Continuum: Volume 33 (Winter 2009)
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CONTINUUMOSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL OF YORK UNIVERSITY ALUMNI MAGAZINE WINTER 2009 The Knowledge Society Osgoode is transforming itself The Hennick Centre – Page 8 to be Canada’s leading law school for the knowledge society. IP Osgoode – Page 10 Osgoode reforms its Admissions Policy and Curriculum – Page 12 Five decades of change for women law graduates – Page 14 CONTINUUM Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Magazine Volume XXXIII EDITOR Anita Herrmann Director, Office of Advancement 416-736-5364 [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Gillian McCullough Associate Director, Office of Advancement CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Virginia Corner Communications Manager WRITERS Virginia Corner Anita Herrmann Christine Ward PHOTOGRAPHY aka Photography Photography by Cliff Spicer Photography Horst Herget Cliff Spicer DESIGN and PRODUCTION Wright Ideas Inc. RJM Print Group Continuum is published once a year by Osgoode Hall Law School of York University for alumni and friends. Ideas and opinions expressed in Continuum do not necessarily reflect those of the editors, Osgoode Hall Law School or York University. We invite your letters and comments, and hope that you will keep us posted on where you are and what you are doing. Please send correspondence to: CONTINUUM Advancement Office Osgoode Hall Law School York University 4700 Keele Street Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Telephone: 416-736-5638 Fax: 416-736-5629 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.osgoodealumni.ca Printed in Canada ISSN 0318-1295 FSC INFORMATION GOES HERE THE CLASS OF 2011 – more photos on page 19 CONTENTS FEATURES 8 The Hennick Centre A new centre of excellence at Osgoode and Schulich is the first in Canada to promote and develop joint business and law scholarship and education. 10 IP Osgoode Osgoode’s innovative new Intellectual Property Law and Technology Program provides an independent and authoritative voice on intellectual property law issues. 12 Osgoode Reforms its Admission Policy and Curriculum Admissions policy and curriculum changes at Osgoode are meant to ensure that the Law School’s leadership in legal education grows, strengthens and reaches new heights. 14 The Changing Tide Osgoode celebrates York University’s 50th birthday with a look at outstanding female alumni from each of the five decades from 1959-2009. DEPARTMENTS 2 Message from the Dean 3 In Brief 20 Spotlight – Faculty News 22 Spotlight – Class Reunions 24 2009 Dianne Martin Medal 25 2009 Alumni Gold Key Awards 26 Class Notes 28 In Memoriam Members of the Class of 2011, dressed in different coloured shirts representing the four sections of the first-year class, take part in orientation activities on the first day of law school. Continuum 2009 1 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Canada’s Law School for the Knowledge Society Lately people have been asking me two questions, “Why are you wearing a cast on your arm?” and “What happened at Osgoode during the strike?” The answer to the first question is easy. I broke my wrist playing hockey with my sons and discovered that I may not be as agile on the ice as I thought I was. The second question requires a bit more of an explanation. When the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 3903, representing teaching assistants, contract faculty and graduate assistants went on strike, the University decided to suspend classes for the duration of the strike. Osgoode’s classes were also suspended, but after three weeks the Executive Committee of Senate agreed to our request to permit the resumption of all classes except for the relatively small number of courses taught by instructors who are members of the union. In making its decision the Executive Committee took into account a number of factors, including Law Society requirements for certification of our program and the impact of a continued suspension of classes on the ability of our students to access the licensing process for lawyers both in Ontario and elsewhere. As a result, our students will complete their courses and graduate on schedule and grades will be available in time for applications for summer jobs and clerkships. Our full-time and adjunct faculty have worked to ensure that we deliver the high quality program for which Osgoode is known. I am grateful to all our faculty and staff for their outstanding efforts and their commitment to our students. It is now time to look ahead and continue to build Osgoode for the 21st century. Knowledge has become an extremely valuable commodity and is the focus of this magazine. You will read about two very exciting new initiatives at Osgoode: the Jay & Barbara Hennick Centre for Business and Law, and IP Osgoode. Both situate the Law School at the centre of some of society’s newest and most important challenges. You will also find out how we are preparing our students for practice in an increasingly complex legal world and for their responsibility to the profession through the development of our curriculum. To further demonstrate Osgoode’s commitment to education and research, we are launching a new publication Osgoode Knowledge. This has been created specifically for our alumni, friends and other individuals interested in legal education. It will feature articles by our faculty and will, we hope, provide you with new and interesting perspectives on the law. I hope you enjoy the magazine and that you share our excitement about the newest developments at the Law School. Sincerely, Patrick J. Monahan ‘80 2 Continuum 2009 IN BRIEF New Juris Doctor (JD) Designation is Clearer Reflection of Osgoode Degree Following extensive consultation with our students and alumni, Monahan, noting that applicants to Osgoode must have a mini- including a student plebiscite and an alumni survey that revealed mum of three full years at a recognized university in a program strong support for the idea, the Law School has changed its leading to a degree to be eligible for consideration. undergraduate law degree designation from Bachelor of Laws “The JD has historically been associated with an American (LLB) to Juris Doctor (JD), beginning with the Class of 2009. law degree, but it is becoming an international trend. That is why The change in degree designation, which received the sup- we are making this change. In Australia, in the Far East, and even port of approximately three-quarters of the students who partic- in the UK now, second-entry ipated in last year’s plebiscite and 90 per cent of about 500 degree programs in law are alumni, who participated in the alumni survey, was approved by designating their degrees JD Alumni will have the Osgoode’s Faculty Council last November and York University’s degrees. For example, the option of converting Senate in January of this year. University of Melbourne, Alumni will have the option of converting their LLB degree to a JD which is one of the leading their LLB degree to a JD degree. Details of the exchange process will be announced this fall. law schools in Australia, degree. Details of the Dean Patrick Monahan said the move to the JD is part of “a recently changed their growing trend among law schools in Canada and international- degree from an LLB to a JD. exchange process will ly” to acknowledge that the degree holder has completed a They’re the first Australian be announced this fall. period of post-secondary education prior to entering law school law school to move exclu- and that law is a second-entry degree. sively to a second-entry “We feel that the JD is a clearer reflection of the nature of our degree program. Monash is also offering a JD.” degree, particularly for international audiences who may not be An increasing number of law schools across Canada are also familiar with the LLB and who may incorrectly think that an LLB adopting or have already adopted the change in name to JD, is a first-entry degree,” Monahan said. said Monahan, pointing to law schools at the University of Second-entry degree programs in law are increasingly Toronto, University of British Columbia, Queen’s University and awarding the JD degree, as opposed to an LLB degree, said the University of Western Ontario. Continuum 2009 3 IN BRIEF Business Law Goes Global Students from around the world enroll in a new Master of Laws degree Last July, Osgoode laid claim to another first with the launch of the Master of Laws (LLM) in Business Law for International Students, a unique combination of specialized, course-based programming, English as a Second Language (ESL) support and internship opportunities. Customized for those who hold a degree in law from an accred- ited institution outside Canada and have both a minimum B average and proof of English language proficiency, the new LLM is teaching stu- dents the ins and outs of business law in the United States, Canada, the European Union, China, India, Africa and other countries and regions that play a key role in the international economy. After 12 Photography by Horst Herget Photography months (or longer with the optional internship program), participants Students and Dean Mohahan cut the ribbon at Osgoode’s new residence. will graduate with a strong understanding of the expectations of west- ern clients and how western law firms do business. “We set out to create a world-class program that responds to the The “O.C.” is Officially Opened issues and needs of students and their prospective employers,” says Elaine Bright, Assistant Director, Academic Programs, at Osgoode Osgoode’s first-ever student residence – called Osgoode Chambers, Professional Development. “Globally, there is an urgent need for lawyers but otherwise known affectionately as the “O.C.” – was officially who understand the nature of legal business in other jurisdictions.” opened last September 10 with a barbecue, ribbon-cutting and a The inaugural class of 17 students from China, India, Venezuela, flag-raising ceremony.