QUID NOVI
Vol 43 No 16 5 April 2022
NCDH 305 - 3644 Peel Montréal, Québec H2A 1X1
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McGill University Faculty of Law Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF Chris Ciafro ART DIRECTOR DIRECTRICE ARTISTIQUE Hanna Rioseco LAYOUT EDITOR ÉDITEUR DE MISE EN PAGE Luther Mourinet COPY EDITORS SECRÉTAIRES DE RÉDACTION Maïmouna Diallo Nathan Leung Roxanada Mirzac COLOUMNISTS CHRONIQUEURES ET CHRONIQUEUSES Darien Bahry Nicolas Kamran Mario Michas Vidish K Parikh CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE COLLABORATEURS ET COLLABORATRICES Madalina Cretu Joseph Ho Special thanks to Prairie Koo for designing the layout. ~ The Quid Novi is published weekly by the students of the Faculty of Law at McGill University. Production is made possible through the direct support of students. All contents copyright © 2021 Quid Novi.
Les opinions exprimées sont propres aux auteurs et ne réflètent pas nécessairement celles de l’équipe du Quid Novi. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the McGill Law Students’ Association or of McGill University. Envoyez vos commentaires ou articles avant jeudi 17h00 à quid.law@mcgill.ca. Toute contribution doit indiquer le nom de l’auteur, son année d’étude ainsi qu’un titre et un sous -titre pour l’article. Les images doivent être soumises séparément. L’article ne sera publié qu’à la discrétion du comité de rédaction, qui basera sa décision sur la politique de rédaction disponible sur notre Facebook @quidnovi.mcgill.
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QUID NOVI
CETTE SEMAINE...
43 16
Vol 43 No 16 5 April 2022
INSIGHTS
COMMUNAUTÉ
EVENTS
3 | BEING A LAW STUDENT
2 | FIVE THINGS I WISH I
9 | THE 4OTH ANNIVERSARY
4 | BILL 96 AND ENGLISH CEGEPS A Never-Ending Conflict
5 | McGILL LAW JOURNAL PODCAST New episodes now streaming
5 | AFGHANISTAN TURNS
4 | INSOLVENCY INSTITUE OF CANADA Law Student Writing Award Program 2021-2022
DURING HISTORICAL WORLD EVENTS
GIRLS AWAY FROM SCHOOLS
10 | WHY BEING A LEADER
IS MORE THAN JUST THE ACT OF LEADING Intangibles, like Emotional intelligence, are vital to relate to others
11 | MA PRÉDICTION POUR
HAD KNOWN IN APRIL 2021 A Letter to 1Ls
OF THE CANADIAN CHARTER: UNFINISHED BUSINESS McGill Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism
8| CANADIAN DEFENCE
LAWYERS FOUNDATIONS $5000 Essay Prize for a paper relevant to the defence of civil litigation
LES TROPHÉES DE LA LNH POUR LA SAISON 2021-2022
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Vol 43 ● No 16
FIVE THINGS I WISH I HAD KNOWN IN APRIL 2021 A Letter to 1Ls
Nicolas Kamran | 2L
Dear 1Ls, Those of you who know me as your group assistant in Professor Jouet’s course are hopefully aware that I take genuine pleasure in giving advice. Receiving it is a different story. In April 2021, my tendency for stubbornness translated into a frustrating exam and summer period. I walked into situations blinded by my belief that doing things “my way” would result in success at every turn. Thankfully, things ended up going well. But they were much harder than they needed to be, and it does not have to be that hard for you. Here are five things I learned over the past year that I wish I had known in April 2021. 1 – The results you receive in 1L do not determine who you are as a student. Here is a brief story. During my fall integration week, I wound up in breakout room hosted by an upper-year student. They invited us nervous 1Ls to ask any and every question, and ask we did. One student ended up asking them how to handle 1L exam grades. The upper-year student answered the following:
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
“Well, just brace for it. The type of student you are in 1L is pretty much who you will be for the rest of law school. You will know who you are after 1L”. An upside of writing for the Quid is that it allows me to tell you how this is utter bullshit. Exams are a moment in time. The few hours you will spend completing each exam says remarkably little about who you are as a student—let alone a person. You are continuously learning new skills, knowledge, and perspectives. I know how hard this may be, but it can be healthy to base your self-esteem on more than academic achievement. You are more than your grades, especially at McGill. 2 – Clarity matters more than you may think. One of the most common things I hear from students One of the most common things I hear from students who perform poorly on their law school exams is the following: “My content was perfect, but the Prof did not like the way I presented it. How unfair!” I understand the frustration, having lived through it myself. However, my perspective changed when I crossed over to the other side. Working as a group assistant 2
this year, I was tasked with providing feedback on 40 student essays. I was surprised to find that nearly every essay nailed it content-wise. Students engaged with the material and showcased an accurate understanding of it. That said, many of these essays were unstructured and ambiguously phrased at times. What separates “good” from “great” was how easily I could grasp and follow the student’s point, and this usually entailed structured arguments and careful phrasing. When you write a law school exam, put yourself in your professor’s shoes. On top of teaching classes and grading, they have families, ongoing research initiatives, and various other personal and professional commitments to which they need to attend. Being the son of a McGill professor myself, I can assure you that grading is not a highlight of the job. However, much care is put into providing feedback, but they probably want to get things over with as quickly as possible. This is why clarity matters. The less work it takes for professors to grasp your argument, the more time they have for their other commitments. Consciously or subconsciously, professors are grateful of the time and mental effort you save them — this gratitude could reflect on your grade. 3 – You do not have to work a law-related job during your 1L summer. I will start by saying that working a law-related job during your 1L summer can be incredibly rewarding. If you find an interesting job that aligns with your career goals, I will certainly not discourage you from taking it. That is the path I chose. In summer 2021, I found myself at the Tribunal administratif du logement providing doctrinal, legislative, and jurisprudential research for administrative judges. I mainly wrote and communicated summaries for judgements on appeal from the Tribunal, but I occasionally assisted judges during trial. I developed strong research skills, learned to communicate in a professional environment, and got to see the most active Tribunal in the province everyday. All this being said, my friends who did not work law jobs last summer are thriving too. Some travelled, others worked at camps, and several worked service-related jobs in the city. To this day, I have not seen any potential employer use their lack of strictly
law-related experience against them. If anything, employers appreciate a diversity of experience. What matters is what you personally retain from whatever you do, and less what it looks like on paper. People can tell the difference. 4 – Taking JICP during your 1L summer is a great idea. JICP is a 4-credit mandatory course that you can take in summer 2022, fall 2022, and winter 2023. I strongly advise you to take it in summer. This is something I did not do, and I bitterly regret it. By this I do not mean to disparage my fall 2021 JICP course taught by Professor Saumier, which was clear, useful, and enjoyable. It is more a question of time management. Simply put, taking JICP in the summer opens your schedule tremendously. This is something you should want in 2L, for the beauty of being an upper-year student resides in your freedom to tailor your schedule to your academic interests. There are several classes on which I missed out due to my fall JICP class. This would have been even more true in winter, where the combination of property, legal ethics, and JICP would have accounted for 10 credits worth of mandatory courses. If it is not too late, do not make the same mistake. 5 – Prepare the specifics. There are specific things that you will almost certainly need to do in each final exam, and you can prepare for them. Here are some examples that you may find helpful: • When examining criminal liability in your criminal justice final, you will probably need to provide definitions for an actus reus, different mens rea standards, and causality. • It is also likely that you will need to define certain defenses, elements of criminal procedure, and principles of punishment. Prepare these definitions in advance. In your contracts final, you will almost certainly need to spot issues related to offer, acceptance, consideration, breach, remedy, and various forms of vitiated consent. Identify the rules for these issues in advance. These are far from exhaustive, and I suggest speaking to upper-year students for more such examples. Having presented these five pieces of advice, I bid you good luck and congratulate you on reaching the end of a remarkably difficult year. You are doing better than you think, I promise.
BEING A LAW STUDENT DURING HISTORICAL WORLD EVENTS Madalina Cretu | 1L
The last two years have been filled with major world events that are affecting our daily lives and catalyzing change in society on a macro level. I personally feel tired experiencing so many historical events in such short period, however I am trying to learn how to practice a positive mindset during these times. Prior to law school, I worked as a nurse and provided care to patients and their families during the COVID pandemic. When our society was scared about COVID related deaths, I worked at a birthing unit to welcome babies into the world. As I was helping mothers meet their babies for the first time, the emotions experienced in the delivery room taught me that despite scary world events, life keeps going and we should learn to adapt to change. Moreover, the World Happiness Report 2022 shows a bright light in dark times. According to the team of international researchers, including McGill University Professor Christopher BarringtonLeigh, the pandemic brought not only pain and suffering but also an increase in social support and benevolence. Now in my first year of law school, I worry about my family that is living close to the war in Ukraine. I personally thought that there is no crazier time to be a modern law student than now. As I was feeling overwhelmed, I remember sitting in Professor Van Praagh’s torts class and listening to her stories on how throughout her career she has always been challenged to teach during historical events, including 911, pandemic, and war. I took the time to do some reflections after her class, and I am learning that it is not healthy to live my present life waiting for the future to bring better days, instead it is more powerful for me to be present in the daily life and navigate through the joys and stressors. I cannot change the major world events that affect me but, but I can control how I react to them and the people around me. I hope that the healthy coping skills we develop during these times can help bring joyful days to our community in the future. As McGill law students approach the end of academic year, they are trying to find the energy and motivation to face exam season. Learning about the news can be tiring and depressing for some people, but we should strive to have a healthy balance between news awareness and our mental health. As future jurists, law students are in a unique position where they should be up to date with the news, manage their course work and take care of their personal wellbeing. That is easier said than done! However, I hope that after reading my article, you can take some time to reflect on the challenges and the joys you have been experiencing this academic year and how that shaped you into the person you are today. 3
Vol 43 ● No 16 Panel of Judges
Law Student Writing Award Program 2021-2022 A competition for full-time undergraduate students in Canadian Law Schools The IIC Law Student Writing Award Program provides
PANEL CHAIR SHAYNE KUKULOWICZ Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP Toronto, ON
Members
the opportunity for undergraduate law students to explore and discover the many facets of corporate insolvency and restructuring law through the research and development of papers.
The Insolvency Institute of Canada The IIC is Canada’s premier private sector insolvency organization. It is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of excellence and thought leadership in commercial insolvency and restructuring policy and practice in Canada. Members of the IIC are drawn from the most senior and experienced members of the insolvency community. Membership is limited to 135 insolvency practitioners (trustees, lawyers and restructuring professionals) who are joined by representatives of regulatory and compensation bodies, major financial institutions and prominent members of the academic community.
2020-2021 Award Winners
JEFFREY LEE MLT Aikins Saskatoon, SK
MICHEL MARLEAU Ernst & Young Inc. Montreal, QC
18th Anniversary of the IIC Law Student Writing Award Program Our 2021-2022 program marks the 18h year of the IIC offering the Law Student Writing Awards, which was designed to support and reward academic scholarship in the area of corporate insolvency and restructuring. This program gives undergraduate students the opportunity to research insolvency issues and bring their proposals for reform to the attention of the business and legal community which they are about to enter.
Eligibility • The competition is open to law students in full-time undergraduate law programs at Canadian universities. Entries may be submitted in English or French. • Each student is limited to one entry. There is no limit to the number of entries that may be submitted from one university, but each paper must bear the endorsement of a law faculty member. • Papers must be no longer than 3,000 words (exclusive of footnotes) and must be typed. Papers may be jointly written. • Papers must be submitted electronically to the executive director at the email provided in the entry form by the deadline. • The paper must be focused on restructuring in an insolvency context.
1st Place, $7,500
Maria Belykh, Western University, will be recognized for her achievement at the 2021 IIC Annual General Meeting and will be a guest at the IIC National Annual Conference in Kelowna, BC, Sepember 8-11, 2022. “CCAA Supplier Protection: A System in Need of Reform”
DAVID BISH Torys LLP Toronto, ON
2nd Place, $5,000
Kristen Robertson, Queen’s University “It’s All in the Effect: The AntiDeprivation Rule Post-Chandos Construction”
LANCE WILLIAMS McCarthy Tétrault LLP Vancouver, BC
3rd Place, $2,500
Candace Formosa, Thomson River’s University “Dampening the Effect of Redwater through a Reverse Vesting Order”
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
JENNIFER STAM Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, Toronto, ON
2021-2022 Awards
First, second and third prizes of $7,500, $5,000 and $2,500 will be awarded. Papers may also be selected for publication in the Journal of the Insolvency Institute of Canada, alongside submissions from the leading experts in the field. The prize for the first-place winner will be presented at the IIC’s annual conference being held September 8 –11, 2022 at the Grand Okanagan Resort in Kelowna, BC. Both the first place winner and their faculty sponsor will be invited guests of the IIC at the conference, with complimentary conference registration (including accommodations). Travel costs will be reimbursed. If a co-authored paper is selected for first place, the division of the prize and the reimbursed travel costs will be entirely at the discretion of the winners. All papers provided to the Judges are confidential and do not include the author’s name or university affiliation to ensure impartiality during the judging and winning paper selection process.
APPLY BY JUNE 15TH, 2022! 1st, 2nd & 3rd prizes of $7,500, $5,000 & $2,500
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CRAIG MUNRO FTI Consulting Canada Vancouver, BC
MICA ARLETTE Pricewaterhouse Coopers Canada Toronto, ON
NOW STRE AMING
Climate Change & the Charter: Securing the Right to a Healthy Environment
The Law of Armed Conflict and its Limits: Lessons from Afghanistan
Deconstructing the Reasonable Person
Legislating Cyberspace: Online Harms and Threats to Civil Liberties
McGill Law Journal Podcast de la Revue de droit de McGill lawjournal.mcgill.ca/podcasts 5
Vol 43 ● No 16
BILL 96 AND ENGLISH CEGEPS A Never-Ending Conflict Mario Michas | 1L
In Quebec, it seems that we do not cease to hear about the CAQ government’s Bill 96. How can we not hear about this topic and a fortiori how can we not be concerned? The National Assembly’s Committee on Culture and Education, which is tasked with studying the Bill, has adopted an amendment that obliges all students enrolled in English CEGEPs to take three regular courses in French. The CEGEP system was created in the 1960s as part of an effort to enhance access to higher education. These colleges typically grant pre-university Diplomas of College Studies (DCS). In English colleges, students are required to take two French language courses, each focusing on literature, and writing, amongst other topics. The rest of the courses are offered in English, whether they be complementary, physical education, general education, or program courses. It is the opposite in French colleges, where two English language courses are mandated, and the rest of the courses are offered in French. Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette recently proposed that in addition to the two mandatory French language courses, students in English CEGEPs be obliged to take three other courses in French. The proposal, which was adopted, imposes an obligation on all English CEGEPs to ensure that every student who obtains a DCS takes a minimum of five courses in French.
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
The new amendment created a panic within the CEGEP system, leading the Fédération des cégeps to say that the amendment will have a “catastrophic effect” that amounts to “discrimination.” The Fédération des cégeps serves as the CEGEP system’s representative body, and comments on government actions and their impact on colleges. The Fédération says that the amendment is not realistic, as it obliges students with little knowledge of French to take three additional courses in French. To ensure that students can successfully follow their two mandatory French language courses, students are currently placed in different levels based on their French skills. Professors evaluate the students’ skills and place them in the appropriate class depending on their competencies. In contrast, there are no provisions for placing students in different levels of French for the additional three courses. As the Fédération notes, a student who was not able to advance their French in elementary and high school, cannot be expected to instantly follow three additional French courses.The Fédération stipulates that the additional three courses do not only impact CEGEPs. They impact high schools as well because they will have to prepare students to receive these additional courses. The Fédération tried to meet with the Minister of Education and tried to present data to the government, but was ignored. There are administrative problems in addition to the issues 6
raised by the Fédération. English colleges will have to hire more professors who are capable of teaching in French, they will have to design new courses and professors will have to create new course curricula. These colleges will have to purchase new materials, books, and equipment. In short, there are significant costs associated with the new amendment. Costs that hit already overburdened and underfunded English CEGEPs. Another question is raised: what concrete impact will the amendments have on students? The Federation is concerned that the three French courses will damage Anglophone students’ grades. CEGEP is stressful and many students wish to attend highly competitive university programs such as law or medicine and to do so they must have high grades and R-scores. It may be difficult for an Anglophone student to take program courses in French given that program courses involve highly technical vocabulary and require essay writing. An Anglophone may master the jargon in English and may be a terrific writer but may not be so gifted in French. Certain commentators have stated that the amendment would punish students who are not gifted in French but who are otherwise brilliant. There is nothing wrong with English CEGEPs offering more courses in French. Students in English colleges would benefit from taking courses in French. However, they should not be obliged to take those courses. These students should, at the very least, be accommodated and placed in French courses of varying difficulty. A student who has poor French skills cannot be put in an advanced French program course. As Minister Jolin-Barrette has advanced multiple times, Bill 96 entrenches French as the normal language in CEGEPs. Thus, English CEGEPs are the exception. It follows that French courses in English colleges are also the exception. One must be careful not to allow the exception to become the rule. English CEGEPs have a duty to offer English courses. After all, students choose them because they want to improve their English or simply to receive an English language college education. In the end, the amendment will burden English CEGEPs and Anglophone students. CEGEP students already must think about university, scholarship, internship, or job applications. They also have to worry about their grades, the Covid situation, and other personal issues. Creating a new worry where Anglophone students will be concerned about passing, let alone excelling in, additional French courses is not helpful. CEGEP students need support and encouragement; not a supplementary source of stress. Stress is already plentiful in CEGEP, there is no need for more.
AFGHANISTAN TURNS GIRLS AWAY FROM SCHOOLS Joseph Ho | 1L
On March 23, secondary school girls across Afghanistan, ready to attend classes for the first time since the Taliban took over the government in August 2021, arrived at the school gates only to be turned away. The Taliban government reversed its earlier promises and is keeping secondary schools closed indefinitely for girls. The reversal appears to be a last-minute decision — up until the somewhat muted March Nowruz celebrations (“Persian New Year”), education sector actors were preparing for school reopening with the Ministry of Education’s blessing. Children, especially girls, in Afghanistan have had a particularly difficult several years even before the Taliban takeover. A severe drought in 2018 displaced over a quarter of a million people in the country, when families sold all their belongings and moved to urban areas to cope with food and water scarcity. Children living in informal displacement settlements had little access to education. Boys were sent to beg on the streets or take on odd jobs to support their families. Early marriage for girls rose, often just to exchange food and cash for the family’s survival. The effects of the drought had barely subsided when COVID-19 hit in March 2020. The government closed schools across the country for almost an entire academic year. In a country where 75 percent of the population is rural with very limited access to television, internet, and sometimes even phone, online school was not a realistic option. Children were beyond ecstatic to return to the classroom when schools reopened in March 2021, only to be closed again following a post-Eid COVID surge in June. Schools never reopened for secondary school girls. It is difficult to decipher the reasoning behind this decision that has sparked international outcry. Eight months in power, the Taliban leadership remains opaque, the state of affairs in the country chaotic, and the executive decisions often arbitrary. As the world’s attention shifts to Ukraine, Afghanistan seems to be slipping back under a harsh, oppressive Taliban regime that ran the country in the late 90s. Some may simply dismiss the latest development as the Taliban showing its “true colors,” or the “hardliners” prevailing over the “pragmatists” among Taliban senior leadership. While this argument may have some degree of truth, it may be somewhat reductionist and may not be a particularly useful analytical lens for the international community as it determines how to engage with the current government. It is worth noting that in the lead up to last year’s Taliban takeover, over half of the country was already either directly under Taliban control or heavily influenced by their presence. In many of these areas, girls were permitted to attend school, albeit with strict adherence to gender segregation. Donors have repeatedly emphasized that girls’ education is a priority to the current leadership. The Taliban government, now cash-strapped and struggling to gain international
recognition, could be holding girls’ education hostage as a bargaining chip as it seeks legitimacy internationally. Some have also questioned whether girls’ education is simply another Western imposition on people that do not hold the same ideals. They point to the significant and consistent lag in girls’ enrollment rates since the fall of the last Taliban government in 2001. This view is falsely premised on an image of Afghanistan that is uniformly conservative, intent on keeping its girls and women at home. No doubt segments of the population hold very conservative beliefs, but most do not see an inherent contradiction between Islam and girls’ education. This perspective also ignores the many other barriers to education that Afghan girls face. Insecurity and long distances between rural villages and government schools disproportionately affect girls — many families are reluctant to allow girls to walk several hours to school out of fear for their safety. Shifts in cultural attitudes and beliefs are of course always difficult to measure, especially in places like Afghanistan. However, anecdotally, colleagues with whom I worked point to many signs of broad acceptance to girls’ education across the country in the past two decades. Twenty years ago, when they first began implementing education projects after the fall of the Taliban regime, they spent much of their time discussing with village religious leaders to gain their trust and support to allow girls to attend school. Twenty years later, they receive more letters of request to open new schools than they can respond to. On a more personal level, the latest reversal on girls’ education was difficult to watch from afar, having spent 2.5 years working in Afghanistan, much of it on expanding education access in rural Afghanistan. Law school can feel a bit detached from the world and 1L has been at times disorienting, after moving to Montreal from Afghanistan on the cusp of the Taliban takeover last summer. That said, it doesn’t have to be — so much of what we discuss in class is relevant to the world at large. For example, what kind of positive duty does a state have to its citizens? What recourse does one have when a government fails those duties? What duty of care does a foreign government have to people in another country when it decides to topple a regime (as when the US did in 2001 in Afghanistan)? What about when it decides to pull out? When two governments sign an agreement (as when the Trump government signed the “Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan”’ in 2020 with the Taliban paving way for its eventual pull out), to what extent are they “contractually-bound”? On a broader level, if a government imposes laws that do not reflect the prevailing values of its society, is it still law? What can we do if we reject that it is a valid legal system? I have no illusions that I will be able to answer these questions over the next few years at McGill, but there is no doubt that a legal education offers valuable tools to analyze these difficult issues. 7
Vol 43 ● No 16
CANADIAN DEFENCE LAWYERS FOUNDATION LAW STUDENT ESSAY PRIZE March 2022
Foundation Board of Directors Chair Daniel Reisler Aviva Trial Lawyers Toronto Janet Clark Stewart McKelvey Charlottetown Susan Gunter Dutton Brock LLP Toronto Mouna Hanna Dolden Wallace Folick LLP Toronto Richard Lindsay QC Lindsay LLP Vancouver
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
Randi Glass Executive Director
Canadian Defence Lawyers Foundation is pleased to once again advise you of its annual Canadian Law Student Essay Prize. The Canadian Defence Lawyers Foundation was established in 2015 by Canadian Defence Lawyers to advance and support legal education and scholarship in Canada by providing prizes and awards to students enrolled in Canadian law schools. We are pleased to note the annual prize has been awarded to students from across the country. This year the Foundation will award a prize of $5,000.00 to the author of an essay on a topic as described below: “A paper relevant to the defence of civil litigation in Canada.” The prize is open to any student currently enrolled in the Faculty of Law of any university in Canada. The papers will be judged on academic merit by a distinguished panel of eminent persons drawn from the faculties of Canadian Law Schools, the Bench and the practising Bar. One winner will be selected. The papers must be original, academic in style and scholarly in content. The deadline for submission of the papers is 5:00 pm EST on May 6, 2022. The winner will be notified shortly thereafter and acknowledged at the Annual Meeting of Canadian Defence Lawyers. Instructions for submission of entries are outlined on the accompanying application, also available on our website www.cdlawyers.org. Canadian Defence Lawyers, founded in 1995, is a voice and a resource for civil defence lawyers through networking opportunities, a national perspective and quality defencespecific education. The Canadian Defence Lawyers Foundation encourages you to forward this letter to the appropriate persons, including your faculty, in order to publicize this prize throughout your student network. Sincerely,
Randi Glass, Executive Director on behalf of: Canadian Defence Lawyers Foundation Board of Directors
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THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CANADIAN CHARTER: UNFINISHED BUSINESS
A ROUNDTABLE, CO-HOSTED BY COLLEEN SHEPPARD & VRINDA NARAIN
Featuring Mirja Trilsch, Sébastien Jodoin, François Crépeau, Tamara Thermitus, Joshua Nichols & Colleen Sheppard Moderators: Nandini Ramanujam, Vrinda Narain
April 8, 2022 9:15 AM - 1:00 PM (ET) ON ZOOM FULL PROGRAM HERE
https://mcgill.zoom.us/j/82181444332
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Vol 43 ● No 16
WHY BEING A LEADER IS MORE THAN JUST THE ACT OF LEADING Intangibles, like Emotional intelligence, are vital to relate to others Vidish Parikh | 2L
I faintly recall playing Cops and Robbers during recess when I was eight years old. My friends and I would rush to the field like an uncoordinated mess. But, of course, our age meant that we were content enough running around, even if we weren’t doing much. There would always be one kid who would round us up. This director-child — funny term, I know, but you get the point — would initiate what was to come. They would explain the rules and designate the captains. They would lead, in the natural sense of the word. But were they leaders? More importantly, were they good leaders? In the eyes of 8-year-old me, I certainly thought they were good enough: they empowered a group of people to be organized enough to accomplish a task, even if the task here was as simple as a game of tag at recess. This brings me to the same question: What does it mean to be a good leader in today’s world ? It’s a tricky question because leadership can be an elusive concept, even for adults.
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
Still, you surely know a good leader when you see them… right? Here are some things to consider as you think about how you would answer that question. Someone who leads others may not necessarily be a leader. The act of leading does not necessarily make someone a leader that others want to follow or aspire to be, for instance. So there must be something more to leadership — some charisma, relatability, or other intangibles — than simply the mechanical act of leading a group! After all, many people lead, but not all of them are memorable enough to be remembered as good leaders. In today’s digital and social economy, I would suggest that a leader is someone acutely aware of nuance. Emotional intelligence is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about an effective leadership style. We can all tell when someone Is speaking hollow words, but when someone connects on a personal level, they stand out. Emotional intelligence requires appreciating that good leadership styles demand flexibility. Good leaders know that their people bring different and sometimes compet10
ing conceptions of teamwork, among other values. The ability to relate to others, the willingness to listen and be open to change, while being firm on your vision for the team’s culture and values are some qualities that come to mind. Further, one often overlooked trait about good leaders is that they make space for others: they know when to lead and when to follow. For example, they aren’t always talking, especially not only for the sake of it. If they are an expert — and they probably are at something, if they are to be an excellent leader in today’s economy — they are humble enough not to belittle others who may not have the same knowledge as them. Leaders are those who exercise judgement : They know when to lead and when to follow. They know what requires a group meeting, and where an email will suffice, to take one example. I have posed what makes a good leader in a purposefully general manner. While there are many commonly-known (and appreciated) leadership styles, culture and context influence a group’s perception of what it means to be a good leader. For example, is a good leader someone who encourages colleagues not to waste their vacation days, no matter how busy they are? Or, is a good leader someone who reminds colleagues that the work must be done, even if it means they must come in on a Sunday, no matter how busy they are. We may overwhelmingly — especially in the long run — prefer the former, but both types of leaders have probably led us, even successfully, at some point or another. As current and former students of the law, no matter where we see ourselves, I suggest we appreciate the unique trust reposed in our profession. The core of a lawyer’s work is helping clients; navigating professional relationships with those who may have different cultural conceptions and values is a pressing priority, and one that good lawyers and good leaders appreciate takes time to master. Take a second to ask who you are leading, how they want to be led. Rather than imposing your style on them, put yourself in their shoes, and anticipate how they want to be taught, or guided. Don’t assume that being a good leader is just about leading, because leadership — whatever its form is more robust than such a one-dimensional conception.
MA PRÉDICTION POUR LES TROPHÉES DE LA LNH POUR LA SAISON 2021-2022 Darien Bahry| 3L
Quoique la saison régulière de la Ligue nationale de hockey (LNH) n’est pas encore terminée, elle tire à sa fin et donc je me chargerai, une fois de plus comme pendant la saison covid de 2019-2020, du devoir de décerner les trophées que la LNH décerne à ces joueurs après la saison. Évidemment, étant donné que la saison ne finira pas avant que je ne finisse d’écrire cet article, je ne tiendrai compte que des matchs joués et des statistiques récoltées par les joueurs avant le 31 mars 2022. Dans un deuxième temps, je n’aborderai que les trophées suivants : le trophée Hart (joueur le plus utile à son équipe, comme voté par « the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association »), le Vézina (meilleur gardien), le Norris (meilleur défenseur), le Calder (joueur recru de l’année), le Jack Adams (meilleur entraîneur de l’année), et enfin le trophée Ted Lindsay (joueur par excellence selon les membres de l’Association des joueurs de la LNH). Ceci étant dit, il faut souligner que les trophées, dont je n’ai pas parlé, sont également importants. Par exemple, le Selke (meilleur attaquant défensif) est un exploit impressionnant. Pourtant, j’ai pris la décision de choisir les six trophées qui sont, plus ou moins, ceux qui sont les plus connus et qui sont également débattables, c’est-àdire qu’ils ne sont pas automatiquement décernés uniquement en raison d’un exploit statistique, comme l’Art Ross par exemple. D’ailleurs, je ne traiterai pas le trophée Masterton (décerné au joueur qui a exhibé le plus de persévérance), même s’il s’agit d’un trophée important, ainsi que les autres trophées reliés au leadership et à l’implication dans la communauté. Alors, sans plus tarder, commençons avec le trophée Hart. Le trophée Hart : joueur le plus utile à son équipe Les candidates :Auston Matthews, Leafs de
Toronto; Connor McDavid, Oilers d’Edmonton; Igor Shesterkin, Rangers de New York; Jonathan Huberdeau, Panthers de la Floride Le gagnant : Igor Shesterkin – Shesterkin a été le rempart d’une équipe à New York qui a dépassé toutes les atteintes cette année. Les Rangers de New York ont présentement une fiche de 43 victoires et 19 défaites grâce à, en grande partie, Shesterkin. Pour sa part, le gardien russe a rapporté 32 victoires à l’équipe et seulement 9 défaites jusqu’à présent. Il n’accorde que 2.11 buts par match en moyen (deuxième dans la LNH derrière Frederik Anderson) et possède un taux de pourcentage d’arrêts de 0.936% (meilleur dans la LNH), ce qui est très impressionnant. D’ailleurs Shersterkin, et les Rangers de New York, gagnent plus que 70% des matchs dans lequel il joue, montrant ainsi son immense impact à son équipe. Cependant, c’est probablement au niveau des statistiques avancées que l’on peut s’apercevoir l’impact de Shesterkin sur son équipe. En ce qui a trait à la statistique des buts arrêtés par rapport aux prévisions (Goals saved above expected), cette statistique détermine le nombre de buts qu’un gardien a sauvés par rapport à ce qu’il aurait dû accorder compte tenu de la qualité des tiers. Ici, le Russe a le plus de buts arrêtés par rapport aux prévisions dans la LNH avec 32.4, ce qui veut dire qu’il arrête une grande quantité de tirs qui étaient censés entrer dans son filet, ainsi rapportant plus de victoires à son équipe que les Rangers auraient dû avoir. Bref, Shesterkin a été, en grande partie, la raison pour laquelle les Rangers de New York sont une des meilleures équipes de la ligue, contre les atteintes d’une grande partie du monde de hockey. Finalement, il faudrait signaler que le joueur le plus utile à son équipe n’est pas forcément le meilleur joueur – le meilleur joueur de la LNH étant Connor McDavid – mais plutôt le joueur qui a le plus d’impact sur son équipe pendant la saison.
Le trophée Vezina : meilleur gardien Les candidates : Jacob Markstrom, Flames de Calgary;IgorShesterkin,RangersdeNewYork; Frederik Anderson, Hurricanes de la Caroline; Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning de Tampa Bay. Le gagnant : Igor Shesterkin – Encore, Shesterkin est un choix assez facile ici. Je n’ai pas l’intention de me tarder sur le joueur russe pour expliquer, à nouveau, pourquoi il est le meilleur gardien de la ligue cette année. Il a de super statistiques et chaque fois que les Rangers de New York débarquent sur la glace, avec lui dans le filet, l’équipe a la possibilité de gagner, voir voler, un match de l’autre équipe. Ceci étant dit, je tiens à surligner les saisons de Markstrom et Anderson en particulier, puisque les deux ont également eu des saisons incroyables. Malgré cela, Shesterkin mérite le Vezina pour les raisons que j’ai invoquées ci-dessus. Le trophée Norris : meilleur défenseur Les candidates : Roman Josi, Predators de Nashville; Cale Makar,Avalanche du Colorado; Victor Hedman, Lightning de Tampa Bay; Adam Fox, Rangers de New York Le gagnant : Cale Makar – Dans mon article qui décernait les trophées de la LNH pour la saison de 2019-2020, j’ai dit, par rapport à Cale Makar, qu’on ne devrait pas être étonnés si Makar devenait le meilleur défenseur de la LNH dans un avenir très proche. 2 ans plus tard, je pense que l’histoire m’a donné raison. Makar est une force sur la glace, possède un puissant coup de patin, et domine le jeu à la fois offensivement et défensivement. En effet, il a déjà marqué 24 buts, ce qui est incroyable pour un défenseur dans la LNH de nos jours (il pourrait être le premier défenseur depuis Mike Green de marquer 30 buts dans une saison), et a amassé 50 passes pour 74 points en 63 matchs. Ces statistiques sont 11
QUID NOVI • 5 APRIL 2022
Vol 43 ● No 16 superbes pour un attaquant, encore plus un défenseur. Bien que Josi ait eu aussi une saison admirable et a récolté 81 points en 65 matchs, il n’a pas été aussi imposant du côté défensif que Makar. Par exemple, Cale Makar devance Roman Josi dans toutes les grandes catégories des statistiques défensives. Le pourcentage de Corsi, le pourcentage de buts attendus et le pourcentage de chances de danger élevé sont tous en faveur de Makar, et de loin, et sont plus/moins, quoiqu’une statistique d’équipe, est aussi meilleure que celle de Josi. Si le trophée était pour le meilleur défenseur offensif, je le donnerais à Josi, mais il s’agit bel et bien d’un trophée destiné au meilleur défenseur. Et sur ce point, Makar a montré, à ce jour, une performance plus complète que Josi. Makar est capable de prendre le contrôle d’un match d’un point de vue offensif, tout en annulant l’attaque de l’autre équipe. Il transitionne sans effort la rondelle de sa zone défensive vers la zone offensive, et il est en grande partie une des raisons pour laquelle l’Avalanche de Colorado est une des meilleures équipes de la LNH.
une erreur, s’il se fait battre physiquement, s’il commet un revirement, il y a une grande possibilité qu’il n’y ait personne pour lui sauver la peau. Par conséquent, compte tenu de la difficulté de la position et l’impact d’ailleurs de la position sur le jeu, la dominance de Seider est encore plus frappante. Il a réussi à impressionner la communauté de la LNH non seulement grâce à ses qualités de patineur et à sa taille, mais aussi parce qu’il s’est avéré être un excellent passeur de la rondelle en transition et en zone offensive. De plus, en tant que défenseur, il a marqué cinq buts et 37 passes pour 42 points en 65 matchs. Vingt-trois de ces points ont été obtenus à l’égalité, dix-sept en avantage numérique et deux passes décisives en infériorité numérique. Il est en tête de toutes les recrues pour les passes aussi. En ce qui concerne son temps de glace, il joue en moyen 23:08 minutes par match, ce qui est, une fois de plus, assez étonnant pour un jeune défenseur de 20 ans. De ce fait, Seider a déjà un immense impact sur le jeu, que ce soit offensivement ou défensivement.
Le trophée Calder : meilleur joueur recru
Le trophée Jack Adams : meilleur entraîneur de l’année
Les candidates : Moritz Seider, Red Wings de Détroit; Lucas Raymond, Red Wings de Détroit; Trevor Zegras, Ducks d’Anaheim; Michael Bunting, Leafs de Toronto
Les candidates : Daryl Sutter, Flames de Calgary; Rod Brind’Amour, Hurricanes de la Caroline; Andrew Brunette, Panthers de la Floride; Gerard Gallant, Rangers de NewYork
Le gagnant : Moritz Seider – Ce choix sera potentiellement le choix le plus controversé dans le sens où Seider n’est pas un nom aussi bien connu que celui de Zegras par exemple. Effectivement, Zegras est allé au match des étoiles, a montré un talent époustouflant et a contribué à un des meilleurs buts que la LNH a vus pendant son histoire prestigieuse, et je n’ai même pas fait référence à son but dans le match des étoiles. Pourtant, le meilleur joueur recru n’est pas toujours celui qui a le plus de hype derrière lui ou qui marque les buts spectaculaires : le trophée est accordé au meilleur joueur, et Seider est le meilleur recru dans les deux sens de la patinoire. En premier lieu, il est un défenseur, une des positions les plus difficiles pour un jeune joueur en raison de son caractère physique et la complexité de la position. Un attaquant et ses erreurs défensifs peuvent être cachés, alors que ce n’est pas le cas pour un défenseur. S’il fait
Le gagnant : Daryl Sutter – Compte tenu de ce que Darryl Sutter a fait pour transformer radicalement les Flames de Calgary en candidats à la Coupe Stanley, il n’y a qu’un seul choix pour le prix Jack Adams cette saison. Depuis qu’il s’est joint à l’équipe, il a mis en œuvre une structure et une culture de responsabilité, créant ainsi une constance qui a amené l’équipe au sommet de la division pacifique. Les Flames sont passés d’une équipe très irrégulière qui a raté les playoffs à une équipe qui a pris la tête de la division pacifique en tant qu’équipe la plus chaude de la NHL. En effet, avant que les Flames n’aient embauché Sutter en mars 2021, les Flames étaient 11-122, ce qui rend plus impressionnante la performance de l’équipe. Une bonne marque de l’impact d’un entraîneur est, naturellement, la performance de ses joueurs et Sutter est parvenu à tirer le plus de ses joueurs. Son gardien de but, Markstrom, a une saison incroyable, l’attaquant Johnny Gaudreau
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est en route de compter 100 points pour la première fois de sa carrière, et Elias Lindholm et Andrew Mangiapane ont également de très bonnes saisons. Sutter a, effectivement, effectué un changement dans la culture de l’équipe, et les flames sont maintenant une équipe qui travaille fort, joue de façon structurée et donne 100 pour cent à chaque match. Ce changement de fortune est dû à Sutter et l’équipe qu’il a construit pendant son temps à Calgary depuis mars 2021. Le trophée Ted Lindsay : Joueur par excellence selon ses pairs Les candidates : Connor McDavid, Oilers d’Edmonton; Cale Makar, Avalanche de Colorado; Leon Draisaitl, Oilers d’Edmonton; Auston Matthews, Leafs de Toronto Le gagnant : Connor McDavid – Le trophée Ted Lindsay est communément perçu comme étant destiné au meilleur joueur de la ligue aux yeux des autres joueurs, et non pas le joueur qui a le plus d’impact sur son équipe et le succès de son équipe : une distinction, parfois mince, mais présente. Donc, avec cela en tête, McDavid est de loin le meilleur joueur de la ligue et mérite ainsi le trophée Ted Lindsay. Le Canadien de 25 ans est sans question le meilleur patineur au monde, la meilleure menace offensive, et a ramassé déjà 100 points. Au début de l’année, McDavid a marqué le but de la saison contre les Rangers de New York et n’a pas arrêté de torturer la compétition depuis. À mes yeux, McDavid est comme le Gretzky de notre génération, ou le Michael Jordan des années 90, on peut essayer de trouver un autre joueur pour rendre l’affaire plus intéressant, puisqu’il n’est pas le fun de donner ce trophée chaque année à McDavid. Cependant, faire ainsi serait une injustice au meilleur joueur de la ligue. Effectivement, McDavid est époustouflant chaque fois qu’il est sur la glace et personne ne peut rivaliser sa prouesse offensive, sans même porter attention à son amélioration défensive. McDavid est vraiment un spécimen tout à fait distinct dans la ligue qui est capable de jouer un style de jeu à la fois rude et physique d’une part et fluide et gracieux d’autre part. Il est un joueur complet, ayant des habilités qui éblouissent des partisans de chaque équipe, et on a le privilège de regarder possiblement le meilleur joueur qui ait enfilé des patins de hockey.
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