Faculty Kicks Off 75th Year Celebrations With Follies 75
The evening brought together a host of legal celebrities MEGAN CORBETT (3L)
If any event could be called a veritable who’s-who of the Canadian legal field, it took place on Saturday, September 14, at the Isabel Bader theatre. Gathered into the theatre was a crowd of familiar faces: Justice Abella (in a fabulous white-and-glitter twopiece ensemble), Dean Jutta Brunnée, Professors Aidid, Alarie, Cossman, Niblett, and Ripstein, as well as a small contingent of current law students. There were also some less familiar, but no less impressive guests: Bob Rae, U of T Law alumnus and current Canadian ambassador to the United Nations (who was escorted onto the stage by a live five-piece band), as well as every former dean of the law school right up to Martin Friedland. What event could bring together such an esteemed cast of legal rockstars, you may wonder? The kickoff event to the Law Faculty’s 75th anniversary celebrations, of course!
‘Bora’s Head’ heritage minute. A special mention goes out to the brief musical improv sketch, performed by guests from the Second City Toronto. One of these guests was Paul Constable, a Canadian actor and comedian who readers would recognize as a guy they definitely know from TV, or a commercial, or somewhere. The Second City guests performed an improvised power ballad based on 3L Brynne Dalmao’s prompts, providing the audience with the essential reminder that “the fourth L is life”. The show even featured a digital shoutout from David Shore, notable Faculty of Law alumnus and creator of hit TV shows House and The Good Doctor, announcing the creation of a ‘Gregory House’ scholarship for exceptional law students in financial need. Shore has a special tie to the Law Follies tradition, having been the very first emcee at the debut Follies in 1982.
Editor’s Note: Megan Corbett (3L) is a member of Follies. PASTDEANSOFUOFTLAW(RIGHTTOLEFT:UNIVERSITYPROFESSOREMERITUSMARTINFRIEDLAND,1972-1979;THEHON.FRANKIACOBUCCI,19791983;J.ROBERTS.PRICHARD,1984-1990;THEHON.ROBERTSHARPE,1990-1995;RONALDJ.DANIELS),1995-2005;FIRSTDEANEMERITAMAYOMORAN, 2006-2014; EDWARD IACOBUCCI), 2015-2020; AND DEAN SINCE 2021, JUTTA BRUNNÉE). CREDIT: ALICE XUE PHOTOGRAPHY
It has been 75 years since the founding of the modern Faculty of Law at the University, and to mark the occasion, the Faculty has planned an entire year’s worth of events. To initiate this long slate of celebrations, a team of alumni and current students banded together to put on a show inspired by the Faculty’s long-running comedy revue show, Law Follies. This ‘Follies 75’ show was a mix of live and recorded sketches, featuring some classic premises, like the ‘Back In My Day’ sketch performed by the professors (with Professor Phillips lamenting how lucky modern students are to have a library, professors, and exam questions), as well as some delightfully fresh sketches, like Professor Niblett’s ‘Are You Smarter Than a 1L’ and the
The show was followed by a reception in the Jackman atrium, featuring another live band, two bars, and a generous spread of canapés. Alumni and students mingled, reminiscing over Follies past and commenting on their favourite sketches of the evening. Of course, many noted that nothing could ever live up to the comedic stylings of the student-run Follies club, which generously shared its branding with the event. Keep an eye out for news about other upcoming 75th anniversary celebration events, as Follies 75 marked only the beginning of this milestone year.
CREDIT:
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Letter From the Editors
September 26, 2024
MANREET BRAR (3L) & ABBY SASITHARAN (3L)
Dear Readers, Congratulations on making it to the 75th Hunger Games—oops, congratulations to the law school on its 75th anniversary.
To the bushy-tailed, wide-eyed 1Ls— run while you still can (we’re kidding, partially)—welcome to U of T Law. To the upper-years, we hope you had a restful summer and welcome back no matter where you’re reading this from (in the
back of P120 or halfway across the globe).
We are the Editors-in-Chief for UV’s 26th trip around the sun! For those of you who are unfamiliar with UV—UV is not a magazine, it’s certainly an academic journal, it’s a little informative (with the exception of the Recruit Special). The writers try really hard to be funny, and UV features a lot of trash talking about a law school for which we all voluntarily pay tuition. We also give out free donuts (but
you already know that, don’t you?).
As you inhale your Krispy Kreme and flip through this issue, you’ll find a recap of the U of T Law 75th anniversary kickoff celebration, our annual coverage of constructive criticism (complaints) regarding Cognomos, a review of coffee shops for when you want to study somewhere other than Bora, and the return of the Ultra Vires Crossword—a great addition to your in-class rotation.
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. May the odds be ever in your favour!
Manreet & Abby Co-Editors-in-Chief Ultra Vires Vol. 26
Welcome From the SLS
A note from the President of the Students’ Law Society
ISABEL BRISSON (3L)
Welcome back returning students and welcome to all 1Ls, transfer students, and exchange students! I am positive that you will all transition seamlessly and find your place at the law school. Be sure to take advantage of all the programs available to students, including the Peer Mentorship Program and the Peer Mental Health Support Program.
A little about the Students’ Law Society (SLS)—we are your student government representing all JD and joint-program students at the Faculty of Law. The SLS consists of three committees: the Social and Finance Committee (SFC), the Student Life and Academic Committee (SLAC), and the Executive Committee.
The Social and Finance Committee is in charge of planning and executing events at the Faculty of Law, including, but not limited to, the Call to the Bar nights, the Halloween Party, and Law Ball. I would like to thank
Taylor Clapham (3L) and Alexander Kelly (2L), our SFC execs, for a successful first week. Without them, we would not have enjoyed our first Call to the Bar nights at the Maddy and Greta, the ice cream truck, and the Law Mixer. Keep an eye out for Halloween tickets that will be sold in the coming weeks—it’s one of the can’t-miss events of the year!
The representatives on the Social and Academic Committee are your advocates. We encourage all students to familiarize themselves with their year representatives—it is their mandate to advocate on your behalf to members of the law school Faculty and administration. Additionally, each elected SLAC member sits on the Faculty Council, which is the governing body of the law school, and the Faculty’s Dean’s Committees. This year we hope to implement more ways to foster students' personal development. We also aim to
be more transparent in our advocacy efforts. I look forward to working with our passionate group of representatives.
This summer, the SLS worked with the administration to restructure the admissions committee. As such, all 3L students had the opportunity to apply for a position to sit on the admissions committee. Note that applications have since closed. Additionally, the committee has taken feedback they received from last year's students to implement newer and more comprehensive training. The SLS hopes this will decrease the workload per student on the committee and will increase engagement with the admissions process.
This year’s executive committee consists of myself, Isabel Brisson (3L), the VP Student Life, Maria Bon (2L), VP Academic, Chelsea Musanthu (2L), VP Social, Taylor Clapham (3L), and VP Finance, Alex Kelly (2L). Our Fall 2024 Election concluded on Thursday,
September 26—we’re excited to welcome some new faces to our committees. We welcomed 1L representatives and filled the upper-year vacancies. Needless to say, we were impressed by the number of 1Ls who ran. 15 students ran for SLAC and seven for SFC! Kudos to the candidates, it can be daunting to put yourself out there, especially in the first month of school. We hope that you will all continue to stay engaged with SLS and the broader law school community this year. I look forward to working closely with both committees and hearing from you, the student body. The SLS is always open to hearing how our law school experience can be improved. I encourage students with ideas to either email the SLS or attend our weekly meetings, which are open to the public (SLAC meets at lunch on Tuesdays and SFC meets at lunch on Wednesdays). Let’s have a great year!
Orientation Week Recap
Reflecting on a week of fun, food, and new friendships
REBECCA DRAGUSIN (2L), EMMA FARRELL (2L), AND HUMZA KHAN (2L)
Hi 1Ls. It’s us! Your orientation leaders! Remember us? From 3 weeks ago?
While you’re settling into your first month of law school, we figured now was as good a time as any to reflect on our orientation experience together (a simpler time before 100-page criminal law readings).
We started the first day with our welcome presentation, where we got a chance to see how you all were feeling about the year. It was great to see a diverse array of expectations and goals for the year, even if some of them were slightly too scandalous to be reproduced here. After your law school tours, we hope you enjoyed the opportunity to have a more informal chat with some upper-years. This is where you were able to get answers to some of your burning questions like “How much should I be studying?”, “Which clubs should I join?”, and “Are U of T law students really as evil as I’ve heard?”. The answer to that last one is “It depends,” by the way.
Next up, we had the first of many post-lecture snacks. The 15 cases of Bubly may have been slight overkill, but, in our opinion, it’s better to overdo it than underdo it (could you imagine having too little Bubly?). The first big event of the week was the Blue Jays bingo on Wednesday, August 21. Plenty of prizes were given out following a tense evening of Bingo and the occasional Kahoot for a free space on the card! That led us into the Blue Jays game on Thursday night—the Jays ended up winning a thrilling game against the Los Angeles Angels. Friday’s Amazing Race was an incredibly competitive contest with our winning team sprinting across the finish line mere seconds before the second place team. While only the first place team got our highly
Meet the 2024-2025 Mooters!
Introducing the 2024–25 competitive moot teams
OLIVIA SCHENK (3L)
U of T Law’s competitive mooters for the 2024–25 season have been selected following this year’s competitive upper year moot tryouts. First-round tryouts took place from September 10–11, featuring a panel of student judges with at least one Moot Court Committee (MCC) member. Second-round tryouts took place on Thursday, September 12. The second round panel was composed of one faculty member, one MCC member, and one other student judge. Calls were made to successful candidates beginning at 4pm on Friday, September 15.
As is the case every year, the MCC coordinated the tryout process. The MCC is a student-run committee responsible for selecting successful mooter candidates and finding student coaches for each team.
This year, the tryout problem came from the 2021 Wilson Moot Problem R v Chaudry. The problem concerned the constitutionality of bail conditions imposed on the accused, Mr. Chaudry, who suffered from Alcohol Use Disorder. The conditions of his bail limited him to consuming alcohol only inside his home, prohibited him from entering establishments that serve alcohol, and required him to purchase alcohol through third parties. The problem explored challenging topics such as whether a bail judge should consider mutable features of the accused, including who currently lived with him, in determining reasonable bail conditions.
Prospective mooters were asked to represent the Crown as the appellant on appeal. They were tasked with arguing that the bail condition’s violation of section 15 and subsection 11(e) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms were saved by section 1 of the Charter
The MCC would like to thank all the volunteer student and faculty judges who made the tryouts pos-
sible this year!
Below are the final results of this year’s tryout:
Note: Mooters in their third year of combined four year program only noted as 2L
Adam F. Fanaki Competition Law Competitive Program
Cameron Flanagan (2L)
David Niddam-Dent (2L)
Kristina Wolff (2L)
Vlad Mirel (2L)
Callaghan Competitive Program
Alana Kiteley (2L)
Albert Cheng (2L)
Alex Byrne (2L)
Amanda Currie (2L)
Ben Elhav (2L)
Delaney Cullin (2L)
Emma Farrell (2L)
Ethan Kibel (2L)
Grace Xu (2L)
Jerry Zhao (2L)
Katherine Getler (2L)
Leon Xu (2L)
Megan Raber (2L)
Sharon Liyento (2L)
Roxanne Locke (2L)
Tyler Hastings (2L)
Canadian Labour Arbitration Competition
Kabir Dhillon (2L)
Ye Young Lee (2L)
Davies Corporate Securities Competitive Program
Benjamin Merrell (3L)
prestigious prize of freezies, we hope the rest of you are making use of your wireless chargers!
Over the weekend, we visited Trinity Bellwoods for a day of outdoor games, conversation, and lounging in the sun. Plenty of you took part in the day's detours to the AGO, Kensington Market, and Prenup Pub. Starting August 26, our second week kicked off with Trivia Night hosted by Jeopardy Champion Professor Niblett. We thank Professor Niblett for hosting an entertaining (and rather difficult) night of trivia. Our last event before your Legal Methods exam was Games Night, where folks came out to play a variety of board games, drink even more Bubly, and test their luck in our raffles.
Our final day together was a long one. We hope you followed our advice about not stressing about the pass/ fail Legal Methods exam (seriously folks, it was never that serious). If you didn’t, we hope that the free ice cream at the outdoor celebration took some of the edge off. We capped off orientation with a mixer at the Peter Triantos Gallery. We loved to see so many of you come out and let loose in that final liminal space between orientation and all of the upcoming trials, tribulations, and successes of “real” law school. For us, not only was this our first experience with birthday cake flavoured sparkling water, but it was also a bittersweet moment. It marked the end of our short two-week journey together. It was a pleasure to welcome all of you (and there were a lot of you this year) to the U of T Law school community. We got to meet so many of you and can safely say that U of T Law is in good hands. We hope you enjoy the next three or more years here as much as we enjoyed putting on orientation for you all. Good luck and don’t forget us!
Haodong Liu (2L)
Ivan Hsieh (3L)
Karina Vandenhoven (2L)
Donald G. Bowman Tax Competitive Program
Annie (Qing) Wang (2L)
Daniel Fogel (3L)
Leon Liao (2L)
Michael Roclawski (2L)
Gale Competitive Program
Akash Jain (2L)
Henry Mann (3L)
Humza Khan (2L)
Sarah Zaitlin (2L)
Harold G. Fox Intellectual Property Competitive Program
Dimitris Logothetis (3L)
Michael Antifaoff (3L)
Michael Barbour (2L)
Shireen Faisal (2L)
Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Competitive Program
Angelina Zhang (2L)
Celine Tsang (2L)
Justin Gharibo (2L)
Maria Bon (2L)
Jessup Competitive Program
Alexander Kelly (2L)
Chloe Merritt (2L)
Jason Quinn (3L)
Matthew Farrell (2L)
Julius Alexander Isaac Competitive Program
Matthew Chasmar (2L)
Natallie Chow (2L)
Naxi Aze (3L)
Zeru Hu (2L)
Laskin Competitive Program
Benjamin Beiles (2L)
Manreet Brar (3L)
Navya Sheth (2L)
Samar Moghal (3L)
Tort Law Competition Program
Amanda Kennedy (2L)
Cassandra Griffin (3L)
Damian Fitz (2L)
Katherine Shackleton (2L)
Walsh Family Law Competitive Program
Alexandra Beck (2L)
Jane Byun (2L)
Olivia Maley (3L)
Thomas Dobrovich (2L)
Warren K. Winkler Class Actions
Audrey Wu (2L)
Christian D'Ambrosi (2L)
Hannah Beltran (2L)
Jaerin Kim (2L)
Wilson Competitive Program
Emma Blake (2L)
Emma De Tommaso (2L)
Ikran Jama (2L)
Joel Seifert (3L)
CREDIT: ROBYN CUMISKEY
Jury in a Hurry: You Confide, We Decide
From Rooftop Revelations to Roommate Rants: The Jury’s Declassified Law School Survival Guide
In this edition, your jurors discuss making friends, enemies, and staying humble in spite of it all.
An old king sits in an empty throne room, his gaze fixed on a wrought iron door. His guards had long since departed—indeed, it had been millennia since a soul had darkened the threshold. And yet, the decaying monarch’s solemn watch remained unbroken. What kept him there? Perhaps an oath, older than the throne itself, or a love he could not forget. Only the king could say.
Suddenly, the silence is broken by light footsteps. The door swings open to reveal a small (recently orphaned) boy carrying a scroll. Timidly, he places the scroll into the king’s withered hands, almost as fragile as the parchment itself. With a sigh as ancient as the palace around them, the king unfurls the scroll to reveal the long awaited three words: “We’re. So. Back.”
“Bang, gavel, bang* Can we lore-drop on the new 1Ls for a second? We are Jury in a Hurry, a confidential advice column for the ever-suffering law student. We would explain more, but we’ve wasted a lot of our singlepage allotment on the vital information above. So, let’s get into it. We’ve read, we’ve bled, but most importantly, we’ve come to a decision. Everybody’s guilty of something, and it’s time to find out what that is.
Dear Jurors,
I want to scream from the Jackman rooftop that I landed my dream articling position in the recruit, but no one’s asking. I hate to be That Guy(TM) who shares unsolicited good news, but it’s becoming physically hard to restrain myself. I’m just so excited! A friend told me it’s similar to boasting about OCI results, but I disagree. Is it okay to *sometimes* mention it unprompted, or will I annoy people?
Sincerely,
Fulfilled to a Fault
Dear Fulfilled,
Let us start by saying we are so proud of you; law school is tough and it’s important to celebrate your victories. That being said, your friend might have a point. We totally get the joy of landing your dream job: it’s a big deal! But the key here is the word “unprompted.” Many people have no desire to talk about the recruit, especially with someone as over the moon as you.
There are a few reasons why. First, they might not have landed their number one choice, and may not interpret your joy so favourably. Second, by the time you get past the articling recruit, the topic of law student jobs is a tired one. The case law has been settled, and the court does not wish to rehash this issue ad nauseum. Ultimately, it’s about being aware of those around you and what they might be going through. It’s a selfless act to
not talk about your accomplishments; and if you fail to do so, you may end up with only the bust of Bora Laskin left to listen. We recommend leaving most of the job talk to the CDO.
We find you guilty of being a winner, baby. We sentence you to making a time-appropriate announcement on LinkedIn.
Dear Jurors,
Last night I made the mistake of getting into a legal argument with my non-law student roommate. What started as a sort of silly political disagreement turned into me citing all of the cases I have been learning about in school, and my roommate getting really annoyed at me and telling me I have a superiority complex only a few weeks into law school!
How can I balance my newfound passion for legal argument with not coming across as a know-it-all to the non-law students in my life?
Regards, Arguing at the Abode
Dear Arguing,
Have you met our friend Fulfilled? We really think you two would hit it off.
But seriously, we’re so glad you are learning a lot in your first couple of weeks. Without naming names, a few of our jurors have spent over two years in law school and still can’t recite the Oakes test without the help of Google.
While it’s an exciting time—and you should be passionate about what you’re doing—it’s important to find better outlets for expressing your new-found knowledge. Not every conversation needs to be citable on CanLII.
Realistically, you’ve only finished a couple weeks of law school, and there’s a reason it’s a three-year program. Pace yourself, Mr. Spectre. There’s lots of law left to learn.
We find you guilty of getting legal without a licence. We sentence you to buying your roommate a coffee and asking them about their life.
Dear Jurors,
How do you make more than surface level friends at the law school if you didn’t during orientation? It feels like everyone else has already grouped up and I’m worried I missed out on a critical bond-building period.
Sincerely,
Future Friend Finder
Dear Future,
Do you want to hang out tonight? I know this is anonymous but send an email to the Ultra Vires editors— they’ll know what to do.
The start of law school can be tough, and it can seem like everyone is clicking without you. But we’re here to assure you that a lot can change post-orientation.
The foreman polled our jurors, and they offered some varying (possibly, ill-advised) perspectives on the matter:
• Sabotage a different group and be there a shoulder to cry on
• Become deeply infatuated with a fellow law student only to realize that their friend group was your real love all along
• Just go to events like Call to the Bar, student club events, or intramurals
While the foreman was hesitant to endorse the first two bullets, the third is sound advice. The more people you meet, the more likely it is you will find a friend group that works for you.
We find you guilty of playing hard to get. We sentence you to get got.
Dear Jurors,
I’m a bit sad to be back at school after an amazing few months at my summer job. It was a lot of work, but I ended up really bonding with my student cohort. That being said, something sort of weird happened yesterday—I was swiping through Hinge and I came
across a profile that looked an awful lot like my co-worker’s boyfriend. I don’t want to keep this from her, but I’m worried about the possibility that she’ll shoot the messenger. Even though his behaviour is so obviously not okay, I really, really don’t want to make things weird at work. Please help!!!
Sincerely, Covert Co-worker
Dear Covert,
Ouch, we just burnt ourselves on that piping hot cuppa tea (yes, collectively). The jury is hung on this issue because there is no clear path before you. In lieu of doing the actual work of thinking this through, we have made the following chart that will probably not help you decide:
We gave those last three jurors a talking to, don’t worry. Probably don’t do anything evil.
Ultimately, none of this is your fault and only you can really know how to proceed. If this is a close, personal friend, the jury would recommend letting them know. In a turn of events, we find you innocent. We find ourselves guilty of giving questionable advice. We sentence ourselves to a long look in the mirror (especially you, Jurors 2 and 9).
And with that, we’ve cleared the docket. Tune in next month for more deliberations and debacles.
CHART FOR THE COVERT CO-WORKER. CREDIT: JURY IN A HURRY
The Law Review: Here’s to the Year Ahead
An overview of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review’s plans for the year
THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF LAW REVIEW
The University of Toronto Faculty of Law Review (UTFLR) is excited to welcome its new masthead and to share its plans for the year ahead.
Every year, the UTFLR receives hundreds of applications for its Associate Editor and Associate Publications Editor positions. Applicants undertake an assessment testing their legal research and writing skills. The UTFLR is thrilled to welcome nearly 50 new editors who will contribute to this year’s journal.
The UTFLR also has some exciting plans for the coming year. In particular, the UTFLR is looking to increase its French publi -
cations and to publish more blog posts on the Forum Conveniens.
The UTFLR is a fully bilingual journal that publishes submissions in both English and French. In 2022, the UTFLR transitioned to a bilingual journal and published its first French article in the second issue of volume 81. In 2023, the Forum Conveniens published two French blog posts. This year, the UTFLR is seeking to increase its French content, both in its journal and blog. We are thrilled to have hired a team of bilingual editors who will help contribute to this goal. For anyone looking to use their French skills in a legal capacity, submissions to the
UTFLR are an excellent way to apply your skills!
Further, the UTFLR is looking forward to furthering the content of the Forum Conveniens . The Forum Conveniens is the official blog of the UTFLR that publishes case commentaries and opinion pieces on topical developments in the law. The Forum Conveniens welcomes submissions from all members of the legal community. Contrary to the UTFLR’s journal, which publishes longer articles, blog posts on the Forum Conveniens are shorter and present a more accessible way to engage with legal scholarship.
Whether you have a paper from a class or
are intrigued by news, a case, or a legal principle, the Forum Conveniens would love to hear from you! For anyone who speaks French, submitting a pitch to the Forum Conveniens is also a great way to make use of your French skills. The Forum Conveniens has a team of French editors who can work with you to publish your submission in French. Overall, the UTFLR is looking forward to the year ahead and hopes that you will join us in furthering our French and Forum Conveniens publications.
Summer 2024 Paris Olympics Recap Canadian Success in the City of Love and Lights
XU (2L)
The City of Lights delivered a spectacular blend of athleticism, culture, and controversy during this year’s Summer Olympics. Amid all the backlash from the notable opening ceremony on the Seine to the city’s environmental ambitions to go air-conditioning free, Canada shone brightly. The Canadian team proudly brought back home a historic 27 medals—nine gold medals, seven silver medals, and eleven bronze medals. Adding to the nation’s triumph, our Paralympic team achieved an impressive haul of 29 medals.
The Games kicked off with a splash. Athletes were paraded on floats across the Seine as they descended the river complete with dazzling performances. Celine Dion stunned the crowd with her ‘L'hymne à l'amour’ performance, while onlookers got a glimpse of a mystical floating silver horse. However the ceremony did not impress everyone. Many later took to the internet to criticize the segment featuring drag queens feasting around a dinner table, which some thought looked eerily similar to DaVinci’s The Last Supper painting. With controversy swirling in the summer air, the pressure was on for the athletes to make a more positive and lasting impression.
Canada started off strong. The 17-yearold Canadian sensation, Summer McIntosh, made her mark by securing a silver medal in the women’s 400 metre freestyle. She made several more waves in the pool, securing three additional gold medals and setting a new Olympic record in the women’s 200 metre butterfly. Christa Deguchi earned Canada’s first gold medal in judo on day three of the Games. The Ca -
nadian duo Nathan Zsombor-Murray and Rylan Wiens made history, bringing home Canada’s first ever medal in the men’s 10m synchronized diving event. As the summer games drew to a close, Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse led our 4x100 metre relay team to another gold.
Despite the incredible talent and athleticism put on display, the summer games brought quite a bit of chuckles as well. Australia’s breakdancer and university lecturer, Rachael Gunn (aka ‘Raygun’), gave the audience an unforgettable and meme-worthy performance. Her epic
kangaroo-inspired moves took the internet by storm. Despite her entertaining performance, the International Olympic Committee later announced that breakdancing will not be returning as a sport in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics marking the end of the sport’s brief but
GRACE
GETTY / KEVIN VOIGT
memorable Olympic stint.
Another hiccup in Paris was the city’s push to host the most sustainable Olympics ever. Organizers aimed to make most meal options plant-based, which stirred a considerable amount of debate among the teams. Additionally, in a bid to go green, air conditioning was briefly unavailable to athletes, adding to the discomfort of many. This green initiative unfolded against the backdrop of intense competition for world number one between the US and China, leading to lively discussions about sportsmanship involving Western nations and their Chinese rivals.
Notably absent from the Games was the Russian flag. In response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine and doping scandal, Russian athletes were banned from competing under their national flag. Instead, only 15 Russian athletes participated as Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN), a stark contrast to the 335-strong delegation sent to Tokyo in 2021.
A Nod to the Paralympics
As the Olympics wrapped up, anticipation began to build for the Paralympic Games. The Paralympics promised to deliver incredible stories of resilience and determination. This year, the Canadian Paralympic team enjoyed its best Games following the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Paralympic swimmers Nicholas Bennett and Aurelie Rivard made a huge splash in the pool, bringing back home three medals each.
An even briefer recap With the memories of the Games still fresh, one thing is clear: the summer of 2024 will be remembered for all those performances both in and out of the Olympic venue that made us cheer, laugh, and grip onto our chairs. Missteps and controversies aside, the Olympics and Paralympics were an impressive display of perseverance, talent, and our love for memes.
Organ Chip Barriers to Replacing Animal Testing
The use of animal models in pharmaceutical trials is inhumane, ineffective, and expensive. So why are viable alternatives having such a difficult time breaking into the
OLIVIA SCHENK (3L)
The use of animal models in research presents intense ethical dilemmas; can exploitative means ever be justified by their ends? Is the suffering of thousands of one species justified if it ultimately relieves the suffering of millions of another? Instead of engaging with this impossible moral dilemma some brilliant researchers have developed a potential solution to completely replace the need for animals in research: organ chips.
Traditional petri dish style cell cultures lack many qualities necessary for pharmaceutical testing. Cells grown in a flat layer on a plate have their physical qualities altered compared to cells living inside the environment of an animal. This makes the cell’s reaction to substances less accurate compared to how they would react inside living bodies. Growing cells in simple multi-layered cultures helps resolve some of these issues; however, these cultures have other limitations, such as being difficult to photograph during research. Organ chips resolve most of the major issues plaguing traditional cell cultures by culturing cells on complex three-dimensional structures within the chips, allowing fluid to more naturally flow through the chip rather than sitting stagnant and composing the chips with clear materials in order to allow for high resolution imaging.
Organ chips have been developed through interdisciplinary work in cell biology, engineering, and material science to simulate living tissues and organs.
industry?
Each organ chip is specifically developed for the particular body environment it is emulating. This includes how the chip is structured, which cells are used, the speed at which fluid flows through the chip, and simulated mechanical stressors (such as emulated breathing). Organ chips have replicated the brain, blood vessels, cartilage, eyes, fat tissue, the heart, the immune system, the small intestine, the liver, the lung, skin, teeth and more. Different organ chips can even be lined up to replicate entire organ systems!
Pharmaceutical trials currently legally mandate that animal subjects be used for safety and efficacy testing of drugs because the use of traditional cell cultures alone can not provide enough information on a substance before beginning human trials. However, organ chips have already shown great promise in being, not only equivalent to animal models, but superior. Animal models frequently fail to predict therapeutic responses in humans resulting in drugs passing the animal testing phase only to be ineffective or even dangerous for humans. Furthermore, it is highly likely drugs that are safe and effective for humans have been missed because of ineffective responses in non-human species. In individual studies organ chips have proven to give superior predictive results to animal models. Organ chips also show great promise in precision medicine. A particular patient’s cells can be lined on an organ chip to pre-
dict how an individual’s unique body will react to a particular medicine.
Organ chips have several barriers currently preventing them from replacing animal models. First, the material polydimethylsiloxane frequently used in organ chips can also absorb certain drugs like sex steroids, limiting the effectiveness of organ chips in certain studies. Second, organ chips also currently have lower viability in early phases of drug research because these phases require models with higher throughput to quickly screen candidates. However, this particular barrier may be overcome by automating screening. Finally, each specific organ chip will likely require approval for each specific study use, replacing animal models in one niche area at a time.
Sadly, the number of animals used in research in Canada remains high. In 2022, over 3.5 million animals were used in research studies in Canadian Council of Animal Care (CCAC) certified labs. It is important to note that this number fails to capture many private labs who choose not to report their statistics.
The largest challenge in replacing animal models with organ chips is the resistance from pharmaceutical, regulatory and academic researchers who have invested a lot of money in animal model-based research. Millions have been spent on developing special lines of lab animals and constructing complex regulatory frameworks based on animal model
benchmarks. Legal regulation walls are frequently developed one brick at a time, with new regulations building on previous ones. It is much more challenging to knock down an entire framework to rework systems from the ground up.
There are indicators that change is coming. The number of animals used in CACC certified labs decreased by over 150,000 between 2021 and 2022. In 2020, the global organ chip market size was approximately USD 41 million and is expected to reach USD 303.6 million by 2026. The technology is here, but it will require pressure on legislators to change current regulations and pressure on pharmaceutical companies to invest in implementing the new technology to finally remove live animals from research. If you enjoyed this article, consider reaching out to U of T Law’s Animal Justice Club at ajstudents6@ gmail.com to join our events email list or to inquire about more ways to get involved in the conversation and fight for animal rights.
Editor’s Note: Olivia Schenk (3L) is a member of the Animal Justice Club
Source 1: Ingber, D.E. Human organs-on-chips for disease modeling, drug development and personalized medicine. (2022). Nat Rev Genet, 23, 467–491. https://doi. org/10.1038/s41576-022-00466-9/
Cognomos: Rank at Your Own Risk
When I die, I want Cognomos to lower me into the ground so it can let me down one last time
SHELBY
HOHMANN (3L)
“Unpopular opinion but I like Cognomos. As a school community, it gives us something to be universally dissatisfied with and that mutual experience builds community.” - Anonymous Survey Respondent
Another year, another Cognomos article
I know that I don’t need to explain what Cognomos is to all of the upper-years who have experienced it. To the 1Ls who haven’t yet gotten the scoop, you shouldn’t bother to worry about Cognomos yet. The first few weeks of law school are already a lot and they are counting on you to not become jaded and angry quite yet, so maybe save this read for at least mid-October. If that ship has already sailed, feel free to read on.
Cognomos is the utilitarian software that the Faculty uses to distribute upper year courses. Hopeful students sort their preferred–and not so preferred–courses into the categories “Great”, “Good” and “Acceptable” and Cognomos’ algorithm (allegedly) creates schedules that maximize students’ individual happiness. Students must rank double the amount of required credits because Cognomos needs a lot to work with for its process of determining demand for each class and spending students’ “virtual budgets” to provide them the best schedules they can “afford”. Apparently, Cognomos has also been used for matching kidney donations and medical residencies. Although this does make law school course selection seem comparatively low stakes, a lot of us are going into significant debt to attend U of T Law and want to get the most bang for our buck, which includes getting into (at least most of) the classes we want.
If you want to follow the evolution of Cognomos articles, they seem to have become an annual UV feature at this point. Previous authors have aptly described Cognomos as “a shit hole” and past student surveys found the
process was difficult and stressful for many. It feels safe to say that Cognomos remains mostly a shit hole, which I will expand on as we go. I understand that there are likely a decent number of students who had positive experiences. It seems to be an unspoken rule not to brag about getting all of the courses you wanted. Unsurprisingly, not getting into the courses that would have been most relevant to your future career can be a bit of a sore spot. People are generally more likely to give feedback when it’s negative, so I am aware that this article might be missing the perspectives of those few lucky souls who snagged spots in the most coveted courses. And really, thank you folks for not wanting to make the rest of us feel even shittier than we already do. Now, let’s get into what you’re really here for: the complaining.
General feelings 33 students rated their satisfaction with this year’s course selection process. With 1/5 being extremely dissatisfied and 5/5 being extremely satisfied, no respondents gave a 5/5.
have little say in course selection. One 3L student opined, “I pay nearly $40,000 per year in tuition to this school and do not even have the chance to choose my own classes.” Although the most salient effects of course selection will be on students’ future careers, it should be remembered that enrollment also impacts eligibility for moots and things like travel and exchange plans. One 2L student explained that they will not be able to participate in the Laskin Moot because they were not placed in a first semester section of Administrative Law. Another worried their exchange plans may be in jeopardy due to not getting into Legal Ethics or a course that satisfies the Legal Process graduation requirement.
Several responses echoed a message that students have been trying to get across to the Faculty for some time now: the theory behind Cognomos may have received high honours, but in practice it’s a low pass at best.
Given that Cognomos is supposed to maximize aggregate happiness, the lack of individual 5/5 ratings may just be an indication that Cognomos is working properly. Still, the faculty shouldn’t just accept that every year, the course allocation process is going to let down a significant number of students, especially when those students are paying the equivalent of many people’s yearly salaries in tuition. Students will inevitably get frustrated when they drop a pretty penny at this school, only to feel like they
Several responses echoed a message that students have been trying to get across to the Faculty for some time now: the theory behind Cognomos may have received high honours, but in practice it’s a low pass at best. As a 2L respondent summarized: “I know the system is based on a Nobel Prize-winning theory, but that’s absolutely useless. We’re not an economics simulation. We’re a student body that wants to take the classes that we are paying a mint for.” Students seem to generally recognize that the Faculty trying to make course selection fair and equal is a good thing, but doesn’t there have to be some better way? Carson Cook (3L) identified several issues with continuing to use Cognomos: “It makes no sense to have a selection system that requires manual updates to reflect in Quercus and ACORN, waiting on the Regis -
trar to sync it is bad for everyone and has resulted in issues, though this could require a significant software project by U of T. Cognomos also has an overly utilitarian approach. While the ranking algorithm itself might be useful, the lack of feeling agency in understanding how courses are selected is harmful.”
Civil Procedure: The course that got away
Just over half of the survey respondents reported that they were placed into their top ranked course. While it’s at least the majority, this number still isn’t great for a school that takes great care to uphold its reputation as the best of the best. There simply shouldn’t be such a significant portion of students who don’t get to take their top class, especially considering the ramifications this can have as they go on to articling and eventually practicing. Self-studying for the LSAT might have been fine, but teaching yourself the contents of a substantive course is very different. The most common missed connection for survey respondents was, once again, Civil Procedure, affectionately (or not so affectionately) known as Civ Pro. This academic year, there is only one section of Civ Pro running in the Spring semester, with the instructor TBA. Demand for Civ Pro is high because many U of T Law students want to pursue civil litigation. Several expressed worries about the effect not taking Civ Pro may have on their careers. Olivia Schenk (3L) commented: “I did not get into Civil Procedure despite it being my highest rated course. I’m going into civil litigation on Bay Street and I’m very frustrated to not be able to get into this, once mandatory, rudimentary course.” Another 3L respondent explained that they ranked Civ Pro first because their employer requires it. They did not get in and, to make matters worse, were not even placed on the waitlist. It is understandable that there may
be issues with finding teachers for Civ Pro, but leaving so many students out of the core class for the area in which they plan to practice is concerning nonetheless.
In the words of Taylor Swift, I think there’s been a glitch Modern ‘solutions’ bring modern problems, and there sure were a lot of them with Cognomos this year. Referring to Cognomos as modern may actually be disingenuous considering that its calendar is stuck in 1999, the year I was born. If you want to view, for example, only your fall schedule, you’d better make sure you’ve blocked off at least a half an hour, because you have to manually click through every single month until you reach 2024. Hopefully, most of you gave up before clicking 300 times. Though unclear whether they were willing to click through every single month since September 1999, one 2L student did demonstrate extreme perseverance in another notable way: “I had to input and rank my courses seven times before it would save, which took me over three hours from start to finish.” In that amount of time, they probably could have thought up a better course match system than Cognomos (the bar is low).
Students experienced other basic tech issues like Cognomos not loading or being unable to login, either overall or on other devices. One 2L respondent was receiving an “internal service error” message for several days. When the error message continued on the day of second round allocation, the student reached out to Assistant Dean Faherty, who told them it often works if you click the Cognomos link on the school website instead of the one emailed to students by the administration. Very high tech!
As one respondent accurately reported, “The first round of allocations was such a mess.” Students were provided schedules that were bare, with some not getting any credits in a particular semester. While a semester off sounds great, being given no credits at the first round and knowing you need at least 13 is probably not a great feeling. Students also recounted frustrations with how flag-happy Cognomos was this year. The software kept everyone on their toes by flagging classes even though they had no conflicts, making planning courses even more difficult than it already is. It seemingly could not tell fall and winter schedules apart, as classes that ran at the same times but in separate semesters were being flagged. One student even responded that all of their waitlisted courses were flagged. Keep in mind that these issues occurred after the first allocation was delayed almost a week. One can only wonder what hell would have broken loose if it ran when initially scheduled…
The role of the administration As seen in the above graph, ratings for how the administration handled this year’s course selection process were a bit less harsh.
Many respondents expressed sympathy for email inboxes and acknowledged how annoying “a group of high-strung, eager-toemail upper-year law students” could be. This sentiment is very nice, but are we forgetting that the administration is to blame for our use of this system in the first place? Yes, I guess the technical glitches were not fully within their control, but the choice to continue utilizing a software that has let students down over and over again is within their prerogative.
And don’t be misled—many students did feel the administration could have done a much better job. A 3L respondent recounted experiencing issues with their externship credits and not receiving any assistance: “Cognomos lists my Externship credits incorrectly-- it's a full year course (3 credits each semester) but it shows as 6 credits in each semester. Initially that made it difficult to track my credits in each semester, but I've since adjusted. I also got flagged in an email for being over/under enrolled and told to fix it before the add/drop deadline? But my credits are correct-- I emailed to get clarity and no one has responded. The add/drop deadline is an hour away as I type this.” Another 3L who was not placed in their graduation requirements or on the waitlists despite ranking them highly (a common predicament) said administration told them to “just join the waitlist again.” Other respondents voiced concerns about the fact that Assistant Dean Faherty did not reach out as soon as login and course conflict issues were identified and that the administration seemed apathetic at times: “The administration seems to think Cognomos issues will resolve themselves, and refuses to take any responsibility or any steps to resolve issues arising from Cognomos.”
Better alternatives to Cognomos
According to most survey respondents, Cognomos is not working properly and the Faculty should not continue using it. I mean, we all know this and we say it every year. In the past, we’ve offered serious suggestions for how to improve Cognomos and these aren’t too difficult for students who have used the platform to come up with. But, I also don’t think it’s UV’s job–or the job of students
paying exorbitant amounts of tuition–to do the administration’s work for them. So, instead, I have some very serious suggestions that would still probably achieve better results than what we have now.
1) Hire a Course Allocation Consultant
Since coming to law school, I have learned what a “Consultant” is (or, at least, I think I have?). I can’t imagine Cognomos is cheap to use, so I’m sure that if the administration gave that subscription up, we’d be totally happy with the money going towards a twenty-something Ivey grad making PowerPoints or doing…whatever else it is consultants do.
2) Set up a large-scale scavenger hunt for course spots
I’m thinking of a The Amazing Race style hunt–hiding ‘clues’ all around the U of T campus. Once you get a clue, you open it up and can choose whether you want the class inside of it. Perhaps some sort of bartering system would then emerge. Obviously, popular courses like Shaffer’s Evidence and Civ Pro will be hidden up in the trees and in Lower Bay Station and such.
3) Let the squirrels who live on Philosopher’s Walk decide
This one is pretty self-explanatory. These creatures spend so much time around the law school, they have to have absorbed a thing or two by now. At this point, I’d rather put my fate in their paws than in the hands of the Cognomos overlords.
U of T Law Turns 75!
To Coffee Chat or Not to Coffee Chat
The unofficial guide to navigating coffee chats as a law student
GRACE XU (2L)
To coffee chat or not to coffee chat, that is the question many law students grapple with when investigating the ins and outs of job recruits. Students often hear that these informal meetings with lawyers can be vital to building connections and gaining insights into the field. However, students have succeeded with and without these meetings, colloquially known as “coffee chats.” This now brings me to the question: are coffee chats truly necessary for success, or is a strong academic performance—or perhaps even luck—enough?
The answer to that question should come as no surprise; there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to success, whatever success means anyway. Many students secure summer jobs purely based on a stellar transcript and relevant experience, while others land jobs through a blend of coffee chats and personality. Most students, however, would probably benefit from a combination of academics and a moderate amount of coffee chats with the lawyers at the firms in which they are truly interested.
To Coffee Chat
Coffee chats offer students a great opportunity to connect with practicing lawyers and uncover insights into the firm and specific practice areas. These meetings are often initiated by a quick and friendly email from the student. I find that a majority of lawyers are more than willing to share their experiences and provide advice. Some lawyers, if you are lucky enough, will even pass on your resume and cover letter to the hiring team and help you secure an interview or two.
Students stand to benefit the most when they ask specific questions. Engaging with lawyers can also lead to mentorship opportunities, which can be incredibly beneficial for personal and professional development. And for the introverts out there, coffee chats can potentially help you develop your communication skills and break out of your shell.
How to Coffee Chat
While coffee chats can be helpful and undoubtedly stressful, it is important to approach them with the right mindset. I have compiled a short and hopefully useful list of things students may want to keep in mind.
1. Be Prepared: do your homework on the person you’re coffee chatting with. Research their background, current practice area, and any recent achievements. See if you have anything in common since it may be a perfect way to break the ice.
2. Set Clear Goals: know what you want to achieve from the coffee chat. Whether it’s gaining insights into a specific practice area, learning about a firm’s culture, or asking about the hiring process, having clear objectives can help guide your discussion.
3. Follow Up: after the meeting, it doesn’t hurt to send a thank-you note expressing your appreciation for their time and insights. This simple gesture can leave a posi-
tive impression and help keep the lines of communication open for future interactions.
TLDR: The Coffee Chat Shortcut
While coffee chats can provide valuable insights, connections, and perhaps an interview or two, they are certainly not the be-all and end-all. Oftentimes, they are most effective when backed by solid transcripts and experiences.
As a quick disclaimer, the path to success is not a straightforward one. Some students will thrive off of strong academic standing, while others will find that coffee chats significantly enhance their chances of landing a job. Most students will find it effective to strike a balance—prioritizing school and extracurriculars while also engaging in meaningful networking opportunities. Ultimately, however, it comes down to what you feel is best for you. All that said, wishing you all the best in your law school endeavors!
CREDIT: ALICE XUE
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A 1L STUDENT? HOSTED BY PROFESSOR ANTHONY NIBLETT. CREDIT: ALICE XUE
PROFESSORS JIM PHILLIPS, ARNOLD WEINRIB, BENJAMIN ALARIE, ABDI AIDID AND BRENDA COSSMAN).
CREDIT: ALICE XUE
A Summer Internship at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in Vienna A Valuable Experience in a Great City
MATTHEW CHASMAR (2L)
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as a Legal Intern at the Vienna Office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). The PCA is an international organization established in 1899 to promote the peaceful resolution of international disputes. At the time of its founding, the PCA was the first permanent intergovernmental organization to provide a forum for peacefully resolving inter-state disputes, and it was hoped that the existence of such an organization would make war between states less likely. Today, the PCA remains an active forum for inter-state disputes and supports a growing number of investor-state disputes arising from international investment treaties.
Though its headquarters are in The Hague, in recent years the PCA has opened regional offices worldwide, established in Port Louis Waterfront (Mauritius), Singapore, Buenos Aires, Vienna, and Hanoi. The Vienna Office opened in 2022, and since it is so new, I was one of the first interns to work there. The office is in Vienna’s Hofburg Palace, a sprawling complex dating back to the 13th century that was once home to Austria’s royal family. Today, the PCA shares these premises with other organizations, including the of-
fice of the Austrian President, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Austrian National Library, and several museums.
During my internship, I primarily worked with the PCA’s legal counsel and case managers to assist them in administering current cases, and I conducted research on important topics in international law and arbitration. Through this, I was able to gain insight into the inner workings of a major arbitral institution, helping me to better appreciate the function of international dispute resolution in both public and private international law. Working alongside lawyers with backgrounds in varied legal traditions was also an opportunity to better understand the work of international lawyers and the complexity of international law in a globalized world.
A highlight of my internship was attending the third-ever Congress of the Members of the Court, held to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the PCA. This event was hosted in The Hague at the headquarters of the PCA—the Peace Palace—which is also home to the International Court of Justice. The Congress brought together representatives of the PCA’s member states, qualified experts,
and the organization’s staff to discuss significant topics in international law and arbitration. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the privilege of attending and learning from leading minds in the field at this event.
I also enjoyed living in Vienna and came to greatly appreciate the city’s livability. Vienna in the summer is lively and vibrant (but not overcrowded), with walkable streets, monumental architecture, and picturesque parks. During my time there, I took full advantage of the city’s cafés, museums, art galleries, and operas. One feature of the city I especially appreciated was its abundant transit. The UBahn (subway), trams, and buses are frequent, reliable, and affordable—all hallmarks of a good transit system. Maybe Toronto has something to learn from Vienna!
My experience as a PCA intern, and living in Vienna, was an incredibly valuable experience. I encourage anyone reading this who would be interested in gaining some international experience next summer to seriously consider the PCA Internship Program, and I invite anyone interested in applying to reach out to me about it.
Escape From the Library: Six Cafes to Visit Downtown
Reviews from a self-proclaimed cafe connoisseur
ROSEMARY FANG (2L)
Is the fishbowl feeling particularly oppressive these days? Spice up your study sessions by visiting any of these cafes:
1. 10 DEAN (484 Spadina Avenue)
Located near Chinatown and U of T’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, 10 DEAN is a gorgeous cafe with a great atmosphere. The cafe has a solid number of couches, cushioned seats, tables, and outlets, making for a comfortable study space. 10 DEAN can also feel quite fancy. If you’re sitting in, after you place your order, employees will hand you a numbered card, and then bring your drink directly to your table when it’s ready. The cafe can get busy at times, so it’s best to arrive early if you plan on staying for a while.
2. De Mello Coffee (8 Spadina Avenue)
If you haven’t yet visited The Well, downtown’s newest outdoor mall, De Mello Coffee can serve as the perfect excuse to check it out. Situated in the lobby of The Well’s office tower, De Mello offers an open space with a small spread of tables. There is also
more seating available if you take the office tower’s glass staircase up a few levels. One surprising perk I noticed while studying was the sheer number of cute dogs that owners bring around. What’s more, if you get bored of doing readings, you can always stroll around The Well’s various shops or their new Wellington Market Food Hall. As for drinks, De Mello’s blueberry latte or orange vienna make for interesting (and tasty) detours from your typical drip coffee or americano.
3. Butter & Blue (7 Baldwin Street)
If you’re ever looking to take a stroll in Baldwin Village, make sure to check out Butter & Blue. This cafe has an inviting pale yellow exterior with blue accent furniture and signage. Step inside, and you’ll instantly be greeted with subtle yet charming cat-themed decor. Despite the limited seating indoors, Butter & Blue has a spacious patio to compensate. The cafe can get crowded at times, so if you want to lock in and have a good study session, it’s worth arriving early. Alongside drinks, Butter & Blue also features a wide selection of baked
goods and pastries. Having visited (and sampled treats) on more than one occasion, I would recommend the matcha mochi cake when you’re in a sweet mood and the Spam and egg bun if you’re craving something savoury.
4. Rooms Coffee (17 Baldwin Street)
Have you always wanted to tell someone that you “know a spot?” Well, wait no longer! Rooms Coffee’s newest location in Baldwin Village has an aesthetic interior, great music, and is sure not to disappoint. Despite appearing quite small from the outside, this cafe is quite roomy and has several tables and chairs available. In spite of its charm, however, Rooms Coffee loses some points for study-ability. The cafe lacks air conditioning, which has resulted in more than one slightly sweaty study session in the summer. Their chairs can also be on the tinier side, so if you enjoy having back support, you may need to migrate after a few hours. Overall, while Rooms Coffee may make a better location for a chill hangout rather than an intense study session, it is still definitely worth visiting.
5. Icha Tea (235 Spadina Avenue)
Calling all tea lovers, this one’s for you! Icha Tea is a peaceful cafe located in Chinatown, with a wide variety of (you guessed it)
tea available on their menu. Icha is quite spacious, with small and large tables for your solo or group study needs. There does tend to be seating available, so you can put your pitchforks down and take a much-needed break from fighting to the death for spots. Otherwise, in terms of study-ability, the cafe can be on the dimmer side with its lighting. Icha’s strawberry matcha is a musttry for anyone who likes matcha. On the other hand, if you’re partial to a little treat, I would also sample Icha’s roll cakes (the strawberry and chestnut flavours are my personal favourites).
6. Reply (637B Bay Street)
Reply is a cozy, quiet cafe located near the Eaton Centre. The staff are friendly and their menu offers many different drinks, baked goods, and sandwiches. The cafe also features seasonal drinks which are always a pleasant surprise. Being on the smaller side, Reply does have somewhat limited seating. However, it is possible to grab a table, even during busier hours—one of my crowning accomplishments was snagging a seat (with an outlet, no less) on a weekend around noon. Another perk of this cafe is its peaceful atmosphere and soft music, making it ideal for a relaxing escape from the library.
MATCHA AND PEACH GREEN TEA AT ROOMS COFFEE. CREDIT: ROSEMARY FANG
Advice From a 3L to 1Ls
I promise nothing is that deep and everything will be fine
OLIVIA SCHENK (3L)
I have very mixed feelings about being in my final year of law school. On the one hand, I am excited to finish and begin my career. On the other hand, I am going to miss being a full-time student. Being a student is the only time in your life when your full-time job is simply to learn new things. Law school has taught me a lot, not only about the law, but also about myself. I unfortunately can’t go back in time and give advice to my 1L self. So, instead, I will offer five pieces of advice to the next cohort of 1Ls to hopefully help you maximize your enjoyment over the next three to four years.
Please note that despite my use of strong language, all advice should be taken with a grain of salt. You know yourself best and ultimately are the only person who can truly know what works best for you!
1) Prioritize your interests. Don’t let anyone tell you what type of law you should practice or which classes you should be taking. Aside from pre-requisites, your upper years in law school should be a ‘choose your own adventure.’ Embrace your curiosity— you never know what exciting doors it may open! For example, I took construction law
in 2L out of pure curiosity. It was a ‘paper’ class and took place late at night, which was not ideal, but I was determined. I loved it! The class greatly influenced my 2L recruit choices and eventually led me to a firm where I worked on many construction files last summer!
2) Relax—nothing is ever that deep. Your best got you into law school and your best will carry you through. Don’t let the threat of a few Ps convince you to sacrifice your mental health. If doing intramural sports or taking daily walks makes you feel better, it’s time well spent. If you don’t have the time or capacity to volunteer for something, just say no. I promise that not being selected to be on Law Review or not lucking out on the lottery to work at Downtown Legal Services is not the beginning of an endless downward spiral. Yes, if you choose to take part, the 2L recruit will suck, but no matter the outcome, you will become a stronger applicant for future job postings for having survived the process.
3) You belong here. Nobody accidentally trips and falls into law school. A multiphase selection committee looked through
thousands of applications and yours stood out. If you don’t feel like you fit in yet, it is just because you haven’t found where you can be your best self. Apply for volunteer positions for causes that you truly care about, join a pre-existing club to meet people who share your interests, or even start something new! There are infinite niches to occupy at the school, and if you don’t like any of those, you can always create a new one.
4) Pace yourself. Law school is best treated as a marathon. If you’re one of the many sufferers of chronic over-achievement, ease in slowly and avoid overextending yourself. Mistakes will happen, and you’ll pay for them by pulling an all-nighter or desperately begging for an extension, but don’t make that your new normal. You have at least three years to try as many things that interest you as you like. In first year, I participated in a working group for the Asper Centre and focused on oral advocacy workshops and competitions. Second year, I wrote for UV and played dodgeball. This year, I’m part of the Moot Court Committee and my goal is to get involved with the Stu -
dents’ Law Society and Law Follies.
5) Don’t forget to recharge. With all your classes and extracurriculars, it’s easy to forget to prioritize time for yourself. If you constantly operate above capacity, you will eventually burn out. Just because there is space burning a hole in your calendar doesn’t mean it needs to be filled. Spending time with friends, family, and even just yourself is valuable. In my experience, you should try to spend your time being productive or recharging. It's the worst when you overwork yourself until you need to take a break, but you are so stressed about the work you’re not doing that you can’t recharge properly. Plan time and space to recharge with intention and feel good about it. It’s not only healthier—it’s also more efficient.
First year was definitely the most challenging for me. I had moved to a new city and enrolled at a new school where I knew nobody. Each subsequent year, my growing social network and confidence made navigating law school significantly easier. May your first year also be great and your subsequent years even greater!
Where Are All the UpperYear Courses? (Encore)
The number of substantive courses continues to drop
MANREET BRAR (3L)
This summer, many students received an email from the Faculty informing them that they did not meet the minimum credit requirement, myself included. As I desperately tried to find courses to add to my sparse schedule, I began wondering—where are all the upper-year courses?
Last year, Taylor Rodrigues (JD ‘24) published “Where Are All the Upper-Year Courses?”, an article (a study to be more accurate) examining the lack of “substantive” law courses at the law school. His study built on the “Illusion of Choice in Upper-Year Classes”, an article by Naomi Chernos (JD ‘25).
For the sake of science, and to substantiate my dissatisfaction with this year’s course catalogue with data, I decided to build on Rodrigues’ study.
The 2025-26 U of T Law JD admissions guide claims that students can shape their own studies with a choice of over 180 courses. However, with 82 substantive courses out of 175 course options, students may have less choice than they were led to believe.
Methodology
For consistency, the number of courses offered is taken from the annual Course Curriculum Reports (CCRs) each year. I followed Rodrigues’ methodology while making some tweaks to account for changes in the curriculum. I relied on the numbers Rodrigues pulled from the CCR archives for the period of 2013-14 to 2023-24. I added the numbers from the 2024-25 CCR as published in March of 2024 to produce an up-to-date graph.
A “course” is defined as any credit option. A “substantive course” is a course that is neither a clinic, externship, moot, nor journal; is more than one credit; is open to “pure JD students” (JD students not doing a dual degree); and has in-class hours. If a course has more than one section, only the first section is counted as a substantive
course.
All substantive courses are courses, but not all courses are substantive courses.
Results
The overall decrease in substantive courses may indicate that U of T Law is shifting toward a more practical, hands-on based learning model. Should this come at the expense of in-class hours?
According to the 2024-2025 CCR, there are 175 courses, i.e., 175 options to fulfil your credit requirement. This includes 13 clinics, 22 externships, four journals, 23 moots, and four workshops. The externship seminar, for which there are two options, is an extension of the externship and is only one credit, therefore it does not qualify as a substantive course.
There are five course options for directed research projects at varying credit values; however, choosing to design and conduct independent research is not equivalent to a traditional course. As well, the course does not
have in-class hours. In a similar vein, supervised upper-year research papers have been excluded from the number of substantive course options because they are extensions of substantive course options.
Note that one might consider Perspectives on Private Law (LAW608H1F), taught by Professor Essert and Professor Niblett, sufficiently analogous to courses that have been categorised as substantive. However, for the sake of consistency with last year’s methodology, all one-credit courses, including Perspectives on Private Law, have been excluded from the substantive course count.
After removing these course options and applying the qualifying rules as stated in the methodology, 82 course options remain. Compared to 180, this seems bleak. 47 per cent of the total courses offered at U of T law are substantive in the sense that students attend lectures, have a structured syllabus, and complete some sort of final assessment.
Some of the courses in the CCR, such as Environmental Law, were not offered in Cognomos, and vice versa. However, the da -
taset remained largely unchanged.
The chart above shows the number of courses and substantive courses for 2013-14 to 2024-25 following Rodrigues and Chernos’ methodology. I used the data from Rodrigues and Chernos, and then found and added the data for 2024-25.
Discussion
82 courses may seem sufficient to fulfil the minimum requirement of 28 credits for the year. However, considering course conflicts and course requirements, students may, in reality, be quite limited to a small subset of courses in a given semester. And this isn’t accounting for the fact that students may, shockingly, care about the courses in which they enrol in a given year.
Either by coincidence or design, an even number of substantive course options are of -
fered across both semesters—a welcome shift from the imbalance of the winter and fall semester course offerings in the 2023-24 year.
In 2023, Rodrigues observed that, “U of T Law’s claim that students can choose from over 180 courses is potentially misleading.”
This stands true this year. Based on this year’s dataset, U of T Law has not offered 180 courses since 2017-18 and has never offered 180 substantive courses. So why does the Faculty continue to advertise a larger selection of courses than it actually offers?
While the number of course options has declined over the past decade, there is an even steeper declining trend of substantive courses relative to non-substantive courses.
In both 2023-24 and 2024-25, the Faculty offered students 175 course options. However, in 2023-24, there were 87 substantive courses, six more compared to this year,
Intra Vires
meaning substantive courses are being replaced with non-substantive courses.
According to Students’ Law Society (SLS) President Isabel Brisson (3L), “[i]t is the Students’ Law Society’s position that there should be more substantive courses offered at the law school and bar examinable courses, such as Wills and Estates, should be offered each year.” The SLS has raised these concerns with the administration.
The overall decrease in substantive courses may indicate that U of T Law is shifting toward a more practical, hands-on based learning model. Should this come at the expense of in-class hours? For students who prefer in-class learning with papers or exams to test their learning, including students interested in a career in academia, a decrease in substantive courses may be disappointing, and even damaging to one’s career prospects.
Additionally, almost every law student will write the bar, which contains questions pertaining to substantive topics, such as real estate law and labour and employment. Through substantive courses, students can learn the basic and foundational concepts of such areas—something for which a discussion-based seminar may not be suited.
On the other hand, opportunities, such as clinics and externships, offer students the chance to build relationships in the field of their choosing, allowing them to truly forge their own career path. For students interested in non-academic experiences, the law school’s shift may be well received.
But it begs the question—why can’t we have both? With such a big price tag on our education, should we not be able to eat our cake and have it too?
Totally real news from a totally optimally happy law school!
SAKINA HASNAIN (2L) & KATE SHACKLETON (2L)
Cognomos lives up to U of T Law’s commitment to EDI by equally disappointing all Cognomos cracks the code by realizing that everyone is equally happy if no one is! This year, select students were also pleasantly surprised by the delight of being locked out of Cognomos ahead of the viewing period. Cognomos claimed that such optimal happiness was achieved that schedules had to be held back to ensure students’ mental preparation. Rest assured, Cognomos is honoured to uphold U of T Law’s EDI legacy and pledges to continue this commitment.
Breaking News! Class of ‘27 already behind!
The competition for each class to out-gun
the previous year has reached abysmal lows. The incoming 1Ls reportedly only began coffee chatting about the recruit (1L, 2L, and New York) this summer ! How could they possibly prepare themselves with only 12 short months? Do they still have any chance at all? Who’s going to break it to them that they should have started three years ago?
Treason: Yet another cohort desperate to escape!
Another batch of 2Ls commit the ultimate betrayal: ditching the true north for ‘the land of the free.’ Desperate to escape affordable healthcare and Toronto construction, these treacherous students are
flocking south, lured by promises of ‘bigger opportunities.’ The desperation has reached new frontiers, with one 2L reportedly fleeing all the way to the Golden State. The mass exodus has left Toronto firms wondering—is it you, or is it me?
J’s Java vs. Terima: Unfair Competition?
Terima holds a monopoly over the desperate law school market, but an old player has resurfaced threatening their stronghold. Endorsed by the Dean, the prodigal son, J’s Java has returned. Threatened by its popularity, Terima has started proceedings alleging J’s Java of dumping goods in a foreign market and selling goods below market cost
to drive its competitors out of business.
Certainties in Life: Death, Taxes, & Construction at Museum In an effort to make Museum station more accessible, it will be inaccessible for yet another year. Law students rejoice at the opportunity to take extended strolls through Queen’s Park and perfect their jaywalking skills, courtesy of ill-timed crosswalks.
To sweater or not to sweater? Deciding whether to brave the unpredictably strong AC or risk melting in the global warming heat? Just give up. You will always be too cold and too hot. There is no winning.
Advice to 1Ls A comprehensive guide to navigating 1L
MANREET BRAR (3L)
To all the 1Ls, welcome to Jackman! As upper-years, we understand the value of mentorship—having ourselves benefitted from the wisdom of generations before. So, for the sake of passing it forward, I’ve compiled a list of advice from upper-years.
Preparing for recruit
You may have come to law school with only one humble goal: land a cushy summer job. You may not even be picky between New York or one of the Seven Sisters.
The CDO is here to support you in your career ambitions. So, when you’re tossing and turning late at night, thoughts of your 1L summer keeping you up, it is completely appropriate to email Theresa Chan.
Don’t forget to set up your LinkedIn, where every lawyer is part of the top 25 lawyers in Canada (also a great platform for stalking your ex when they’ve blocked you on all other platforms).
Call to the Bars
Don’t be fooled by the fact that Call to the Bar nights take place outside of the law school. They are designed to be prime networking opportunities. In fact, they’re basically one big coffee chat.
Before the big day, go through e.legal, search through LinkedIn, and compile a list of your targets. On the day of, arrive at the time SLS has indicated (punctuality is a virtue) and work your magic on those upper years who will be wowed by your initiative.
Pro tip: for real insider information, buy everyone shots.
Dating
Law school can get lonely—really lonely. While friends are great extras, you need someone to hold you close and to spend late nights with you at Bora Laskin.
After conducting an in-depth study, I’ve found that Hinge, Grindr, Tinder, Bumble, and the like just aren’t good enough. People are too dumb, and they don’t understand the plight of a law student. So logically, law
Writing for UV
students should date other law students. Now, the jury’s still out on which year is the best to date.
3Ls make for great mentors and, even better, they’ll be out of here soon (take that as you will). But all they do is talk about how “it all works out in the end”—so selfrighteous.
2Ls are easier to find than 3Ls (who are either out of the country on exchange or simply because 3L is wellearned vacation time). You will find 2Ls in herds near the CDO. Beware, they may bite.
Dating a fellow 1L is a dangerous game, not for the weak hearted. You may end up with your soulmate or, more likely, someone you’ll have to avoid for the next 3 years.
Extracurriculars
The most frequent question upper-years get is— which extracurricular activities do you recommend? (transl. Which of these pesky resume boosters will land
me straight on Bay Street?)
It really does depend—each club has something unique to offer. To be on the safe side, join everything. SLS to make lofty promises that not even the dean can fulfill; a journal to read articles no one else will; and an intramurals team so you can tell recruiters you “work well in a team” (transl. I swear under my breath when someone misses the net).
And if they won’t accept your exec application, you can always be a general member!
Exam Prep
You haven’t started practice exams yet? That is deeply worrying—stop reading UV and start trying to figure out where the Court of Equity is.
The totally real upper-years giving you this advice are confident that, equipped with this advice, you will crush 1L. Never forget: other people are your resources.
Some good, mostly practical reasons on why you should just do it
UV isn’t just the independent student newspaper of the law school, it is Jackman’s gateway to law school gossip, classroom drama, caffeine-fueled commentary, and the not-so-occasional rant. UV has been referenced as the law school survival guide by many (don’t ask us who or how many, just accept and move on), and this is your chance to take part in the humorous, punny, and sometimes chaotic experience that is UV, so read on to find out how you can contribute towards making the law school experience fun, relatable, and a little less serious.
1. There are no rules (mostly).
You can share your quirkiest anecdotes, critique the latest legal trends, or just attend an event and write about what happened. Give us your hot takes, spill your deepest secrets, we want it all.
2. Get first dibs on donuts.
There’s nothing better than watching a good 700 students battle their way into line for a taste of a fresh Krispy Kreme donut at 12:30pm on a sad Thursday while you waltz up to the front and grab your donut (and copy of your new piece hot off the press). Your peers will want to be your friend just to cut ahead. Bask in the glory by writing for UV.
3. Validation.
Write about all your problems at the school. Course selection? Lack of courses to select? Embrace the chaos
and turn it into a masterpiece that is the voice of many. You will be treated like a sudden celebrity - no ‘in the day of a UofT law student’ video necessary! You will receive nods of appreciation from fellow writers, and if you’re really lucky - fan mail! (yes, this has happened before).
4. Perfect your procrastination.
You’ve found the perfect excuse to avoid that looming LRW assignment. Procrastination is an art form at the law school, and UV gives you the opportunity to develop the skill. Embrace the chaos. Channel your stress into pieces of written work that will live on for generations rather than summaries you may never look at again. Put off the reading one more day. Write for UV.
5. Self-promotion.
This is your chance to immortalize yourself. Publish your cover letter and write 500 words on why every firm on the street that shall not be named should hire you. Give them more information than what a 17-minute interview ever could. Better yet - publish your dating profile and tell the law school community what you're looking for. This is your chance to shine.
Writing for UV: An Exit Strategy
You need to write an article for UV, now what?
ABBY SASITHARAN (3L)
The UV team cares deeply about student concerns. As such, we bring to you a piece that may be of significant interest to *cough* some of you. You can confidently come out of hiding, settle down with your donut in the atrium, and learn how to successfully avoid writing for UV.
1. Harness the power of procrastination: Why write today what you can put off until tomorrow…or next semester? Add your idea to the pitch sheet and tell the team that it might actually be a better suited article for Halloween, or Valentine’s Day, or…next year’s orientation week? (Editor’s note: Don’t do this, we WILL find you).
2. The ‘Group Project’: Who said law school isn’t collaborative? Find a partner or
two and propose a collaborative piece. Get everyone on board, and then become the visionary that drops one-liners, like “that’s a great idea” to deflect any actual writing responsibilities.
3. Master the ‘technical difficulties’ defense: your laptop did not in fact spontaneously combust, but you will do your best to gaslight the team into believing it. Bonus points if you name the mysterious malware that caused the chaos.
Oh no! They (we) caught on—your name is on the pitch list, you have a responsibility, you’re stressed just thinking about it. Now what?
Well we’re very experienced at effortlessly crafting UV articles, so here are five tips
to write an article in under five minutes (results not guaranteed):
1. Use the magic of repetition: If you’re writing an article about the recruit, use ‘coffee chat’ about 50 times—that’s 100 words already!
2. Interview a Jackman celebrity: ask your friends what they want to know about a new member of the Faculty, ask them several intrusive questions, and type it up—voila! You have a fresh piece of news ready for submission.
3. Quote yourself, liberally: No one can question you—well, actually, everyone can, and likely will–-but this is advice on getting your article in, not staying out of controversies.
4. Rely on ‘sources’ that don’t exist: Instead of quoting yourself, cite studies from imaginary experts or quotes from anonymous contributors. Who’s going to check, right?
5. When in doubt, write every thought that flows into your brain as a Diversions piece and call it a day. If anyone tells you that they don’t think you’re funny, tell them they don’t understand irony. Reach out to the UV team for more tips and tricks—or better yet, let us know what worked for you!
Happy dodging!
September Horoscopes
Learn what the stars have in store for you
MEGAN CORBETT (3L)
Cancer: I predict that Cancer’s symbol, the crab, will have major significance for you this month. On the one hand, you may feel crabby. Keep in mind the immortal words of some dead electrician: “Whatever begins in anger, ends in shame.” Don’t let temporary annoyances rule you. On the other hand, you may have a lovely month and just pay a visit to Red Lobster for Incalculable Crab™. If you do, here’s my super-psychic prediction: you will want extra biscuits.
Gemini: M any say you’re two-faced, but you can’t help it—you’re a Gemini! So, don’t be alarmed when a pimple crops up on your cheek early this month. And definitely don’t be alarmed as it grows to the size of a pingpong ball and then sprouts features, which look eerily like your own. It’s just because you’re a Gemini! Remain calm as the growth seems to whisper things to you in the night. Ignore these murmurings as best you can, until you pop your second face in a moment of madness. Stay calm Gemini, as you grieve your second self, destroyed in pursuit of vanity. Remember to use a hydrocolloid sticker after!
Aries: A ries sounds like Ares, the Greek god of war, and that’s what you have on tap this month. Whether it's a simmering resentment against the classmate who calls everyone in class “my colleague,” or the one who always sits in your assigned-not-assigned seat, you’ve got to confront them. Don’t worry, I reasonably foresee that you will succeed in any confrontation this month.* *The author of these horoscopes disclaims any liability for physical altercations against annoying classmates but will hold your earrings/bag.
Capricorn: D utiful, hard-working Capricorn: your horoscope for this month is just so mystical, so earth-shatteringly enlightening, I could only write it down in code, lest I shred the timespace continuum with the power of my oracular abilities. Please read the first letter of every horoscope in the order presented here to unlock your destiny.
Scorpio: Everyone knows that scorpions are dangerous if you don’t spot them before they sting you. In addition to being lifted from my third-grade science project on the fauna of the Sahara, that maxim is a good reminder for your upcoming month. Things may seem sunny on the surface, but threats lurk beneath. Fortunately, with your sharp perception, I’m sure nothing will get past you. This is much like real-life scorpions, which, as I learned in the third grade, have six to twelve eyes to spot prey. And they glow under blacklight! I bet you can’t do that, Scorpio. Or if you can…maybe take a shower.
Virgo: Your flexibility will be tested this month, and I don’t mean like yoga. Control is your middle name (is that French?), but if you allow other people to take the wheel this month, they just might surprise you. You’re still allowed to have a conniption about how they’re doing everything wrong, but keep it internal, which should be manageable since quietly judging people is your favourite hobby (tied with label-making).
Sagittarius: O pen your eyes—there’s an Aquarius in your life that you’ve been neglecting, and if you don’t pay them some at-
tention this month, you risk losing them for good. Simple favours like grabbing them coffee or sharing notes with them when they miss a class will go a long way. If they seem to be avoiding you, show them you really care by sitting next to them in class or lingering by their locker at the end of the day just to chat.
Taurus: Unfortunately, when you’re named after a defunct line of reasonablypriced Ford sedans, sometimes you have to set your expectations for excitement a little low. Not so this month. You will go on adventures beyond your imagination, rescuing damsels and slaying dragons. You will return as a new person with new dreams. Sadly, you will have to return to your boring old life when the month is over. #SundayScaries!
Leo: L ook, Leo, we all know you love attention. But you can’t expect your friends to stand around complimenting your achievements all day. Sometimes it’s better to move in silence, like the G in lasagna. When you surprise everyone by achieving something without having bragged about it every five minutes, people will think you’re doubly cool—I call it compounding impress.
Aquarius: O pt to keep your guard up this month, Aquarius—a Sagittarius in your life is trying to destroy you. If they give you a coffee—it’s poisoned; offload it to a SNAIL. If they give you notes from class—they wrote down the opposite of what the professor said to sabotage you. If the Sagittarius is stalking you in class or loitering around your locker, it’s time to adopt a new identity. I recom -
mend a fake moustache and a convincing cover story for why a transfer student would come to a new school a month into the semester (maybe your old school was bulldozed because it cast a shadow on a neighbouring hotel?). Your secret is safe with me and the entire Ultra Vires readership (so, me and like six other people).
Pisces: Oh, Pisces, if they wanted to, they would. As a fish, you should know that there are plenty of your kind in the sea, and it’s not becoming of a future pillar of justice to be pining for someone who can’t even offer a text back. Perhaps you can date an adequately cute fellow law student instead of the person that’s been stringing you along? Of course, their passive-aggressive devil’sadvocating will eventually become unbearable, but at least it will distract you until you can meet a med student.
Libra: K eeping it real, Libra, I almost forgot you existed while writing these. Libra is symbolised by the only inanimate object of the Zodiac—the scales. I’m sure that’s a great omen for your legal career, but compared to all the other, more animated signs, you run the risk of not being noticed. And that’s, like, so unfair, because you do so much cool stuff! Like that time when you… or when you did the… um, well, I’m sure you’ve done some cool stuff. Anyway, don’t forget to use your advocacy skills this month to stand up for the most important person in your life— yourself
Confessions of a Coke Head
Fizz and guilt: breaking free from my addiction
DC ANONYMOUS
I am a recovering Diet Coke addict. It started innocently enough. A sip from a friend’s Diet Coke, also known by its street name DC, led me down a syrupy slope. I then started to buy a can every now and then.
But that was not enough to satisfy the hunger.
A can every now and then turned into bulk purchases of DC. As soon as my paycheque hit my bank account, I was back in Costco. The employees would avoid eye contact with me as I beelined to the soda section on all fours.
I stopped drinking water, the sweet nectar of DC fulfilling all my needs on Maslow’s hierarchy.
Once a bartender tried to trick me with regular Coke. I noticed right away—the slight difference in pH, the lack of cleaning solution flavours. After getting into a heated argument with the bartender and being escorted off premises, my friends and family staged an intervention.
They pushed herbal teas and flavoured waters. But they didn’t understand.
After a tough day, nothing truly relaxes you like a crispy DC. Little by little, my friends abandoned me. “All you talk about is Diet Coke,” “You have to stop embezzling funds from the school for your addiction,” “No one calls it DC,” “Stop blaming your childhood trauma,” they would say.
Fast forward to last week—I was knee deep in a sea of empty cans surrounding me like tro phies of guilt. It all caught up to me—the enam el erosion, the shakes, the headaches—and made me realize: the aspartame won’t fill the giant hole in my heart. I have been sober for 12 hours, going on 13. If you too are struggling with DC addiction, you are not alone.
Back to Law School Bingo
SHELBY HOHMANN (3L)
One Last Logic Game
For old times’ sake
MANREET BRAR (3L)
As of August 2024, the logic games are no longer on the LSAT. Do you feel overcome with grief due to this fact that has no bearing on your life? To help you cope, we’ve put together the ultimate law school logic game. Enjoy!
Six courses are to be selected for a student’s fall semester. They are selected from four 100% final exam classes (A, B, C, D), four paper classes (H, I, J, K), and three pass/fail classes (X, Y, Z), according to the following conditions:
At least two 100% final exam classes are selected.
If H or J or both are selected, then both X and Y will be selected.
If Y is selected, then A is not selected. If J is selected, then K is not selected.
If at least two pass/fail classes are selected, then exactly three 100% final exam classes will be selected.
Questions
1. Which one of the following could be a complete and accurate list of courses selected for the exhibit?
a. A, B, C, J, X, Z
b. B, H, I, J, K, Y
c. A, B, C, I, K, Y
d. C, D, I, K, X, Y e. B, C, D, I, X, Y
2. If the only pass/fail class selected is Y, then which one of the following could be a partial, accurate list of courses selected?
a. H
b. A, C c. B, D, I
d. I, J, K
e. B, D, H, K
3. Which one of the following statements CANNOT be true?
a. Exactly two pass/fail classes are selected
b. Exactly three pass/fail classes are selected
c. Exactly two paper classes are selected
d. Exactly three paper classes are selected
e. Exactly three 100% final exam classes are selected
Congratulations for making it to the end! It means nothing because the LSAT could not matter less now.
The Ultra Vires Crossword Something new once you’re done
your New York Times rotation
Sudoku
square
Fictional corporation in Road Runner and Bus Org
October birthstone
Hold in high regard
Lung counterparts
Japanese dish of fried chicken made with panko bread crumbs
Capital of South Korea 20 Computer science, abbr. 21 Place for a cheater’s notes, maybe
dente, like firm pasta
A type of University degree, abbr.
Photosynthetic pigment
Gym bro slang
Slayer of the Minotaur
‘Get’ ‘Knives’ ‘Inside’
Fearful feeling
Miner’s find
“The Bear” actress
Language for which Urban Dictionary is used
Premium Scotch choice
Germanium 45 Indigenous peoples who describe themselves as nehiyawak, maybe
Like pad see ew
Try to claim this if you lose your job
50 Affirmative, in Chile
51 Longest serving first lady of the United States
53 “Some way” Canadian rapper
Handyman, on occasion 56 Suffix for some sugary drinks 57 Shared by twins 59 An earl’s tea 60 “Yankee Doodle” has 16 of them
Dentists’ patients, ideally
e.g., Ultra Vires, Toronto Star
2 Protagonist of The Namesake
3 Wars fought between China and Great Britain in the 19th century
4 Descriptor for most basketball players
5 Briefly, I shall
6 Marks subject of destination
7 Words between one and time
8 Prefix for whale, scientifically
9 Paul, often running through the streets of London
10 Australian birds with green eggs
13 That which Percy Jackson’s dad rules over
15 Navy special force in the bin Laden raid
16 For whom we work to create value
19 Video game developer, abbr.
23 The first part of LA
24 How aircraft carriers travel
26 Hydroxide
27 Children’s medicine, in doctor speak
28 Fling hard
29 Sill, for instance
31 Sung by Audrey Hepburn and Frank Ocean
35 Prefix with novela and graph
37 Cardio procedure
40 Genre which John Green writes
43 Period of large-scale glaciation
46 Crocodile
47 Pluto, to ancient Greeks
48 Part of the principle in Hammurabi’s Code
50 Unexplained infant death
52 Units of sunshine
53 car’s built in GPS
55 Santa’s little helpers
58 Common boat prefix
59 Likely the world’s oldest board game
Ultra Vires Presents: Back 2 School
Welcome to the first dynamic duo edition of playlists for the year. We are changing things up this school year and working together—coDJing, if you will. For the first playlist of the academic year, we are not tying ourselves down to any one cohesive theme. Instead, we wanted to share a collection of songs that have held us down during a very busy summer. We hope these songs can do the same for you throughout this upcoming year! We’re excited to share music both new and worn in with everyone this year!
This playlist features: Fontaines D.C., Magdalena Bay, FKA Twigs, and Ravyn Lenae
EMILY CHU (3L) & SARA ESAYAS (2L)