada to adhere to its international obligations, particularly in the areas of corporate and state accountability, climate justice, and Indigenous rights. The IHRP advances the legal protection of existing and emerging international human rights obligations through legal channels and civil society in its student experiential learning opportunities, both components with which I interacted closely during my term. The IHRP’s experiential learning opportunities for students include clinical

legal education, working groups, Rights Review publications, and summer fellowships.

The IHRP’s commitment to international human rights law drew me to the summer inhouse research fellow position. Having been a member of the Women’s Human Rights Resources (WHRR) Working Group during my first year of law school, I gained exposure to women’s international human rights issues. I chose to work with the IHRP as a research fellow to broaden the surface-level understanding of human rights law and international law I gained with the WHRR. Additionally, a research-based position at the IHRP presented an exceptional opportunity to use the research and writing skills I had gained in a theoretical setting during the academic year.

I came to the clinic with a limited understanding of international law and practically no hands-on research experience. Throughout the summer, I acquired a deeper and more nuanced grasp of international law. Prior to this opportunity, I naïvely thought that working in international law narrowly involved working for the United Nations or other international diplomatic institutions. In fact, work in international law is broad and diverse—you can work for a corporate firm, incorporating

VOI, Why?

international law within domestic legislation or securing reparations for victims of human rights violations in South Africa, much like IHRP Director Sandra Wisner has done.

As the summer in-house research fellow, I worked closely with Sandra Wisner to revamp the IHRP clinic course and conduct background research pertinent to IHRP’s partners and potential clients. One of the major projects I worked on this summer was drafting a comprehensive memorandum on the incorporation of international law within the Canadian judicial landscape. The memo explored the theoretical basis for international law incorporation; the practical application and interpretation of international law principles by Canadian courts; the evolution of Canadian cases based in international law arguments; and the views of several international law scholars as expressed in secondary sources. Although it was daunting to perform research within the international law context because my legal research experience had been limited to Canadian case law and research, I received ample feedback and support throughout the process.

One of the highlights of my experience was a research investigation on the involvement of

a subsidiary in the human rights violations committed by its parent multinational corporation. This project was challenging, yet simultaneously exciting because I got to learn about corporate law by researching corporate structures and corporate legal personality, and by finding and analyzing the securities disclosures and corporate agreement of a multinational corporation and its subsidiaries. I also expanded my understanding of Canadian and foreign property and tort systems. It was rewarding to have my research have a real-world impact since it was presented to a client. Additionally, the assignment involved a two-day turnaround period. Oddly enough, I enjoyed the rush of the deadline and fully immersing myself into the discrete research-intensive task to which I was assigned.

For those interested in this opportunity, students should become involved with the IHRP in some capacity during the academic year. I highly recommend this opportunity for students who have an interest in international human rights law or international law more broadly.

September 28, 2023 | 17

The verification of illness requirement to access lecture recordings if sick should be removed

OLIVIA SCHENK (2L)

Everybody gets sick. In 2023, Ottawa released a new law requiring ten permanent paid sick days per year for all workers in federally regulated industries. It makes sense to incentivize sick workers to stay home to heal and avoid spreading bugs around the workspace. So why then does the University of Toronto Faculty of Law implement a huge barrier for students to take sick days?

The current pre-COVID policy revived this year requires a Verification of Illness (VOI) signed by a licensed practitioner to be approved for a deferral or to access lecture recordings. This heavy-handed requirement was temporarily relaxed during the peak of COVID. Last year, if you were unwell, you only needed to submit a COVID self-assessment of symptoms for your lecture recording request to be approved. Pretty much any symptom qualified for approval because COVID is such a varied illness. The selfassessment requirement in practice allowed students afflicted with most illnesses to stay home and rest. I was personally hopeful a relaxation on requiring VOIs was here to

stay. But alas, the VOIs returned.

I fully understand the need for a VOI in seeking academic accommodation for an exam or paper deferral because these deferrals impact other students in the curved grading scheme. However, the requirement of a VOI for lecture recording access is potentially harmful overkill.

The most reasonable objective I can conceive of for the VOI requirement is to enforce mandatory class attendance to ensure a quality legal education. Is this purpose pressing and substantial? Sure. The Academic Handbook describes how the importance of attendance is rooted in the collaborative values of legal education. But even with this objective, is requiring VOIs for lecture recording access justifiable?

Requiring VOIs may be rationally connected to this objective. The requirement creates barriers to skipping class for illegitimate purposes. It probably does somewhat decrease the number of days skipped by students. However, there are better alternatives to ensuring class attendance, and the

VOI requirement arguably results in more overall harm to the students than benefits.

I believe requiring VOIs is not minimally impairing. So, what is a reasonable alternative to VOIs? I can immediately think of two. My first solution is for professors to offer all lecture recordings on demand for every class. Many professors already do so, electing upon request to freely offer access to their lecture recordings for all. I have not seen a dramatic reduction in attendance for these classes. If mandatory attendance is still a serious concern, it could be enforced in other ways. For example, students could sign an attendance sheet at the start of every class. This sheet would quickly reveal students who are missing too many classes and whom professors should contact to ensure they are staying on track. This approach would be a much kinder way to address absences. Perhaps the reason that professors do not offer all lecture recordings is because some have privacy concerns. If this is the case, I have a second solution.

Alternatively, I propose that each student

be granted three “free” days’ worth of access to lecture recordings per semester by request. This number reasonably reflects the number of sick days students could be taking and will allow students acutely afflicted with illness to stay home and heal comfortably and stress-free. This alternative would not result in a marked increase in class absence because three days represent a very small fraction of the total number of classes per semester. The Academic Handbook states the school can accommodate absences of up to twenty-five percent of a course. This policy is clearly a recognition that a small handful of missed days is okay. My alternatives to a VOI requirement are even more attractive when one considers the deleterious effects of requiring VOIs.

Requiring VOIs encourages the spread of illness in the community. COVID is not the only infectious disease that can wreak serious havoc. For example, in Canada, influenza and pneumonia are ranked among the

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VOI, Why?

Continued from page 17

top ten leading causes of death. Between three to eleven percent of the population develops flu symptoms each year. The VOI requirement leaves inevitably flu-ridden students with only two options: 1) go to class sick and potentially infect their fellow classmates, or 2) go out in the community to get a VOI and potentially infect fellow To -

rontonians. Walk-in clinics have also become even busier recently due to the current family doctor deficit in the country. I personally do not want to hog space at a walkin clinic for a doctor’s note confirming I threw up last night—she literally could not know, but I would pinky-promise her— when others may need doctors to address

serious health concerns. When the salutary effects of mandatory class attendance could be accomplished in much less deleterious ways, the necessity of the VOI requirement is defeated.

I believe that the VOI requirement for lecture recording access should be removed. COVID marked a missed opportunity for

the Faculty to reexamine and improve their lecture recording access policy. Perhaps a policy review is still on the table. Until then, we can do our best to take care of each other where the Faculty falls short. If you are sick, please stay home, heal, and get well soon. I promise you can have my notes after class.

Cognomos Deserves an F Students’ Cognomos horror stories from this year

SHELBY HOHMANN (2L)

For any 1Ls or transfer students who remain blissfully unaware of Cognomos, it is an algorithm used by the Faculty for upper-year course enrolment. Students are required to rank around double the necessary credits into categories of “Favourite,” “Great,” “Good,” and “Acceptable.” Contrary to what you may initially think, putting a course in the category of “Favourite” or “Great” by no means guarantees you will receive it, as the system is based on a lottery supposedly meant to maximize student happiness (spoiler: it doesn’t).

At this point, articles sharing students’ laundry lists of Cognomos complaints have become a fixture in UV. Frustrated students like me write them year after year, but has the Faculty addressed any of our concerns? I think you know where this is going.

Cognomos itself is not an award-winning algorithm (as anyone who has used it could probably deduce), but the economic theory underlying it was awarded a Nobel Prize in 2012. Nevertheless, Nobel Prizes don’t matter to the law students repeatedly getting screwed over by Cognomos. Many 2Ls and 3Ls shared their 2023 Cognomos stories with me for this piece.

And as much as ripping on Cognomos is a notable U of T Law pastime, the fact that these sorts of articles have to be written every year begs the question of what—if anything—could actually get those in charge to understand that our course matching system needs to change. We pay exorbitant amounts of tuition and risk having our career options limited and law school experiences damaged by an algorithm, which just isn’t right.

Despite being in their final year of law school, 3Ls are not given any priority over 2Ls in the course selection process. They have to rank remaining mandatory courses highly, spending their limited Cognomos “budget” without receiving any assurance that they will get in over

2Ls who have another full year ahead. Administration claims they will ensure that 3Ls get into the classes they need, but their approach of going in and fixing things after the fact is a headache—one that could be reduced by simply giving 3Ls some degree of priority in the first place.

This oversight is far from the only one. Students reported several one-off mishaps that administration made this year, including forgetting to add a course when they first ran the allocation, running allocation early without communication to students, and listing incorrect course times. Imagine my horror and that of others who found out during the first session of Criminal Procedure that the class went until 9pm, not 8pm, as was advertised on Cognomos.

Technical errors also abound. Many had trouble with the site’s authentication process. The discrepancies between Cognomos and ACORN schedules delayed Quercus enrollment, meaning people could not access course syllabi or readings. One 2L JD/MA student was even barred from accessing the website at all, having to contact administration to resolve the issue just days before the course selection deadline.

Did you want to do an externship or full-time clinic this year? Hopefully, you did your own research and didn’t rely on administration’s communication, given that there was none and that many of the application deadlines were before the first Cognomos allocation. While this issue is a bit more understandable, it still feels like a ball was dropped. Summer flies by and gets incredibly busy very quickly. Many students are focused on their summer jobs and don’t want to think about school any more than they have to. So, a reminder email or two (which the Faculty clearly has no problem bombarding us with during the school year) would have been helpful.

Another question: did you want to know where you are on a course waitlist? Well, you might be able to see your position, but you might not. I love a good mystery, but I don’t want my waitlist position to be one. No one seems to be able to get a straightforward answer as to why Cognomos is selectively vague about waitlist positions. Even if it’s simply because I am in a very low position, it’s not like my feelings will be hurt. It’d be better to be realistic with students and allow them to scope out other options. You also have to do your own investigative work if you want to figure out why a course is flagged. Apparently, it would make things too easy if Cognomos was just straightforward and identified the issue for you—we are at U of T Law, after all!

Many students voiced frustration over not getting high-demand classes even after ranking them as “Favourite”—the highest option in Cognomos. Evidence Law with Professor Shaffer was a source of great disappointment for many who placed it at the top of their list, myself included. Obviously, not everyone can secure their desired spots in the most popular classes, but it’s not like the demand for these classes is kept secret from the administration. Rather than perpetuating the issue of high demand and low availability that results in many disappointed students, administration should put in the work to create more spots in these popular classes, perhaps by having more than just one section. Multiple sources reported that they did not receive any classes they had ranked as “Favourite,” “Great,” or “Good,” and were instead slotted into only their “Acceptable” classes. These stories demonstrate the pitfalls of using an algorithm to determine placements. None of us chose U of T Law—and agreed to pay upwards of $33,000 in tuition each year—hoping to have an “acceptable” experience.

Intensive placements did not go any

smoother than course ones, with many students not being put into any intensives and some receiving ones they did not even rank.

Not getting a particular class is not only disappointing, but it can also limit career options. One 3L, who plans to work in corporate law after graduation, has not gotten into or been placed high on the waitlist for Business Organizations, a foundational course on the law of business corporations, despite prioritizing it in rankings in 2L and 3L. This fact has also rendered her unable to take any of the courses highly relevant to corporate law for which Business Organizations is a pre- or co-requisite, such as Corporate Transactions and Securities Regulation. Another 3L expressed sadness over never getting into Family Law, making it unlikely she could ever practice in the field. Moots often have pre/co-requisite requirements as well, meaning one’s luck (or lack thereof) with the Cognomos draw can severely limit their mooting eligibility. For example, if, like the previous 3L, you do not get a spot in Family Law, you cannot participate in the Walsh Family Law Competitive Moot. These requirements seem arbitrary given that the point of a moot is essentially to self-study a problem in a specific area of the law, which U of T Law students are arguably more than capable of doing even without a concrete course background. Nevertheless, the hands of the Moot Court Committee are tied.

We could probably dedicate a whole issue of UV to exposing Cognomos problems, but the administration may still choose to remain ignorant of the algorithm’s errors. Although we may laugh at student horror stories like the ones shared above, it’s important to continue to highlight the fact that this is a faulty system, and Cognomos’ shortcomings can have real consequences.

OLIVIA SCHENK (2L)

Where Are All the Upper-Year Courses?

Seemingly few options in course selections despite improvements

Introduction

The 2024-2025 U of T Law JD admissions guide boasts that JD students can “choose from over 180 courses that span the spectrum of legal practice and scholarship.” But it doesn’t feel like that.

Rather than contribute to the descent into a post-truth world, I decided to put facts over feelings and crunch the numbers.

Last year, Naomi Chernos (JD ‘23) found that in 2022-2023, U of T Law offered 161 “courses” (credit options) but only 76 of those were actually “substantive courses” (a stereotypical law course).

Methodology

The number of courses offered is taken from the annual Course Curriculum Reports (CCRs) each year for consistency. No CCR was published for 2020-2021 due to COVID-19, so I used the Course List on the U of T Law website as of November 26, 2020, instead.

For the purpose of my analysis, a “course” is defined as any credit option. A “substantive course” is a course that is not a clinic, not an externship, not a moot, and not a journal; is more than one credit; is open to “pure JD students” (JD students not doing a dual degree); and has class hours. If a course has more than one section, only the first section would potentially count as a substantive course.

All substantive courses are courses, but not all courses are substantive courses.

Results

According to the 2023-2024 CCR, there are 175 courses (i.e. 175 options) to get credits. However, 10 of those are clinics, 15 are externships, and 20 are moots. All of these are practical and valuable ways to learn, but they’re not courses in the traditional sense. Also, students can only complete one moot per year.

There are three journals, 10 intensive courses, and two externship seminars. None of these are substantive courses. The externship seminar is a one-credit mandatory co-requisite and is really just a part of doing an externship.

Then we have eight courses in the CCR that pure JD students cannot take because they are restricted to LLM students or JD/MSW students. There are five courses for directed research projects, but choosing to do independent research is more like opting out of a course than choosing a traditional course.

Lasty, there are multiple sections of

some courses. You cannot take the same course more than once (assuming you pass the first time). So, any section of a course after the first one is not a substantive course even if the first section is.

The chart below shows the number of courses and substantive courses for 2013-2014 to 2023-2024 following Chernos’ methodology. I used Chernos’ data and then found, cleaned, and added the data for 2020-21 and 2023-24.

Limited course offerings were a common complaint from students and Students’ Law Society (SLS) representatives last academic year, and the data supports their complaints. 2022-2023 had the third fewest number of courses offered and the lowest number of substantive courses on record.

The number of courses and substantive courses rebounded in 2023-2024 compared to 2022-2023.

The number of courses and substantive courses peaked at 208 and 118, respectively, in 2015-16. However, the trendlines show that the number of courses and the number of substantive courses are trending downwards at a rate of 3.8 courses and 5.2 substantive courses per academic year on average.

Discussion

First, U of T Law’s claim that students can choose from over 180 courses is potentially misleading. Based on this dataset, U of T Law has never offered 180 substantive courses and has not offered over 180 courses since 2017-18.

To be charitable, sometimes courses listed in the CCR are not actually offered or courses not listed in the CCR are offered. For example, at the time of writing, there is one more substantive course and 14 more courses available for 2023-2024 than indicated in the 20232024 CCR, bringing the total courses offered to 189.

Associate Dean Chris Essert said: [T]o the extent that there were more courses in the past, that’s primarily a function of our moving a number of adjunct-taught courses from being offered every year and having enrolment numbers that were significantly below the capacity of the course to being offered every second year and having enrolment numbers that are more in line with the course capacity. (So we believe that, for the most part, people who want to take these courses still get the chance to do so.)

Currently, U of T Law has about 25 courses that are offered every other year.

Second, the declining trend of substantive courses is steeper than the declining trend of courses, meaning some substantive courses are being replaced with nonsubstantive courses. This may indicate that U of T Law is becoming more practical and “hands-on,” and less academic.

Third, when it comes to courses, more than quantity matters. All the upperyear JD students I spoke to were happy with the 2023-24 winter course offerings. Most were disappointed in the 2023-24 fall course offerings and were struggling to fill their schedules with offerings that interested them or supported their career goals.

For 2023-24, there are 52 fall courses, 91 winter courses (including January intensive courses) and 46 full-year courses. The 20 moots are full-year courses, but most of the credit allocation and work for the moots is in the winter term.

Given that students must take a minimum of 13 credits a semester and 28 credits a year, it is strange that there are so many more course offerings in the winter than the fall.

Creating a course curriculum for a law school as large as U of T is no easy task. But students shouldn’t struggle to secure enough credits to graduate.

TAYLOR RODRIGUES (3L)

GRAPH OF U OF T LAW COURSE OFFERINGS FROM 2013-14 TO 2023-24. CREDIT: TAYLOR RODRIGUES WITH FILES FROM NAOMI CHERNOS

Intra Vires

Totally real news from a hot and spicy Faculty of Law

FIEVEL LIM (3L) & CHRISTINE WANG (3L JD/MBA)

Empty halls breathe new light into Faculty of Law

You may have noticed more spacious and brighter halls as you wander the Jackman building this semester, and you may have thought to yourself: “wow, did Jackman get an upgrade?” The cool drafts and the emptier classrooms may have you thinking that something was done to improve the building over the summer. Alas, it is only the mass migration of outbound 3L snowbirds that have made Jackman feel slightly larger. Enjoy it while it lasts—most exchange students will be back by January.

U of T highly regarded for continuing to provide an intensive program on conflicts of interest

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law continues to provide each and every law student with an immersive experience in managing conflicts of interest. At least once every three years—to ensure each wave of students get the training—the Faculty of Law will provide an exciting surprise experience where students can try their hand at handling a conflict of interest. If you are in 3L

Law School Bingo Yet another reason to be distracted in class

VIVIAN LI (3L)

and haven’t experienced one yet, don’t worry! A situation will soon be coming for you this year that will really test your ability to resist temptation. The Faculty is proud to uphold this marvelous tradition, and hopes that its students will continue to enjoy each upcoming intensive session.

Seances held in U of T Law: desperation reaches an all-time peak

Recently, upper year students have been spotted conducting seances in the atrium. Candelabras, floor-length robes, and a baby goat were brought in to Jackman on the first day of school as a part of the students’ desperate bid to get in touch with the Student Services Team. Students were reportedly chanting, “please return our emails,” and “I’m still not added to the Admin Law Quercus page” in Latin. Results of this endeavour have apparently been varied, as usual.

Office of Student Services is highly upset with ongoing seances

The Office of Student Services has been frantically calling for all students to “stop holding seances please,” and that they are “tired of being

teleported to the atrium.” The latest scrambled email from the office has been deciphered by UV to read “Ouija boards…wholly inappropriate… for communicating…issues with Cognomos.” Please stay tuned, as a correction email will likely follow.

Internet tips and tricks on how to save more money this year on tuition

Tuition may have gone up yet again, but don’t fret! We have scoured the internet for viral hacks to pad your wallet this upcoming year. Here are some of the best ways to save based on the latest internet research, featuring what is known as “girl math”: first, since you didn’t accept your other law school offer and pay their tuition, this means that you are actually $25,965.30 richer! Put that straight towards this year’s fees, and tuition will be discounted by more than 50%, making it basically free. And if all of this doesn’t work, you can still use your line of credit, which allows you to pay using the bank’s money, not your own! Bonus tip—true web experts will also know the secret technique of paying off tuition with a gift card to really maximize your hard-earned summer stipend.

Goodmans Cafe closed down from pure cringe

Finding the U of T Law energy to be “not bussin’” and “mildly cringe” upon the return from their COVID sabbatical last year, it seems as though our beloved Goodmans Cafe has closed for good. Students are hopeful though that the Cafe’s replacement, Terima, will survive that initial vibe check. No doubt students will be lining up on September 27 for that sweet, sweet caffeine hit.

Class of 2026 1Ls decide to out-1L the previous 1Ls

Upon learning that the previous year’s gunners were networking with every 2L, 3L, and 4L that they could find as soon as classes started, this year’s 1Ls decided to do one better and just straight up participate in the 2L recruit. A delegation of 1Ls have allegedly been visiting each of the Bay Street firms to provide their respective recruiting teams with a 90-minute business analysis on why they should be allowed to participate in the upcoming OCIs. Rumours suggest that one especially ambitious 1L was sending in their articling applications during these meetings.

U of T’s Scurry of Squirrels

An introduction to all of the squirrels who live on campus

EMILY SARAH HEAN (3L)

Author’s Note: As the squirrels do not speak English (as far as I know—if they do, they’re keeping their secrets), all of this information has been gleaned through the rigorous “vibe check” and “I feel it in my bones” methods.

Another academic year begins at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law—for both students and faculty, as well as the squirrels. These furry creatures have spent another summer finding and eating plentiful feasts along Philosopher's Walk, abandoned by the sticky camp groups who tour the ROM. But the squirrels can no longer rely on the leftovers of others. While they must now go back to fighting for themselves, the squirrels are not alone in their renewed hunt for sustenance. With Cognomos issues, the continued closure of Goodmans Cafe, and a “dried up” supply of free coffee, U of T Law students are as deep in the trenches as the squirrels.

Given the common interests between the two parties (read: trying to survive our time at the Faculty), it seems only natural to formally introduce the scurry—the term used for a group of squirrels—to the student body.

Ken

that “blonds have more fun,” Ken thinks every squirrel should at least have blond tips, if not be entirely blond. He blamed his failure to convert other squirrels on their lack of education, leading him to seek out the smartest squirrels he could imagine: U of T squirrels. If anyone will see the sense in frosted tips, it’s them.

Thomas Acornhunter III

Meet Ken, our resident one and only blond boy. Don’t let his name fool you though, Ken is no himbo. He is a squirrel on a mission. Before coming to the Faculty, Ken spent his time in California, where his job was Beach and gathering nuts and fruits. It seems as though Ken never outgrew the blond, frosted tip look of the early 2000s. Now that Ken has arrived in Canada, his goal is to convert as many Canadian squirrels as possible to his blond ways. Believing

Thomas, one of our two black squirrels and better known by his buddies simply as “Third,” was born into the squirrel aristocracy. But Third wanted something more, leaving his life in the suburbs with the hope of making a name for himself in the city. He’ll never admit it, but he misses his family terribly and thinks often about returning home. Had he not met Rosie, he might have never been able to withstand the cruelty of Toronto’s streets. Torontonians just don’t let squirrels cross the road the way suburbians do.

Third left behind his large family of brothers and sisters, none of whom have ever seen the big city. He spends his afternoons lounging around in trees, wondering what the various Acornhunter siblings would think of this new place he calls home.

Rosie was not born Rosie Acornhunter III. She was just born “Rosie,” and lived her whole life at the Faculty. Her mother, a black squirrel who looks almost identical to Rosie herself, once saw Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella at the Faculty, and was inspired to name her daughter after such an amazing woman. Sadly, Rosie’s mother was hit by a car, leaving Rosie all alone until Third found her and took her under his wing. She decided to take his last name, and Third didn’t have the heart to tell her no when she asked to add the “III.”

Oldie

She is a cool squirrel mom. Oldie has been with the Faculty for a while, and she is not impressed with the new squirrel turnover. “Really?” she said to me (with her eyes, of course). “Blond squirrels?”

Still, though, Oldie loves her scurry more than anything in this world, and she is fiercely protective of any squirrel that lives under her protection—blond ones included. She believes that all squirrels have the right to an education, which is why she decided to form a scurry at the Faculty. Who better to educate squirrels than a group of law students?

Sebastian

Named after the fictional character, Old Deuteronomy, Oldie is the Faculty squirrel mom. But she is no regular squirrel mom.

When Sebastian first arrived at the Faculty, Oldie assumed he was Third after failing an attempt to go blond. She called an emergency scurry meeting and had Sebastian’s hands bound behind his back when Third walked in.

“Woah! Who’s he, and what’d he do?” Third asked.

Upon realizing her mistake, Oldie and the other Faculty squirrels were able to laugh it off (though the whole interaction has left Ken slightly suspicious of how Oldie really feels about him) and welcomed Sebastian into the scurry. A lover of golf, cheese, and most of all, classical music, Sebastian was more than happy to be situated right next to the Faculty of Music. Sebastian spends his days listening to the music students practice and lounging around Philosopher’s Walk.

If you see any members of the campus scurry, please treat them with kindness! Squirrels are sweet, curious creatures (with a lot more drama going on than you could ever know), and they deserve nothing but respect and adoration.

Rosie Acornhunter III

CREDIT: OLIVIA SCHENK

CREDIT: OLIVIA SCHENK

CREDIT: OLIVIA SCHENK

CREDIT: OLIVIA SCHENK

CREDIT: EMILY SARAH HEAN

Sudoku

Complete the 9x9 square with no repeated numbers in each box or line

ISABELLA PAPALIA (2L)

Spiral Crossword

Use the Forward and Backward clues to complete the spiral. Every letter is used in at least one forward and backward answer. RONAN

The Ultra Vires Crossword

Intro to Comparative Law

RONAN MALLOVY (3L JD/MA ENGLISH)

Across

1 Speculated

6 Young man

9 Follower of news or night

14 Friend, in Oaxaca

15 Exclamation of surprise, in the Midwest

16 Adjective

4 A

5 Mob boss

6 Domestic

7 Like long-distance couples

8 Airline with headquarters at the world's busiest airport

9 "Buona ____" (good evening, in Italian)

10 Greenish-blue shade

11 Pop star Grande

12 Kind of acid used in the production of fertilizer

13 Events in the obituary section

18 Muslim prayer leader

21 From Cork, perhaps

22 Pro among pros

23 Loud bell noise

24 Anagram of 23-Down

25 Band that helped pioneer the genre of thrash metal

29 Word preceding influence or

59 Large timespan

60 Gnarly, in skater-speak

61 Words said at a 26-Across

62 Little bite

63 HBO fantasy epic, for short

How should I describe my experience in the Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition? I think Justice Mahmud Jamal’s speech at the Canadian National Rounds’ opening ceremony describes it perfectly. He said that people would certainly regret signing up for the Jessup while they struggled to complete their memorials (equivalent to a factum for other moots). I fully agree with that, as I remember those late nights where I was looking into numerous sources and rephrasing my messy arguments, thinking about why I decided to do the Jessup. But Justice Jamal also talked about how joyful and rewarding his experience was at the competition. I agree; my mooting experience was indeed the biggest

highlight of my time in law school.

The Jessup simulates a dispute between two fictional countries before the International Court of Justice. This year, the problem concerned an independence referendum taking place in the Sutha province of Antara. A pro-independence group, allegedly supported by Ravaria, operated a botnet that facilitated the spread of misinformation. Being able to explore the application of international law in cyberspace was very exciting, as there were many novel questions that did not have concrete answers. I was responsible for the issues concerning Antara’s order to ban a prominent pro-independence professor from a popular social media platform, as well as Antara’s intrusion into Ravarian computer

U OF T LAW’S JESSUP TEAM. PICTURED (LEFT-RIGHT) MISHAIL ADEEL (2L), SEEMA SIDHU (3L), AND JONATHAN HOU (3L). CREDIT: MAUREEN WHELTON