Flavelle House, circa 1971, University of Toronto Archives Cover photo by Jennifer Lancaster Established as a program in 1887, the Faculty of Law is one of the oldest professional faculties at the University of Toronto, one of the world’s leading research intensive universities.
The role of law and of lawyers and legal experts is all the more important in our fast changing, precarious world, which constantly tests our ability to plan under conditions of complexity and uncertainty, to ensure that individuals, institutions, and societies can thrive.
Innovative cross-catego what U of T Law is know Canada and around the w The scholarship of our faculty, robust legal c and the calibre of our students and alumni m and a top 20 law school, globally. Scholarly and student excellence are the foun We are part of one of the world’s greatest res Our world leading scholars take a wide range interdisciplinary approaches, making for a vib and a unique learning experience. U of T Law is home to more than 50 acclaime practitioners, and distinguished visiting facul than 600 JD students and 190 graduate stud changes the way Canadian lawyers and acad global impact.
The breadth of our scholarship encompasses Business Law, Law and Innovation, Internatio Indigenous Peoples and the Law, and approa Society, Law and Philosophy, and Law and Ec Our graduate ranks are replete with remarkab abroad, in the profession, the judiciary, public beyond.
Facilitates and orders human interaction; Mediates between individual and societal priorities Helps prevent and resolve disputes; Guides decisions and actions; Facilitates innovation; Provides predictability in an uncertain world. Law guides and supports virtually everything human societies do, at the local, national and global levels THE LAW and aspirations; Built into the Law’s DNA is the ability to mediate between the needs for stability and change in society.
Today, U of T Law continues to educate future leaders who help create a dynamic, resilient, and equitable world.
In short, we educate the lawyers and leaders the world needs now.
In this world, it is not enough for lawyers to know the law and to be consummate experts and professionals The lawyers for this world need to be rigorous, creative, adaptable, versatile and innovative thinkers. They need to know how to translate knowledge into action and how to craft solutions and new approaches.
In fact, this sense that the world needs a particular kind of lawyer and leader is part of what animated the Caesar Wright’s vision of a university based law school some 70 years ago a new kind of law school, one that also defined legal education in Canada. Our approach to educating lawyers is grounded in a long-standing commitment to scholarly excellence, societal relevance, and institutional leadership. I firmly believe that the Faculty is an ideal place from which to push forward debates and advance the world’s thinking about the big issues of our time as we navigate the rapidly evolving questions facing the legal profession and society.
Dean's Message: U of T Law educates lawyers and leaders for a changing world
Jutta Brunnée, FRSC Dean, University Professor and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair Associate Member, Institut de Droit international Photo by Alice Xue Photography
These are exactly the kinds of lawyers and leaders that U of T law excels at educating At the Faculty of Law, we bring together the minds, resources and support systems to ignite breakthrough thinking. We encourage talented people to identify — and create — those critical moments of convergence and inflection where expanding the world of ideas and creating legal and real world change begins
U of T Law combines steadfast commitment to our core areas of strength in business law, corporate governance, and law and philosophy with a vision for the Faculty that is anchored in our desire to be at the centre of our changing world, providing concrete solutions and expertise society needs.
Ensure access and support for students from diverse backgrounds; Increase the diversity of our Faculty complement; Develop a curriculum that reflects our commitment to reconciliation, and actively engages with issues of inequality in the justice system. We intend to cement and augment our role as a focal point for debate on national issues, and as a hub for the globally-minded thinking that will be crucial for the future of our societies and the planet. By harnessing our strengths and contributing to intellectual leadership focused on the greatest challenges we are facing as a society, U of T Law will defy gravity. We believe that an outstanding law school is one that demonstrates extensive public engagement with a broad cross section of society, and a strong commitment to social responsibility in local and global communities Our commitment to excellence is animated by the conviction that diversity, of thinking and lived experience, is a key driver of excellence and enhances our ability to make positive contributions. That is why our vision is one of inclusive excellence. Given our role in training future professionals and scholars, we are determined to:
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The Michael J. Trebilcock Law and Economics Program A leader in the field of law and economics helmed by leaders like University Professor Emeritus Michael J. Trebilcock, whose influence on our research and curriculum development has had far reaching impact for over 50 years. Our faculty and students participate in real world policy debates to promote a more sophisticated appreciation of how legal regimes affect economic activities and how, in turn, economic incentives generated by different legal regimes influence the likelihood of attainment or nonattainment of business and other objectives.
Painting of Professor Emeritus Trebilcock by artist Joanne Tod Bankruptcy/Insolvency Law Business Law Competition Law Contracts Economic Analysis of Law International Law International Trade Law Law and International Development Securities Regulation
Labour markets Legal ethics Applications of Machine Learning and Natural Language Processing to the Law
The strength of Law and Economics at the Faculty of Law is rooted in the foundations that Michael Trebilcock established many years ago: careful applications of economic principles across diverse areas of law, an open-minded approach to different theoretical and empirical methodologies, and an ethos of collegiality and collaboration.
Professor Albert Yoon Professor and Michael J. Trebilcock Chair in Law and Economics RESEARCH AREAS
Photo by Enje Daniels Photography
Associate Director, Global Equity Derivatives Scotiabank
I chose to study law because I wanted my career to be built on a foundation that will stand firm in a rapidly changing world. At the Faculty, I had the opportunity to listen to dozens of talks by an incredibly wide range of accomplished alumni – many of whom work in roles which did not exist when they graduated – and I learned that the Faculty delivers a set of skills and perspectives to its graduates that I believe will act as an impact multiplier no matter where my career takes me.
Joshua Lokko (JD/MBA 2020)
Business Corporations Competition Law Economic Analysis of Law Securities Regulation
Professor Edward Iacobucc
Digitization and big data have transformed our economy in a variety of ways. Some have called for competition law to be radically transformed as a consequence. Assigning a variety of social policy goals, which are sometime incompatible with one another, to a single legal policy instrument, risks creating uncertainty and indeed incoherence in that body of law. For example, competition law could focus on economic welfare goals, while leaving other important issues of social policy – the environment, privacy, economic inequality, and more – to other areas of law.
i Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE) Chair in Capital Markets RESEARCH AREAS
Law and Philosophy
One of the distinctive features of legal philosophy at U of T is that our scholars engage with both philosophical questions about the nature of law and legal doctrine, using each to illuminate the other. Law Law Torts
Administrative Law Constitutional
Criminal Law Discrimination Law Intellectual Property International Law Legal and Political philosophy Property
The Law and Philosophy group is widely regarded as one of the most important groups of legal philosophers in the world. The work of these scholars engages with a wide range of issues in the law and other disciplines.
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Torts Legal and political philosophy University Professor of Law and Philosophy, Arthur Ripstein, Howard Beck, Q.C. Chair RESEARCH AREAS
We have one of the strongest law and philosophy groups in the world. This has made U of T the ideal place for me to have my career. My newest book Kant and the Law of War, develops 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant's views about war. Kant argues that war is distinctively wrong because it is the condition in which force decides everything. The fact that success in war does not depend on who is in the right could be described as war’s distinctive immorality. To address that immorality, war needs a distinctive morality governing it. By thinking of war in this way, Kant’s approach provides insights into the wrong of aggression, the special status of noncombatants and the legal consequences of peace.
SJD thesis: "Whose Justice? A Comparative Approach to Canadian Civil Lay Justice" My doctoral thesis focuses on lay participation in justice systems as a tool for improving the quality and accessibility of civil justice I explore models around the world where tribunals instead of being composed of professional judges are staffed by lay people who adjudicate some types of disputes. These models are very interesting and I'm looking at whether we could bring them back to Canada in some form. The policy impact of my research would see greater lay participation in our justice system and perhaps even civil lay courts established here in Canada.
Boulanger-Bonnelly is a Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar and Vanier Scholar. He will join McGill University's Faculty of Law as an Assistant Professor in 2023.
Jérémy Boulanger-Bonnelly
Photo courtesy of Boulanger-Bonnelly
33 DOCTOR OF JURIDICAL SCIENCE (SJD) STUDENTS 32 MASTER OF LAWS (LLM) STUDENTS 108 GLOBAL PROFESSIONAL MASTER OF LAWS (GPLLM) STUDENTS 2021/2022
SJD thesis: "Re evaluating Economic Integration in Africa: Actors, Methods and Outcomes"
Photo by Bisi Alawode Photography courtesy of Momodu
My research explores how non state actors participate in regional integration and trade in Africa, using both formal and informal tools embedded principally within the transnational private regulation framework The reason why my research is so exciting and what keeps me up at night is that it reimagines who can contribute towards the growth and development of Africa. It expands the ambit of actors beyond the state to entrepreneurs, the private sector and organizations, and it looks at the legal tools that they use to actually facilitate growth, trade and cooperation across African countries. I'm really glad to be doing this at U of T. Momodu is a Vanier Scholar. She is also the founder of GetIn Education (GetInEdu) Consulting, helping African students pursue postsecondary education.
Mariam Momodu (Olafuyi)
Aerial photo of College Street and University Avenue by Stephane Legrand via Shutterstock [1095670334]
We place more graduates in tenure or tenure-stream faculty positions in Canada than any other law school in the country
We provide a premier training ground for academic leaders and professional executives. As a research intensive university, we have a robust offering of graduate programs including Master of Laws (LLM), Global Professional Master of Law (GPLLM), Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) and Master of Studies in Law (MSL). We provide a stimulating, diverse and interdisciplinary environment for both domestic and international students with the opportunity to engage with world-renowned scholars to expand and enhance understanding on a diverse range of areas including law and economics, constitutional law, international human rights, and legal theory
Shaun Mehta (GPLLM 2019)
Innovation, Law & Technology concentration Emergency Physician, St. Michael’s Hospital & North York General Hospital, Assistant Professor, Clinician in Quality & Innovation, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto
I have a keen interest in using digital solutions to improve the safety, delivery and overall patient experience of health care. Given that health care is a highly regulated industry, barriers to successfully implement certain technologies often involve legal and privacy issues I enrolled in the Global Professional Master of Laws program to learn how to navigate these challenges and have more informed conversations with key stakeholders who influence the success of health care innovation.
The COVID 19 pandemic has been the ultimate stress test for our health care system. As case numbers and vaccination rates have improved, we are seeing the return of our pre pandemic health issues with added complexity and urgency. The next challenge will be managing these patients with our current capacity and staffing issues. In particular, I am looking to leverage virtual care and other digital solutions to expand the care of our emergency departments beyond the walls of the hospital and meet patients where they are. Photo courtesy of Mehta
The Global Professional Master of Laws (GPLLM) is a one-year graduate program that enables a diverse body of lawyers and non lawyers to learn with Canada's leading legal minds Students emerge with an ability to use the lens of legal analysis in tackling issues relevant to the organizations they serve and join a strong professional and alumni network that provide numerous opportunities
The GPLLM offers three concentrations. Canadian Law is directed at internationally trained lawyers, who aim to qualify as legal practitioners in Ontario. Innovation, Law and Technology or the Business Law concentration allow mid and senior career professionals to enhance their understanding of the law's application to the complex matters they confront daily. The program is offered on evenings and weekends to provide working professionals with added flexibility.
Leading with impact
Falconer Hall photo by Jennifer Lancaster In less than a decade, the GPLLM program has more than quadrupled from 26 students in its first year of inception (2011/2012) to more than 120 students, annually.
Eleonora Dimitrova (JD/MA 2010)
Executive Director, Law in Action Within Schools (LAWS)
Photo courtesy of LAWS
I embarked on a legal career because I always saw law as a powerful tool for change. Based on my own immigrant story and lived experience, I became passionate about advancing diversity and access. My work with LAWS has enabled me to transform my passion into action. LAWS truly breaks down barriers and opens doors for many young people living in underserved communities. Providing access to postsecondary education and the justice sector is a key step to increasing diversity in law.
Photos courtesy of LAWS / Youth Summer Program
Levelling the playing field within education: Law in Action Within Schools
Founded by U of T Law in 2005, the award-winning access program LAWS has since had a transformative impact on high school students facing personal or systemic barriers to success. Many graduates have continued on to post-secondary education and second entry programs, including law.
LAWS is a collaborative education program designed to support, guide, and motivate high school students who face barriers to success by exposing them to law and justice through workshops, mentorship, and employment programs. Students benefit from unique learning opportunities developed through LAWS’ partnerships with members of the legal community including professors, students and alumni from U of T Law and Osgoode Hall Law School, judges, lawyers, justices of the peace, paralegals, law enforcement officers, court staff, and public interest organizations. Many of our partners participate in in-class sessions as guest workshop facilitators, bringing classroom learning to life through interactive examinations of pressing legal and social issues.
Photo courtesy of Handulle
Ikram Handulle (JD 2023)
I decided to pursue a legal education because I grew frustrated with witnessing a lack of access to justice and lack of legal literacy within vulnerable communities. Becoming an advocate was, for me, the natural way to address this frustration. I set out to learn the law so that I would be able to use it as a tool to serve, work alongside and build power in poor and working-class communities.
STRIKING DOWN THE SAFE THIRD COUNTRY AGREEMENT In a landmark decision, a federal court ruled in July 2020 that the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. DLS Director Prasanna Balasundaram (photo) represented two refugee applicants in the case and several U of T Law students played a key role.
DLS has made a lasting impact in our community and particularly to the clients served with kindness and dignity by providing access to justice that may otherwise have been unattainable. The DLS legal team has kept families together, stopped wrongful deportation, fought discrimination, and ultimately saved lives. Like any free clinic, DLS has case capacity limits and funding restraints, but increased support means greater potential for more law students, more cases accepted, and an even larger impact to vulnerable members of our community for the next 50 years and beyond.
Downtown Legal Services: Providing Access to Justice for 50 Years
Our Canadian legal system considers access to justice to be a fundamental value and perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. For far too many, access to justice is more of a promise than a practice. For equal access to justice to be a reality, it is fundamental that it be the same, in substance and availability, without regard to economic status. For 50 years, Downtown Legal Services (DLS) has provided high quality, free legal services to people in our community who otherwise would not have access to legal support, advocacy, or advice.
Black Future Lawyers BFL is a collaboration between U of T Law, the Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA), Black law alumni and the broader legal profession. It offers supports and engagement opportunities to Black undergraduates who aspire to go to law school and join the legal profession.
U of T Law alumni and BFL co founders Rebecca Barclay Nguinambaye (JD 2021), Novalee Davy (JD/MBA 2022), Solomon McKenzie (JD 2019) and Marie Kiluu Ngila (JD 2019) (photo by Jesse Johnston)
The study of Indigenous law is uniquely interdisciplinary. In addition to legal materials, students and researchers must draw upon scholarship and research from many disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, history, political science, and from cultural and artistic works in order to effectively understand and address legal issues.
Student led Indigenous Law Journal Kawaskimhon National Aboriginal Moot Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law
The Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law, inaugural chairholder Professor John Borrows Visiting Scholar in Indigenous Law launching 2022/2023 Indigenous Summer Youth Program IYSP (re launch) Indigenous Access and Mentorship Program launching 2022/2023
U of T Law has long been dedicated to enhancing the presence of Indigenous scholars and ideas at the law school. Through recruiting Indigenous students to the Faculty, offering innovative courses in Aboriginal and Indigenous law, and providing students with opportunities to use their legal knowledge in service of Indigenous communities, we are enhancing the Indigenous voices in our community. We provide specialized support to Indigenous students to enable their success, with the goal of expanding to our Graduate programs We offer in depth courses in Aboriginal law, a JD certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies, and host outreach, recruitment and mentorship events for prospective Indigenous applicants The Faculty has one of the highest graduation rates for students of Indigenous heritage in the country. Our Indigenous alumni have gone on to leading positions at the bar, in the public service, and in the judiciary.
Expanding our Indigenous Initiatives: Research, education and outreach pillars
U of T Law plans to enhance and expand our current programs and create new initiatives by re launching a program with a focus on our pillars: research, education and outreach.
Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies Clinical program at Aboriginal Legal Services Graduate Practicum Program
Aboriginal Law Indigenous Legal Traditions Legal History Legal Theory Political Philosophy and Theory Property Law Associate Professor Douglas Sanderson Prichard Wilson Chair in Law & Public Policy RESEARCH AREAS
Photo by Dewey Chang Photography
My research is largely concerned with the way history informs the present. In teaching about the historic fur trade, for example, my research uncovers long hidden truths about the nature of Indigenous sovereignty and recognition of the same by settler citizens and their governments. A great deal of how we understand the historic relationship between Indigenous and settler people is based on halftruths, outright lies, and misunderstandings. With history’s truth obscured, Indigenous claims in the present day seem distant from present day injustices. Having a clear and honest look at the past, situates and makes sense of present-day Indigenous claims to right. My vision of a just and justifiable relationship between Indigenous and settler people is thus deeply influenced by my research into our historical relationship.
Tomas Jirousek (JD 2023) I came to law school so that I could better serve my community. Indigenous communities, including my own, often confront legal barriers which limit their success. Our communities deserve compassionate and skilled advocates who can navigate that system on their behalf. Indigenous communities deserve advocates who can also drive systemic change on their behalf. I chose U of T Law so that I could gain the skill and knowledge to help drive that change.
Photo courtesy of Jirousek
SOUTH AFRICAN SOCIETY LABOUR LAW SASLAW is a non-profit organization promoting the advancement of labour law as a legal and academic discipline.
Human rights law is practiced in a complex world with multiple stakeholders who constantly experiment with different and often overlapping approaches to international and domestic remedies.
Equity and Human Rights
Over the past three years, nine JD students from U of T Law participated in SASLAW’s Pro Bono project in Johannesburg as part of a paid, 12 week fellowship (photos 2019; 2020 students participated remotely).
It takes new knowledge to preventing, remedying and sanctioning particular human rights infractions.
Indeed, it takes insight into the causes and consequences of human rights abuses to effectively address them through the application of human rights standards For over 30 years we have been at the forefront of experiential learning for students interested in engaging in human rights and equity work. Expanding on this deep tradition, U of T Law established Canada’s first human rights legal clinic in 2002. This for credit course complements the experiential learning opportunities we are known for by transmitting practical knowledge as well as pursuing theoretical enquiries. This approach enhances learning and encourages a rigorous approach to examining multifaceted issues in a disciplined way.
Photos courtesy of SASLAW student fellows
FOR
In my latest book, The New Sex Wars: Sexual Harm in the #MeToo Era, I revisit the feminist debates of the 1970s and '80s and examine their influence on how we think about sexual harm now. The underlying ideological and political divides about sexuality, about women's sexual agency and about the role of law have remained the same for far too long – and it's time for a change. The regulation of sexual harm means unsticking ourselves from the sex wars binary. It requires new skills, new forms of knowledge, new reading practices, strategies –previously unheeded – and giving the benefit of the doubt to feminists who see things differently and keeping that point in view. I try to build a restorative and transformative model of justice that could do a better job of delivering and promoting accountability and repair. The #MeToo movements may have created new space to speak about sexual violence –but its legacy remains in our hands.
Professor Brenda Cossman Goodman Schipper Chair Chair, Research Advisory Committee RESEARCH AREAS
Family Law Feminist Analysis of Law Sexuality and the Law
This specialization examines major areas where law and health intersect, including the organization of the Canadian health care system, bioethics, mental health law, professional governance, malpractice, intellectual property, information technology and privacy in health law, human rights and globalization, health facilities law, pharmaceutical regulation, biotechnology and comparative health law.
The law of health
Health law is a dynamic and rapidly growing field, presenting a wide range of practice opportunities and intellectual challenges The legal issues are increasingly numerous and complex, as regulation of health professionals, institutions and the health care system as a whole continue to intensify.
U of T is uniquely positioned to tackle complex interdisciplinary research and scholarship. Boasting top ranked faculties of law, medicine, engineering and public health and in close proximity to the University Health Network the largest health research organization in North America no other university has the depth and breadth to respond to growing relevance of health law at the local, regional, national and international level. Until recently, U of T Law had one of the most vibrant and influential health law groups in Canada, with a very strong international reputation. This strength has developed overtime, under the initial leadership of Bernard DickensandRebeccaCook, and had at its peak five faculty members. The health law group gained an international reputation in several health law related areas, including reproductive and sexual health law, comparative health care systems and law, new technologies and the law, the regulation and ethics of health research, pharmaceutical law and policy, and health and human rights We are committed to increasing capacity and reinvigorating research and scholarship in health law through philanthropic support and respond to the keen and overwhelming interest of our students
Health Law Professor Trudo Lemmens Scholl Chair in Health Law & Policy Cross appointed to U of T's Dalla Lana School of Public Health (DLSPH), DLSPH's Joint Centre for Bioethics, and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine RESEARCH AREA
Health law touches on many of our most existential questions from the beginning all the way to the end of life. We wrestle in it with how the law can be a tool of empowerment, but also of oppression when it augments inequity in a context often characterized by power imbalance and vulnerability. Our students write on so many fascinating topics that directly impact our lives: assisted human reproduction, pandemic measures, end-of-life care, the opioid crisis, health-related discrimination, health innovation, governance of research and medicines, and so on.
Professor
James Marshall
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Jutta Brunnée
Environmental Law International Law Legal Theory University
Tory Dean’s Chair
Photo by Alice Xue
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, Dean
Many of the issues we struggle with today don’t mesh easily with international law’s traditional statefocused concepts and approaches. Like all law, international law is at its core a practice, something that that has to be collectively maintained. The pandemic has brought us face to face with the pervasive inequalities and tensions at all levels of society; local, national and global. And yet, even as we face a series of quintessentially global interconnected crises – health, economy, climate change, migration, security – we also face increasingly inward-looking tendencies around the world, challenging the post World War II international order and its multilateral moorings.
Toronto is home to Canada’s leading law firms and consultancies with practices and expertise in environmental law, corporate governance and risk assessment, alongside key environmental NGOs, the Ontario government and provincial legislators. U of T, in turn, is Canada’s leading research institution with top ranked faculties of law, engineering, environmental science and public health.
Photo by Lewis Parsons via Unsplash
Climate risk and resilience must be embedded into the fabric of the law
A core function of law is to facilitate the accurate assessment, reduction, and allocation of risk The risks posed by climate change should be no exception The impacts of climate change pose risks to all Resilience solutions should be designed and implemented in a manner that reflects and considers the needs of communities most impacted We are well positioned to become the leading voice in recognition of climate risk and resilience through legal innovation, scholarship and practice.
U of T Law will harness its expertise, including public and private sector leaders, to develop high-impact regulatory, public policy, or marketbased approaches to address climate risk and promote equity. Climate change poses significant risks to everything from global health, human rights, international relations as well as consequent physical, transition and liability risks to insurers, banks, and other firms in the financial sector and firms in the real economy. Furthermore, in view of accelerating climate change, climate litigation is becoming increasingly prevalent. It too has the potential to substantially disrupt business activities or operations, with subsequent cost implications. It is not surprising that businesses are stepping up their efforts to understand, assess and minimize their exposure to risks associated with climate change and related legal action.
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Photo by Dewey Chang
Environmental law raises many of the most pressing issues of our time – climate change most obviously –but also, often connected, concerns relating to species at risk, air and water pollution, and Indigenous rights. Law and legal institutions determine whether we fairly and effectively address these issues. We have made progress in Canada but there are significant gaps. Finding a balance that draws on expertise, public participation and legal rights and norms will be central to meaningful change.
Environmental
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Administrative Law Economic Analysis of Law Environmental Law International Law International Trade Law Judicial Decision Making
Professor Andrew Green Metcalf Chair in Law
One of my earliest memories — and one of my earliest legal teachings, though I didn't realize it at the time was during a walk with my mom in the summer. I jumped and pulled a hanging branch of a tree and started playing with a leaf, pulling it apart down its veins. After a few seconds, my mom paused, looked down at me and asked, "Well, what are you going to give back to the tree?" I looked at her, confused, and so she reached into her purse and pulled out some tobacco She put in my hands and said I should go and scatter it around the tree trunk. So, I did, and we kept walking. As time went on I understood the significance of the act wasn’t just for the tree necessarily, but also for the reciprocal and embedded relationships that we share with each other, and with our environments; ensuring they are not only appreciated and understood, but also expressed, practiced, and habituated as a lived understanding. As a lawyer I have opportunities to be of service in ways I never thought possible.
Wanekia "Kia" Dunn (JD 2019, LLM 2020) Lead Researcher, Indigenous Homelands Initiative Ecotrust Canada, Vancouver, BC
Photo by Nick Iwanyshyn / University of Toronto In 2019, JD student Emma Weiss (right) meets with entrepreneurs Ciaran Dunn and Nikola Kostic at U of T's Entrepreneurship Hatchery, a startup accelerator based at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, as part of a unique law course focused on startups.
LAW CONNECTORS
The Future of Law is here
Thefutureoflawisn’tjusttechnology.It’sthebusinessmodelswewilluse topractice.It’stheevolutionofourrightsandresponsibilitiesandhelping citizensgetbetter,moreaccessibleandeconomicalaccesstojustice.
TheFutureofLawLab,establishedin2020,bringstogetherstudents, academics,lawyersandotherprofessionalstoexploretheintersectionof law,innovationandtechnology.
Advancinginterdisciplinaryandcross-disciplinarylearningforlawyersisa toppriorityofthelabbyestablishingsummerinternshipswithin house counsel,wherestudentsgainexposuretobusiness,strategyandpublic relations,inadditiontothegeneralcounselwork.
Thelegalprofessionhasbeenslowerthanotherstoembracetheuseof newtechnology,butUofTLawexpertsnotethetideseemstobeturning forthebetter.
TheFutureofLawLabcomplementstheFaculty’sInnovationand EntrepreneurshipExternshipcoursethatembedslawstudentsina multidisciplinaryenvironment,givingthemexposuretoeachstageofa startup’sbusinessdevelopment,fromideationtoseedfunding.Thecourse isenrichedfurtherbyapartnershipwiththeUofTEngineeringprogram, TheHatchery. Whetherit’sfacilitatingaccesstojusticeoracorporatesolution,UofT Lawtrainsstudentstopartnerwithinnovatorsandentrepreneurstohelp buildabetterworld.
Artificial Intelligence is going to change litigation. If AI can make better predictions about the plaintiff's likelihood of winning a case, it's going to increase the likelihood of settlement. If there's a predicted 80% chance you're going to win — and both sides know that — there's more likely to be settlement. But the use of AI in this way might have some unintended consequences. I think there are a lot of interesting questions about how legal decisionmakers use probabilities and there's lot of potential consequences that remain unexplored. of Law Law
Associate Professor Anthony Niblett Canada Research Chair in Law, Economics, & and Director, of Law Lab AREAS
Innovation
Competition Policy Economic Analysis
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Privacy is a central concern in data sharing. However, data sharing can take different forms and these different forms can raise distinct issues. Because of its modularity, a safe sharing site is not a standalone solution to issues of decision making or legal compliance and oversight. What it does is provide an infrastructure that allows it to work together with other models that accomplish these functions more directly. Some of these models could be data trusts understood as mutual organizations, legal structures, or mechanisms for public oversight. Using safe sharing sites in litigation contexts would have many benefits. The secure and controlled environment would reduce the risks of unauthorized access or use of the data.
Privacy Law Property Law Legal Theory Professor Lisa Austin Chair in Law & Technology Associate Director, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society RESEARCH AREAS
The next generation of legal experts in cybersecurity Developgroundbreakinglegaltechniquesandmaterialsusefultojudges, lawyersandpublicofficialstocombatcybersecurity,mitigateriskandmanage theoutcomeandimpactofcyberattacksaroundtheworld. Wefindourselvesinacriticaltime.Lawandtechnologyareintersectingin myriadways,suchthatonlywithcontinuouslearninginanever changing technologicalclimate,andtheuniqueproblem solvingapproachofferedbyUof TLaw,willstudentsbepreparedtotacklethisconstantly evolvingglobalissue. Theinternetknowsnoborders.In2020,thecostofdatabreachesintheUnited Stateswas$8.64millionUSD,withCanadabeingnotedasthethirdhighest regionat$4.5millionUSD.Thisisthecostofdiscoveringandrespondingtothe breach,ofdowntimeandlostrevenueandthelong-termreputationaldamageto abusinessanditsbrand.InCanada,dataprotectionandcybersecurityare governedbyacomplexlegalandregulatoryframework.Failuretoappreciate dataprotectionneedsandcybersecurityrisks,tounderstandtheregulatory framework,andtoreduceriskcanhaveserious,legal,andfinancialimplications toanindividual,oranorganization. Whenyoualsotakeintoconsiderationquestionsrelatedtoprivacyandthe powerofstateandnon statesurveillanceandtheunprecedentedaccessto privateinformationandtheimplicationsoncreateslegalandmoralissues,the topicbecomesevenmorecomplex UofTisuniquelypositionedtobealeaderintacklingtheinterdisciplinary researchandscholarshiprequiredtoaddresscybersecurityonagloballevel TherearenumerousopportunitiesforUofTLawtocollaboratewithindustry leadersandleadingresearchcenterstoadvancelegalknowledgeand understandingoftheriskandimpactofcyberattacks Situatedstepsawayfrom leadingtechnologycompaniesandhavingalreadyestablishedrobust partnershipswiththeSchwartzReismanInstituteforTechnologyandSociety,U ofTEngineering,theCitizenLabattheMunkSchoolofGlobalAffairs&Public Policy,andtheFacultyofArts&Science’sworld renownedComputerScience program,nootherinstitutionisbetterpositionedtocapitalizeonexpertisein bothindustryandacademiatoaddressthiscomplexchallenge.
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Artificial Intelligence could vastly reduce human error, improve analysis and forecasting, and make service provision more efficient and tailored for the diversity of populations and communities around the globe. There's no question that AI can cause real harms, such as perpetuating bias in employment, insurance, and criminal justice and fomenting political polarization and misinformation. AI will also automate some, possibly many, jobs and make them obsolete. If this happens faster than we can adapt with new jobs and new ways of sharing economic wealth, we risk economic dislocation and deepening inequalities. I'm looking forward to the day when young entrepreneurs are boasting about building the latest technology to make sure that AI is safe and democratic. That day is on the horizon. Economic Analysis of Law Law and Globalization Law International
Professor Gillian Hadfield Schwartz Reisman Chair in Technology and Society Director, SRI Toronto RESEARCH AREAS
The Honourable Rosalie Silberman Abella (LLB 1970, Hon. LLD 1990) retired justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (photo by Nick Iwanyshyn / University of Toronto)
Photo by John Hryniuk Photography
David Asper, Q.C. (LLM 2007)
Lawyer and businessman I did my LLM during a career in which I was primarily managing things in the moment, and not spending nearly enough time thinking about the way the world could or ought to be. U of T Law kick-started my analytical mind and got me really thinking about the state of human and constitutional rights in Canada. My gift to establish the Centre was how that thinking got put into action, and I’m extremely pleased with how the law school has used the funds to create and build something that's become very important
Our alumni are known leaders in their field — across Canada and around the globe
The Hon. Gloria Epstein (LLB 1977, Hon. LLD 2022) retired justice of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal; The Hon. Anita Anand (LLM 1996), Minister of National Defence of Canada; The Hon. William (Bill) C. Graham (LLB 1964, Hon. LLD 2018), distinguished parliamentarian, leader and Chancellor, Trinity College, U of T.
Photos by Lisa Sakulensky for U of T / Anand by Mark Blinch
It is gratifying to see our alumni become influential leaders in their fields and beyond. For over 70 years, we have celebrated the changemakers and policy frontrunners who have gone on to practice in all levels of government in Canada or guide large multi national organizations.
We are the place where leaders emerge. More than any other law school, our alumni occupy positions of authority in Canada, including managing partners of leading law firms, justices of the highest courts, Prime Ministers, Premiers, Senators, Mayors and influential leaders in the public sector, social justice and global corporations. A legal education at U of T provides students with both the intellectual skills necessary to lead in today’s rapidly changing world, and the knowledge that they have a capacity and responsibility to contribute to the public good
Amanda Carling (JD 2012)
My motivation to attend law school was the overrepresentation of Indigenous people as accused persons, those convicted of and incarcerated for crimes Through my work with Innocence Canada, the Debwewin Jury Implementation Committee, Aboriginal Legal Services in Toronto, the Faculty of Law, and BC First Nations Justice Council, I now see that the solution to that overrepresentation must be, at least in part, an overrepresentation of our people as lawyers, judges, politicians and professors. Like a bird escaping its shell, radical change starts when we chip away at the status quo from within. Through the First Nations Justice Strategy, that work is happening now in British Columbia and I look forward to seeing the impact of our work here soar across the country as more Métis, First Nations and Inuit join the legal profession.
Senior Policy Counsel, BC First Nations Justice Council
Photo by Jesse Johnston courtesy of Carling
U of T Law is proud of our students who give of their time, expertise and energy to addressing some of the most pressing legal issues of our time –from environment law, privacy, international human rights, indigenous rights and more. Their contributions also provide opportunities to make the social relevance of law, legal scholarship and lawyering tangible for wider audiences. The legal profession is headed into a period of accelerated, profound change.
This setting offers a unique opportunity for JD students to gain dynamic experiences that complement their studies through our renowned clinics and programs Our in house clinics and programs provide a direct benefit for members of our community who are most at risk, including low income, immigrants, and the elderly. Furthermore, these programs are critically important to the individuals they serve.
The combination of our broad based research excellence, national and international ranking, being part of one of the world’s leading research intensive universities, in a vibrant, diverse city – located in a country that is internationally admired for its healthy institutions and global engagement –affords us a comparative advantage.
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