2016-2017 University of Windsor School of Law Prospectus

2016-2017

WINDSOR LAW

Windsor Law offers a broad legal education and practical justice skills in an intimate environment that supports and nurtures lifelong relationships.

Our programs are shaped by our focus on access to justice and transnational law, and a learner-centred community that values intellectual curiosity, interdisciplinary research and global scholarship.

Creative Diverse Transformative TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME FROM THE DEAN

2

OUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY

4

STUDYING LAW AT WINDSOR

6

OUR FACULTY

10

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING

12

STUDENT COMMUNITY

14

VISIT US AND APPLY

18

TIMELINE 1968 First class welcomed to Windsor Law | 1970 Windsor Law building formally opened

2

WINDSOR LAW

DEAN’S WELCOME Welcome to Windsor Law. I am proud to be the Dean of a law school where talented students, faculty, and staff work together to build a creative and supportive place in which to study and work. The students who choose to come to Windsor Law are smart, hard-working and intellectually curious. They demonstrate a genuine commitment to their communities, and they bring that commitment with them to our law school and our community. If this describes you, then I hope you will explore all that Windsor Law has to offer.

TIMELINE 1970 Students’ Legal Aid Society program launched out of Windsor Law | 1972 Centre for Canadian-American

A Windsor Law degree will open up a world of career possibilities for you, and our curriculum reflects that. From the day you arrive, you will be immersed in a learning experience that focuses on law in the books and law in action. Explore legal research, writing, dispute resolution and advocacy skills, and challenge yourself through a broad selection of courses, seminars, internships, clerkships, supervised research projects and clinics.

Our rich academic programs and exciting opportunities for experiential learning produce alums who enjoy challenging and rewarding careers. They are successful lawyers and managing partners of national and international law firms, legal aid lawyers, corporate in-house counsel, human rights advocates, government and policy advisors, sports executives (including an NHL hockey coach!), and entrepreneurs. And what is more, they carry on the Windsor Law ethos of giving back to their communities—and to their law school. One of our many strengths is the loyalty of our graduates who continue to participate in the life of the law school as teachers, guest lecturers, student mentors, advisors and generous donors.

As a Windsor Law student, you will learn from professors who are talented teachers and respected researchers. They are national and international leaders in their fields. They write books, advise governments and law reform bodies in Canada and abroad, and organize and lead national and international conferences on topics as diverse as access to justice, property expropriation, mass litigation, and intellectual property. They are experts the media seek out for their response to pressing legal issues of the day.

Our rich academic programs and exciting opportunities for experiential learning produce alums who enjoy challenging and rewarding careers.

Not all of your education will take place within the walls of the law school.

You might take advantage of our Social Justice Fellowships. Or you might join our Transnational Law and Justice Network as a Research Fellow and work with faculty and practicing lawyers on current transnational legal and advocacy projects. Maybe you will choose to work in one of our clinics, advising and assisting clients and working on community advocacy projects. Or perhaps you will choose a judicial internship in a local court, or with our Northwest Territories Clerkship program. If your interests lean toward legal research, you might take advantage of an opportunity to work with a professor as a research assistant. There really is no end to the exciting hands-on opportunities available here.

You will find life as a Windsor Law student to be at once intellectually challenging, collaborative, and fun. You will be well-supported by our faculty and staff and probably surprised by how close and collegial our community here is. You will benefit from a stimulating and rigorous learning environment, make lifelong friends, learn about the law in books and in action, and do all of this in an environment that values intellectual curiosity, social justice and community. I look forward to meeting you here.

Chris Waters Dean, Windsor Law

Studies established, offering first International Business Transactions course in Canada |

1973 Community Law Program

4

WINDSOR LAW

OUR CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY

A degree from Windsor will take you anywhere in the world you want to go. Our graduates can be found on Bay Street, Main Street and in impoverished and war-torn communities across the globe. What they have in common is a strong legal foundation and roots in a school where anything is possible.

Creative. Diverse.

Transformative.

Since conferring degrees on our first class in 1971, Windsor has been graduating remarkable lawyers and leaders who are changing our world. We’ve earned a reputation for being gutsy and for fearlessly leading the way in developing ground-breaking courses and meaningful community law programs.

Since day one, our core JD curriculum has provided a solid theoretical framework as well as experiential learning opportunities that prepare our students to meet any challenge in today’s legal environment.

TRAVEL TIMES BY TRAIN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

4.5hrs

TORONTO, ONTARIO

4 hrs 45mins

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN

AMTRACK

VIA RAIL

TIMELINE established, first in Canada |

1973 A policy to encourage Indigenous students to apply established | 1974

Best in the World Windsor pizza is so awesome that we’re left to pity the expats who order take-out and fly it across the globe to quench their craving. Want proof?

Armando’s voted 3rd best pizza in the universe.

Lions and Tigers and Red Wings, oh my!

Major league baseball, hockey, football, basketball and Windsor’s own Spitfires, Express and Border City Brawlers—just a stone’s throw away.

Easy access to tickets, just a tunnel bus ride to Detroit.

Sun and Sand

Live Well for Less

Cultural Mosaic

Two Creative Cities

Essex County has more sunny days than anywhere else in Canada as well as beautiful beaches.

We are the most southern part of Canada after all.

Windsor is Canada’s most affordable city.

Rent a spacious apartment with a view for $725 and live just steps from campus. Less time worrying about money, more time to work and play!

Windsor is Canada’s 4th most ethnically diverse city and we’ve got an unparalleled restaurant scene to prove it. And it’s affordable, even for penny-pinching students.

The renowned Detroit Institute of Arts, Windsor’s Riverfront Sculpture Park, the Fox Theatre, concerts at Caesars Windsor, the Motown Museum, hundreds of festivals and two world class orchestras.

A LAW DEGREE FROM WINDSOR IS YOUR GATEWAY TO THE WORLD.

Legal Assistance of Windsor established, second in Canada |

Our campus, situated next to North America’s busiest international border crossing, faces one of Canada’s most beautiful waterfronts that stretches along the Detroit River. There is no better place to earn your JD, to study comparative Canada-U.S. law, or to earn a joint Canadian & American Dual JD

1975 Windsor Law was instrumental in establishing Hiatus House, a

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WINDSOR LAW

STUDYING LAW AT WINDSOR Whatever your goals, whatever your plan, we have a program to meet your needs.

Collaborative.

Challenging. Real. program where students earn a law degree in Canada and the United States simultaneously. This Dual Degree, with its focus on commercial law, gives our students a competitive advantage in today’s globalized legal environment.

We offer a JD that provides students with a solid foundation in law together with the opportunity to customize their program depending on individual interests and goals. We also offer students an opportunity to earn both a Juris Doctor and a Masters of Social Work. The Master Our Canadian & American Dual Juris of Social Work/Juris Doctor program prepares students Doctor program is like no other. Windsor to advocate effectively for clients and to bring their Law has collaborated with the University of voice to the pursuit of social justice.

Detroit Mercy to offer a unique comparative For those with an interest in business, banking and commercial law, our Master of Business Administration/Juris Doctor program will position students to be leaders in business and industry.

The Ambassador Bridge, connecting Windsor and Detroit, is the busiest international border crossing in the world.

TIMELINE safe-house for battered women |

1977 Windsor Law students launched the Community Law Caravan for northern

communities |

1977 Windsor Law’s holistic admissions policy introduced

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WINDSOR LAW

SOME LAW SCHOOLS CARE ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE. WE LIVE IT.

As a social justice fellow, I spent 16 weeks working with Defence for Children International – Palestine as a field worker and legal researcher. The organization’s mandate is to protect and promote the human rights of children living in Palestine.

Social Justice remains one of the great critical aspirations of our time. At Windsor Law, our Social Justice Fellowships provide the financial and networking support that allows our students interested in social justice advocacy and in the protection of human rights to change lives.

–Renee Mahoney Social Justice Fellow

TIMELINE 1978 Prepaid Legal Services Program of Canada researched and developed

|

1979 Windsor Yearbook of Access

I was responsible for documenting the hardships faced by children living in Gaza as a result of ongoing regional war and political conflict. I photographed and interviewed Palestinian children who experienced daily bombings, violence, and various struggles such as a lack of access to clean water, power, shelter, food, education, and health care. The purpose of my project was to raise international awareness about the challenges facing Palestinian children.

My time in Gaza was challenging, powerful, and difficult. I bore witness to atrocities committed against children that I never imagined could happen, let alone were pervasive. I was led through cities by children who suffered debilitating burn wounds as a result of their homes being bombed, I met parents who could not put their children to bed due to a fear of being attacked, COLOMBIA

I watched people cower in fear at the sound of fireworks because they sounded like bombs. I spoke to children who could articulate moments in their young lives that no child should have to understand, let alone explain to a foreign observer.

SLOVAKIA

I am so grateful to have had the experience to work with the people of Gaza, and I look forward to dedicating more of my professional life to working for them in the future. The Social Justice Fellowship provided me with an opportunity to grow, to recognize my own privilege, and to acknowledge that I have a responsibility to use the skills developed in law school to benefit the lives of others.

SLOVAKIA

COLOMBIA

A GLOBAL PROGRAM Windsor Law Social Justice Fellows have travelled across the globe.

to Justice launched, first in Canada |

1982 Joint Canada/U.S. JD program established, first in Canada

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WINDSOR LAW

FACULTY

Inspiring, engaged, and supportive from the moment you walk through our doors.

Legal Research that is changing the world and mentorship that will change yours. At Windsor Law, you will work with faculty who will inspire and challenge you beyond your expectations. Our faculty come from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.

Whatever your interests—human rights research, transnational business and trade, women and the law, intellectual property—you’ll discover faculty at the cutting edge.

TIMELINE 1984 Access to Justice and Canada-U.S. issues formally adopted as primary educational themes | 1985 Windsor

“

You’ll find Windsor Law grads in leadership positions throughout the legal profession, and you’ll find them fostering social justice around the world. This is no coincidence. Our programs balance of experiential, doctrinal, and critical study—energized by commitments to access to justice and transnational law—is a great preparation for any legal career.

”

Noel Semple Assistant Professor

“

I feel really privileged to be part of the community of Windsor Law, where outstanding students, faculty and staff come together to work on initiatives that make a difference locally and globally, from sponsoring Syrian refugees, to rethinking our curriculum at an outdoor Indigenous law camp, to outstanding legal clinics and experiential learning opportunities.

”

Pascale Chapdelaine Associate Professor

“

indsor Law’s commitment to access to justice is one W of the things that sets it apart. That commitment is manifest in many of the school’s institutional features, in our faculty research, in our course offerings, our admissions policy and our dedicated social justice careers coordinator. It sets the tone of the place.

”

Claire Mummé Assistant Professor

Law first law school to have more women than men in entering class |

1985 First students clerk in Northwest Territories | 1987

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WINDSOR LAW

DON’T JUST SIT IN THE CLASSROOM

Experience Law.

Windsor Law partnered with Wayne State Law to create North America’s first Transnational Environmental Law Clinic in 2012.

Rojin Jazayeri (Dual JD) was the first Clinic intern.

“My time at the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center as a Social Justice Fellow, has truly been one of the highlights of my law school career.

The Fellowship afforded me the chance to apply my Canadian and American legal education to real world issues, and tackle some of the environmental problems faced by Canada and the United States.

During my ten weeks at the Clinic, I regularly drafted motions and briefs for submission to US Courts including the Supreme Court of Michigan. I was also responsible for reading evidence in pre-litigation stages of an environmental tragedy that compromised many people’s health and access to water in 2015.

I witnessed the powerful role of written and oral advocacy in protection of the environment, and the significant role that environmental law plays in the pursuit of social justice.”

TIMELINE Intellectual Property Law Institute created with faculties at Universities of Detroit Mercy, Wayne State and Windsor

Students working in Community Legal Aid

At Windsor Law, your learning will extend far beyond the classroom. Complete a corporate transaction in the Advanced Business Law Seminar, clerk for the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories, provide advice to a not-for-profit organization, or advise clients in our poverty law clinics. Our students benefit by engaging in practical experiences like these that support their classroom learning.

Some of our experiential opportunities: Ontario Court of Justice Internship Community Legal Aid Legal Assistance of Windsor Transnational Law & Justice Internships National Self-Represented Litigants Project Social Justice Fellowships Northwest Territories Clerkship Pro Bono Students Canada Placements Windsor Review of Legal & Social Issues International Intellectual Property Clinic

OUR STUDENTS GO HERE

GOVERNMENT

|

ADVOCACY & PUBLIC SERVICE

LAW FIRMS

JUDICIAL

BUSINESS

ACADEMIA

1992 The Black Law Students’ Association of Canada established | 1995 Canada’s first student Mediation Service Clinic

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WINDSOR LAW

A WELCOMING AND COLLABORATIVE STUDENT COMMUNITY

We hear it all the time: “ At Windsor Law your classmates are your friends and your relationships endure well beyond law school. It’s unlike any other law school.” “ My first year at Windsor Law was a whirlwind. Playing a varsity sport while completing my first year of law was definitely not an easy task, but the amount of support I received from faculty and my classmates made my experience well worth it. I have met so many interesting people here at Windsor Law. Because my classmates come from many different backgrounds and experiences, it makes my learning experience and legal education second to none.”

- Krysten Bortolotti (Class of 2016)

POPULAR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES

POPULAR CLUBS

POPULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES

POPULAR VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

Slam Poetry

Justice at Work

Pick-up soccer

Lawyers Feed the Hungry

Music Bands

Outreach Club

Softball

Vagina Monologues

Photography

Women in Law

Golf

Charity Golf Tournaments

Dance

Canadian Lawyers for Human Rights

Cycling

Pro Bono Students of Canada

Movie Nights Board Game Nights

Multicultural Clubs Mental Health Club Soup Club Environmental Club

Yoga Water Polo Hockey Tennis

High School Outreach Indigenous Initiatives Multifest

Association in Defence of the Wrongfully Convicted

TIMELINE established |

1999 Juanita Westmoreland-Traore appointed Dean of Windsor Law, the first black dean of a law

JUST THE FACTS

48% MEN

85

160

DUAL JD STUDENTS

COME FROM MORE THAN

12

%

STUDENT

ATHLETES & MUSICIANS AS COMPARED TO OTHER SCHOOLS

245

OTHER UNIVERSITIES

%

HAVE GRADUATE DEGREES

COME FROM

60

PROGRAMS

OF

30

24

20

COME FROM WESTERN PROVINCES

PERCENTAGE

WOMEN

AVERAGE AGE

JD STUDENTS

HIGHER

52%

ACROSS CANADA

8

%

ARE LOCAL

80

%

COME FROM THE GTA

STUDENTS

school in Canada |

2000 Canadian-American Research Centre for Law and Policy established | 2005 Social Justice Fellowship

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WINDSOR LAW

WE’RE HERE TO HELP YOU TOTAL BURSARIES AWARDED

2.494

At Windsor Law, our greatest asset is our people.

Our professors are engaged in important research about current and significant legal and social issues.

We have a committed staff and a student body who form a vibrant intellectual and social community. Your personal and professional success is our priority.

$

Stretch and achieve your dreams.

MILLION

ACADEMIC SUCCESS PROGRAM Law students come from a variety of academic disciplines. The Academic Success Program assists first-year students to make the transition to law studies. Sessions address anything and everything from learning strategies, case analysis and briefing, prepping for exams and legal writing. Tutorials provide a further layer of support for students beyond the classroom.

AVERAGE 1ST YEAR BURSARY

6,500 17,600

$

MAXIMUM BURSARY AWARDED

$ 0 ,00

$5

0 ,00

0

$1

0 ,00

5

$1

50

PEER MENTORING PROGRAM

0

0 ,00

$2

%

of our students receive funding on top of provincial student loans and our Line of Credit program with Scotiabank.

At Windsor Law, you’ll always have someone to turn to for advice and support. Upper year students are matched with first year students to help them make the transition to law school.

JOB SHADOWING PROGRAM Imagine your career through the lens of a successful Windsor Law alum. Shadow a Justice from the Court of Appeal for Ontario, a private practice lawyer on Bay Street, a government lawyer, a politician, a leader in business or industry, or a director of an NGO—wherever you’re going, we’ve got someone to mentor you there.

TIMELINE Program established |

2006 Centre for Transnational Law and Justice established | 2008 Windsor Law

“ Joining the Windsor Law community means having one-onone support from an experienced classmate. The Peer Mentorship Program was developed in 2010 and has since been providing incoming first-year students with an upper-year mentor to help ease the transition. Mentees quickly learn the advantages of having a mentor provide support, resources, and tips on how to survive law school. There is no better way to succeed at Windsor Law than having a new friend share in your accomplishments!”

– Francesca D’Aquila-Kelly 2016-2017 Peer Mentorship Student Coordinator

“ Windsor Law’s best attribute is the people who work and study here. From the very first day, I felt welcomed and supported by upper-year students and had the pleasure of developing meaningful relationships with several members of the faculty and staff, not to mention the great friends I have met in class! At Windsor Law, students are not just seen as a number, but as valued members of the community.”

– Samantha Hale MSW/JD Student

ALUMNI PROFILE

AMY JOHNSON Amy Johnson’s story is nothing short of remarkable. A single mother of six boys with limited financial resources, she dared to dream of going to law school. She applied to three schools and held her breath waiting for replies, but only at Windsor Law was she warmly received and accepted without hesitation. And so, in the summer of 2012, she packed up her life and her boys and moved to Windsor.

The next hurdle was financing her legal education — a daunting challenge with six boys to feed and clothe. But gradually the barriers to her legal dreams fell away. Thanks to the generous benefactors who support Windsor Law, Amy was eligible for a number of bursaries and grants that helped offset the cost of life in law school.

Amy says that at Windsor Law, she discovered professors who take the time to get to know you and staff who are genuinely interested in how your family is adjusting. She found a school that is small enough to be personal yet large enough to provide the breadth and exposure to any area of practice you are seeking. And beyond the law school, she found the city of Windsor to be welcoming and affordable.

Amy is completing her articles in a family law firm and plans to stay in Windsor.

cofounds the first annual Canadian IP Moot Competition |

2010 Charter project launched to educate Canadians about the Charter

18

WINDSOR LAW

VISIT US. APPLY.

In 1977 at Windsor Law, we broke new ground by radically revising our admissions policy to facilitate access to legal education for those disadvantaged by gender, race, or socio-economic situation. Today, it remains a cornerstone of what we stand for.

We work hard, we play hard and we graduate strong leaders. Because we cultivate a collaborative environment, amazing things happen.

TIMELINE |

2013 Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship Clinic (LTEC) established | 2016 International Intellectual

Two factors, equally important, determine acceptance into Windsor Law:

FIRST YEAR ENTRY

1) Will you excel in the study of Law?

Submit required documentation through the Ontario Law School Application Service by November 1

2) Will you contribute creatively and meaningfully to the community?

UPPER YEAR ENTRY

In addition to GPA and LSAT scores, we consider an applicant’s university program, work experience, community involvement, accomplishments, career objectives, and other personal considerations.

Submit required documentation through the Ontario Law School Application Service by May 1

APPLY Apply online at www.ouac.on.ca/olsas

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.uwindsor.ca/law “ Windsor Law has given me the opportunity to join a vibrant community filled with opportunities to both develop myself personally and professionally.

“I’ve made great friends over my first year here. If I could give one piece of advice to newcomers, it would be to reach out if you need help. Windsor Law has a great support structure, the upper years, faculty and staff are really approachable and helpful.”

- Nadheera Panamaldeniya

Property Clinic established

TO VISIT THE FACULTY OF LAW, BOOK A CAMPUS TOUR, OR MEET WITH A STUDENT AMBASSADOR lawstudentservices@uwindsor.ca

Windsor Law Students

TIMELINE 2016 CLA & LAW merged into downtown space

Image Credits

Tiger Stadium Photo (p5) © Michael Kumm https://www.flickr.com/mkumm/ Used under Creative Commons License Movement Detroit Festival Photo (p5) © Angie Linder https://www.flickr.com/technochick/ Used under Creative Commons License

Page

Taloola Café Photo (p5) Courtesy The Urbanite http://www.urbanitenews.com

401 Sunset Avenue | Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4 519.253.3000 ext 2925 www.uwindsor.ca/law