ULTRAVIRES.CA
October 1, 2020
VOL. 22, ISS. 1
THE INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO FACULTY OF LAW
IHRP Director Hiring Allegedly Thwarted by Donor Influence Controversy and conflicting stories shroud the alleged offer extended to Valentina Azarova IVY XU (1L)
THE JACKMAN ATRIUM, AS SEEN ON SEPTEMBER 28. PHOTO CREDIT: KATRINA KELLER.
Changes to the 1L Curriculum (2020-21) Associate Deans decide to make the small groups one semester for the 2020-2021 academic year ANNECY PANG (2L) Students entering 1L in Fall 2020 will have their small group class in fall semester only, rather than the full-year format offered in the past. Legal Process has also been moved from the Winter term to the Fall term. First-year students now have Legal Process, small group, Legal Research and Writing (LRW), and one substantive law course in the fall, with the three remaining large-group substantive law classes in the winter. According to a statement by Associate Dean Essert, the changes were due to constraints imposed by COVID-19. “The changes are not meant to ref lect any decision about the ideal structure of small groups, but were [...] a personnel decision of the sort that is within the prerogative of the Associate Dean’s off ice,” he adds. According to Assistant Dean Faherty, “The Associate Deans wanted to prioritize
offering the small group for f irst year students in person, whenever possible. Focussing on faculty who were teaching in-person reduced the available number of people who could teach a small group.” “The previous Associate Deans did consult with the entire faculty […] and there was a clear consensus that it was an appropriate set of adjustments to the curriculum for this year given these unique circumstances,” says Associate Dean Essert. According to a statement by the Students’ Law Society (SLS), SLS was only made aware of the changes when course schedules were released to the student body on June 26. “We are disappointed that the Faculty chose to implement these changes without considering student input. Further, the Faculty’s decision may have been required to proceed through the Faculty Council.” How-
ever, the SLS maintained their commitment to engaging with the Faculty in a productive dialogue to ensure the best possible student experiences for the 1L class. The changes came after the Curriculum Committee submitted a proposal in March 2020 to alter the 1L curriculum to shorten the year-long small group to f irst semester, extend LRW into the second semester, and add a 1L moot. The proposal elicited a negative response amongst both students and faculty, with students launching a petition that called for Faculty Council to reject any changes until more detail and greater consultation could be provided. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March, Faculty Council was suspended for the 20192020 academic year. It remains to be seen whether it will be addressed at the f irst meeting this year on October 7.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE LAW STUDENTS DOING COOL THINGS PAGE 12
TORONTO SUMMER 2020 1L RECRUITMENT RESULTS PAGE 7
The month of September has been character ized by many things: masks, Zoom, and park hangouts, but perhaps most signif icant ly by the school being embroidered in controversy over the alleged of fer extended to Valentina A zarova. According to articles in the Globe and Mail and Toronto Star, a judge sitting on the Tax Court of Canada, and donor (named by a Globe and Mail article as Justice Dav id Spiro) to the Facult y of Law allegedly inf luenced Dean Edward Iacobucci’s hir ing decision for the law school’s International Human R ights Program ( IHR P). These allegations point to Valentina A zarova’s of fer to ser ve as the IHR P ’s Director being revoked by the Facult y due to the donor’s concern w ith her scholarship on the Israeli-Palestenian conf lict. The Tax Court has declined media requests for comments. Ca l ls for independent invest igat ion and w idespread crit icism The U of T Law student body has largely been disappointed and frustrated by these allegations w ith many, particularly those involved w ith the IHR P, concerned about its fate. “The IHR P of fers extremely high qualit y legal ser v ices that ser ve societ y’s most v ulnerable people. Not only is it a fantastic program for students to learn and practice international law, but it is a beacon of U of T Law’s commitment to justice,” Jean-Pierre D’A ngelo (2L) says, an IHR P 2020 Summer Fellow and a current executive of the IHR P ’s Venezuela Accountabilit y Project. “The alleged inter ference by the administration on Ms. A zarova’s candidacy not only undermines the IHR P ’s abilit y to ser ve its clients, but undermines U of T Law’s reputation as a defender of procedural fairness, justice, and academic freedom. I hope that this matter is investigated and resolved expedient ly so that our communit y and the legal profession as a whole can continue to hold us in high regard.” A n open letter from IHR P students and alumni “demand a clear, actionable plan for rehabilitating the IHR P ’s and the Facult y’s reputation and for ensur ing the IHR P ’s success and integr it y for future generations of law students.” The Students’ Continued on Page 4
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