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Mining for new lawyers

Written by Heather Gardiner Posted Date: February 20, 2012

Cassels Brock’s Paul Stein says the new program will help educate lawyers with real mining knowledge.

In keeping with its business law focus, Western University’s Faculty of Law is expanding its mining law and finance program thanks to a $750,000 donation from Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP.

Laval named best team at Laskin moot

Written by Karl Schober Posted Date: February 20, 2012

Université Laval team members (l to r) Francois Levesque, Louis-Philippe Samson, Chloe Fauchon, Frederick Maheux (coach), and Melissa Azuelos.

Nearly every Canadian law school from coast to coast descended upon Moncton N.B., on Feb. 17 for the 27th annual Bora Laskin Moot. The faculty of law at the Université de Moncton hosted the longstanding bilingual competition. Dean Odette Snow welcomed the teams in true maritime hospitality, who were able to compete in the city’s brand new courthouse.

Reconfiguring mentorship

Written by Sasha Toten Posted Date: February 13, 2012

The Reconfiguring Mentorship seminar at the University of Ottawa discussed how mentorship can shape women’s careers in and out of practice. Photo: Amna Qureshi

Practices are being implemented to reverse the trend of women leaving the legal field, but the Women’s Legal Mentorship Program at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law is convinced that more can be done. Determined to take matters into its own hands to do its part to address the retention of women, the WLMP hosted its Reconfiguring Mentorship seminar on Feb. 11.

Photo exhibit highlights 25 years of human rights program

Written by Heather Gardiner Posted Date: February 13, 2012

Bil'in, Occupied Palestinian Territories, West Bank, 2011. A Palestinian child shows a tear gas bomb, one of a number of types used by the Israeli military on protesters during weekly demonstrations against the Occupation. Photo: Sofia Mariam Ijaz

Rwanda, 2002. 'When I reflect on my lost childhood, I have a feeling of extreme sadness. I lament when I remember all those men who repeatedly raped me during the genocide, those same men who broke and destroyed me and every single aspect of my life. Those same men who killed me, slowly but very effectively.' — Marie Mukabatsinda Photo: Samer Muscati

Damascus, Syria, 2010. An Iraqi boy rides his bicycle in Jaramana, a district 10 km outside the main capital of Damascus where thousands of Iraqi refugees fled to in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion. An estimated one million Iraqi refugees currently reside in Syria. Photo: Sofia Mariam Ijaz

University of Toronto law student Sofia Ijaz had several of her photos on display at the International Human Rights program's photo exhibit. Photo: Heather Gardiner

Onlookers admire the photos in the refugee rights section. Photo: Heather Gardiner

Photos displayed in the gender-based violence section. Photo: Heather Gardiner

Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2011. Sylie and another intern at a tea garden in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Most of the workers on the British-owned tea plantations are women. Photo: Sylvie McCallum Rougerie

Morgan Sim has been involved in the 160 Girls Project, which is test case litigation for girls who were raped in Meru, Kenya. Photo: Heather Gardiner

Photos displayed in the international criminal law section. Photo: Heather Gardiner

Tuol Sleng Prison, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2011. Cells at the S-21 Prison in Cambodia, now the Tuol Sleng Museum of Genocide. Between 15,000 and 30,000 prisoners were held here during Pol Pot's reign (1975-1979). In 2003, the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia was jointly established by the United Nations and the Cambodian government in order to bring senior members of the Khmer Rouge to justice. Photo: Grace Hutton

Christine Wadsworth, pictured here, interned in the judges' chambers at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania in 2011.

Renu Mandhane is the director of the International Human Rights program at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. Photo: Heather Gardiner

This pillar displays the names and internships of all 300 interns who have participated in the International Human Rights program. Photo: Heather Gardiner

A young Palestinian boy holds up a tear gas bomb used by the Israeli military on protesters during demonstrations against the occupation. A woman is shown with a tear rolling down her cheek as she tells of her “lost childhood” after she was repeatedly raped during the Rwandan genocide.

Université Laval students revive law review

Written by Heather Emptage Posted Date: February 06, 2012

(l to r) Revue Juridique editor in chief Colin Standish, managing editor Senai Iman, and former editor in chief Nelson Peters.

A group of five students at Université Laval have been working hard to resuscitate the student-run law review. Nelson Peters, Colin Standish, Senai Iman, Adam White, and Adam Martincak formed a friendship early in their studies at Laval and had been searching for an academic activity to participate in during law school, but had not been satisfied with what they found.

Moot by Twitter

Written by Heather Gardiner Posted Date: January 30, 2012

For the first time, law students are being encouraged to tweet during a moot. Unlike traditional moots where the use of social media is against the rules, this one will be all Twitter all the time.

Mix of articles, practical training seems to be popular option

Written by Heather Gardiner Posted Date: January 23, 2012

Articling task force chairman Tom Conway at last week’s consultation. Photo: Heather Gardiner

While the Law Society of Upper Canada is looking at solutions to the articling crisis, practical training remains a key requirement, says the head of its articling task force.

Western law launches new student journal

Written by Anastasia Pasecinic Posted Date: January 23, 2012

UWO Journal of Legal Studies executive: (back row, l to r) John Mather, Eugene Polevoy, Ben Tinholt, Scott Robinson, Anastasia Pasecinic; (front row, l to r) Elba Bendo and Lisa Di Valentino.

The University of Western Ontario’s law school has a new student-run online law review. The Journal of Legal Studies published its first issue on Jan. 20.

Even Brad Pitt can’t make tax sexy

Legally Brunette

Written by Lauren Berdock Posted Date: January 23, 2012

I’m going to be brutally honest — I don’t like tax law. Although my professor is charismatic and engaging, I don’t think I would like tax even if Brad Pitt was teaching it to me. In the upper years of law school, there are no mandatory courses, so why enrol in tax law? The answer is pragmatic: I want to be prepared for the Ontario bar exams.

Is an end to Ontario’s articling crisis near?

Written by Christine Kellowan Posted Date: January 16, 2012

The articling crisis in Ontario may soon come to an end if proposed solutions to resolve the shortage of articling placements get the green light from the Law Society of Upper Canada.