Faculty of Law

Bruce Durno honoured by Criminal Lawyers’ Association

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 13 Aug 2024 19:19:52 +0000

Bruce Durno honoured by Criminal Lawyers’ Association

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rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 08/13/2024 - 15:19

Alumni

St. George

Faculty of Law

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Bruce Durno (supplied image)

Bruce Durno, an alumnus of the ��Ƶ's Faculty of Law, has been honoured with a G. Arthur Martin Criminal Justice Medal by the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA), a body representing more than 1,800 defence lawyers in Canada.

Established in 1989, the medal recognizes outstanding lifetime contributions to criminal justice.

For 24 years, Durno served as defence counsel for trials and appeals at all levels of court, often working on behalf of legal aid clients. He was appointed to the bench of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division) in 1998 and later the Superior Court of Justice until 2023. He is also a past president of the CLA.

"In his 50-year legal career, Bruce Durno has been a leader and an inspiration to many," said CLA president Boris Bytensky. "The G. Arthur Martin award is reserved for those who have made the highest contribution to the legal profession, and we are thrilled that someone so obviously deserving and so universally respected has accepted this year’s award."

Durno will be recognized at a special awards luncheon on Nov. 16.

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John Borrows receives 2024 Guthrie Award from Law Foundation of Ontario

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 14:17:09 +0000

John Borrows receives 2024 Guthrie Award from Law Foundation of Ontario

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rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 08/12/2024 - 10:17

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John Borrows (supplied image)

John Borrows, professor and inaugural Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law at the Faculty of Law, has received the Law Foundation of Ontario's Guthrie Award, which recognizes exceptional champions of access to justice.

Borrows was recognized for his transformative impact on how the academic and legal sectors understand and intersect with Indigenous law and for his innovations in teaching that have been recognized both nationally and internationally.

Borrows is Anishinaabe/Ojibway and a member of the Chippewas of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario. He teaches a course to first-year law students that addresses the intersection of Indigenous Peoples’ laws with Canada's laws. Over the past decade, he has taught an intensive course in Anishinaabe law and legal tradition, often bringing students to his People's Neyaashiinigmiing reserve to meet with Elders, Chiefs, colleagues and teachers and experience Indigenous law in context.

“John has integrated Indigenous law rooted in Indigenous Peoples’ natural and social environment into the very heart of legal education,” says University Professor Jutta Brunnée, dean of the Faculty of Law and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair. “His extraordinary work revivifying Indigenous law has also contributed to a re-envisioning of the potential of law and participatory democracy."

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Robert Leckey recognized by Canadian Bar Association

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 29 Jul 2024 13:15:18 +0000

Robert Leckey recognized by Canadian Bar Association

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rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 07/29/2024 - 09:15

Alumni

St. George

Faculty of Law

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Robert Leckey (Image courtesy of the McGill University Faculty of Law)

Robert Leckey, a doctoral graduate of the ��Ƶ's Faculty of Law, has received the 2024 Hero Award presented by the Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance Section of the Canadian Bar Association.

The award recognizes excellence within the Canadian legal profession in advancing the cause of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirit people.

Leckey, a professor, Samuel Gale Chair and dean of McGill University's Faculty of Law, is a renowned expert in constitutional law and family law. His publications have addressed same-sex marriage, recognition of a variety of parenting arrangements and the links between family law and the criminalization of homosexual conduct.

Leckey received his doctor of juridical science from U of T in 2006. His dissertation addressed Contextual Subjects: Family, State, and Relational Theory.

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John Borrows and David Walders receive TRC Teaching Awards

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 17:31:59 +0000

John Borrows and David Walders receive TRC Teaching Awards

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 07/22/2024 - 13:31

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L-R: John Borrows and David Walders (Alice Xue Photography; supplied image)

John Borrows, professor and inaugural Loveland Chair in Indigenous Law at the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Law, and David Walders, an adjunct professor at the faculty, have received TRC Teaching Awards from the Students’ Law Society and the Indigenous Law Students’ Association.

The awards recognize faculty members who have made an outstanding contribution to the implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s Call to Action #28 by teaching course content involving Indigenous perspectives, topics and law, as well as Canadian Aboriginal Law.

Borrows, a member of the Chippewa of the Nawash First Nation in Ontario, began teaching a new course to first-year law students that addresses the intersection of Indigenous Peoples’ laws with Canada's laws. Over the past decade, Borrows has also taught an intensive course in Anishinaabe law and legal tradition, often bringing students to his People's Neyaashiinigmiing reserve to meet with Elders, Chiefs, colleagues and teachers and experience Indigenous law in context.

Walders is Anishinaabe and his family is from Alderville First Nation. In addition to co-teaching a seminar in Aboriginal Law and Policy, Walders was recognized for making a significant impact through his role in the Kawaskimhon Aboriginal Law Moot, a consensus-based, non-adversarial moot that incorporates Indigenous legal traditions alongside federal, provincial and international law.

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Malcolm Thorburn and Kate Mitchell recognized by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 14:04:39 +0000

Malcolm Thorburn and Kate Mitchell recognized by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 07/15/2024 - 10:04

Trudeau Foundation Fellows

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Kate Mitchell and Malcolm Thorburn (supplied images)

Professor Malcolm Thorburn and doctoral candidate Kate Mitchell of the ��Ƶ’s Faculty of Law have been recognized by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation for their research excellence.

Thorburn was named a 2024 fellow of the foundation. Holding an Innovation Chair in the Legal, Ethical & Cultural Implications of Technological Innovation in the Faculty of Law, his research focuses on theoretical issues in criminal justice and public law including criminal law and procedure, sentencing, policing, constitutional rights and proportionality reasoning. He is an associate editor of the New Criminal Law Review and a member of the editorial boards of Law and Philosophy and Criminal Law and Philosophy.

Mitchell was named one of 16 scholars by the Trudeau Foundation. A doctoral candidate who previously worked as a criminal and prison lawyer, Mitchell is developing a legal framework to protect the rule of law in prisons. As a volunteer with the Canadian Prison Law Association, Mitchell has prepared intervention submissions for two cases that went before the Supreme Court of Canada and various submissions responding to legislation impacting prisoners’ rights. She also appeared before the Senate on behalf of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association on a prisoners’ rights bill.

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:16:48 +0000

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 07/12/2024 - 17:16

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

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Martha Shaffer (supplied image)

Martha Shaffer, a professor in the Faculty of Law, has been recognized with the Alan Mewett Award for Excellence in Teaching for the second time in four years.

The annual award is given to a faculty member who exhibits excellence in teaching – as selected by members of the graduating class – at the post-convocation ceremony.

Shaffer, who previously received the honour in 2021, was chosen by the Class of 2024 for her efforts to foster a caring and inclusive learning environment. She is credited with being committed to ensuring students grasped complex legal concepts and encouraging them throughout their law school journey.

Widely regarded as an inspired and dedicated instructor, Shaffer teaches criminal law, evidence law and legal methods, and has taught family law as well as courses on cultural diversity and gender issues. She writes in the areas of family and criminal law, with a focus on gender, violence against women and the use of social science evidence to inform legal reasoning. She holds law degrees from Harvard University and U of T.

“Thank you, Class of 2024, for honouring me with the Mewett Award and with the opportunity to say a few words of hail and farewell as you leave the law faculty,” Shaffer said.

“You are a remarkable group of people: smart, talented, caring and engaged. It has been a privilege to have gotten to know you during your time at U of T.”

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Ran Hirschl appointed University Professor

rahul.kalvapalle — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 15:27:07 +0000

Ran Hirschl appointed University Professor

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rahul.kalvapalle Thu, 06/06/2024 - 11:27

Faculty

St. George

Department of Political Science

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Law

University Professor

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Ran Hirschl (supplied image)

Ran Hirschl, the David R. Cameron Distinguished Professor in Law and Politics in the Faculty of Arts & Science’s department of political science, has been appointed a University Professor, a designation bestowed on a small number of faculty members in recognition of exceptional scholarly achievement and pre-eminence in their fields.

Hirschl, who is cross-appointed to the Faculty of Law, is regarded as a leading expert of comparative constitutional studies, a cross-disciplinary area of inquiry that explores the dynamic interaction, mutual influence and power relations between the constitutional domain and the political sphere.

“The ��Ƶ owes much of its reputation for excellence to its world-class professors, and I am delighted that Ran Hirschl – one of our finest faculty members – has been recognized as a University Professor,” said Trevor Young, U of T's vice-president and provost. “The title 'University Professor' is U of T's highest and most distinguished academic rank, which reflects Professor Hirschl’s long and honourable record of scholarly achievement.”

Hirschl began his academic career at U of T as a Canada Research Chair in Constitutionalism, Democracy and Development. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and considered one of the world’s leading scholars of comparative constitutional law, courts and jurisprudence.

“It is a tremendous honour to be recognized in this special way, and to have my name added to the long list of distinguished, world-class scholars at the ��Ƶ who embody the University’s ‘defying gravity’ maxim,” said Hirschl.

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U of T Law professor, alumni awarded Law Society Medals

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 31 May 2024 13:29:05 +0000

U of T Law professor, alumni awarded Law Society Medals

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rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 05/31/2024 - 09:29

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(L-R) Dianne Corbiere, Robert Cunningham and Mayo Moran (supplied images)

��Ƶ Faculty of Law Professor Mayo Moran and alumni Dianne Corbiere and Robert Cunningham have been awarded Law Society Medals by the Law Society of Ontario.

The awards recognize exceptional contributions and dedication to the legal profession whether in the area of practice, in the academic sphere or another professional capacity.

Moran served as the first female dean of the Faculty of Law from 2006 to 2014, and has served as provost and vice-chancellor of Trinity College since 2014. For more than a decade, she served as chair of the Residential Schools Oversight Committee, which oversaw the settlement of more than 38,000 claims by residential school survivors. She was also instrumental in the development of the Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act.

“Mayo’s work as a scholar and advocate, and her instrumental role in promoting positive change in institutions, legislation and pressing matters of national and international justice, exemplify her deep commitment to our profession and community,” said University Professor Jutta Brunnée, dean of the Faculty of Law and James Marshall Tory Dean’s Chair.

Corbiere graduated in 1996 and is a managing partner at Nahwegahbow Corbiere, one of Ontario’s first Anishinaabe-owned law firms. As a litigator, her historic impact on case law has resulted in advancements in reconciliation for First Nations individuals, communities and organizations.

Cunningham, who graduated in 1990, is a lawyer and senior policy analyst for the Canadian Cancer Society and an internationally recognized expert in tobacco control. He has been an adviser to the World Health Organization and has testified more than 80 times before federal, provincial and territorial legislative committees.

“As dean, it is tremendously gratifying to see U of T Law alumni emerge as dedicated, passionate, and exceptional leaders within the legal profession and our wider community,” Brunnée said. “We are thrilled that Dianne and Robert’s remarkable contributions have received this well-deserved recognition.”

Read the Faculty of Law story about Mayo Moran

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Nicolas Papernot receives AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Sciences

rahul.kalvapalle — Mon, 13 May 2024 14:24:47 +0000

Nicolas Papernot receives AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Sciences

Research & Innovation

rahul.kalvapalle Mon, 05/13/2024 - 10:24

Faculty

St. George

Artificial Intelligence

Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering

Faculty of Law

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Nicholas Papernot (photo by Matthew Tierney)

Nicolas Papernot, an assistant professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. department of electrical and computer engineering at the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been named an AI2050 Early Career Fellow.

Awarded by Schmidt Sciences, the fellowship encourages young researchers to pursue bold and multidisciplinary research in AI for societal benefit.

Papernot was recognized for his project on a technical framework for future AI regulation, which builds on multidisciplinary collaboration with Professor Lisa Austin from U of T’s Faculty of Law and Professor Xiao Wang of Northwestern University’s department of computer science.

The team is exploring how a protocol borrowed from cryptography, called zero-knowledge proof (ZKP), can verify whether an AI model was developed in compliance with certain rules. Their research comes as governments around the world prepare legislation to address the growing power of AI.

“The scope of what we’re trying to achieve is very ambitious,” says Papernot, who is cross-appointed to the department of computer science in the Faculty of Arts & Science and is a faculty member at the Vector Institute and a faculty affiliate at the Schwartz Reisman Institute. “We’re asking how AI will impact society, essentially. It’s hard to do that from just one discipline’s perspective. Thankfully, the Schmidt Sciences organization has stepped up to provide the space needed for such highly exploratory and complex research.”

“As AI technology continues to evolve, it is imperative to simultaneously advance the regulatory and technological frameworks that ensure its safe and ethical use,” says Professor Deepa Kundur, chair of the department of electrical and computer engineering. “Professor Papernot’s work is pivotal because it not only mitigates risks, but also maximizes the technology’s application potential, making it a cornerstone for future innovations.”

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Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie recognized by Association of American Publishers

rahul.kalvapalle — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 12:23:32 +0000

Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie recognized by Association of American Publishers

Community

rahul.kalvapalle Tue, 03/26/2024 - 08:23

Faculty

St. George

Artificial Intelligence

Faculty of Law

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Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie (supplied images)

Abdi Aidid, an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law and Benjamin Alarie, a professor and Osler Chair in Business Law, have received an Association of American Publishers (AAP) PROSE Award for their book, The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better.

The AAP’s jury of publishing professionals and librarians recognize authors, editors and publishers whose works have made significant strides in advancing their respective fields of study. Aidid and Alarie were recognized in the category of legal studies and criminology for their book, which was published in 2023 by ��Ƶ Press.

In it, the authors argue that the proliferation of AI-enabled technology – specifically, the advent of legal prediction – will radically change the law and legal profession, facilitating a ‘completeness’ of law that is clearer and fairer.

Alarie co-founded a legal tech startup, Blue J Legal, in 2015. The company’s software draws on AI to provide instant and comprehensive answers in complex areas of tax, labour and employment law. Aidid previously served as Blue J Legal’s vice-president, legal research prior to joining U of T full-time in 2021.

Read about their book on U of T News

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Faculty of Law

Bruce Durno honoured by Criminal Lawyers’ Association

Read the Criminal Lawyers' Association announcement

John Borrows receives 2024 Guthrie Award from Law Foundation of Ontario

Read the Faculty of Law announcement

Read the Law Foundation of Ontario announcement

Robert Leckey recognized by Canadian Bar Association

John Borrows and David Walders receive TRC Teaching Awards

Read the Faculty of Law story

Malcolm Thorburn and Kate Mitchell recognized by Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation

Read more about Malcolm Thorburn

Read more about Kate Mitchell

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

Ran Hirschl appointed University Professor

Read the Faculty of Law story

U of T Law professor, alumni awarded Law Society Medals

Read the Faculty of Law story about Mayo Moran

Read the Faculty of Law story about Dianne Corbiere and Robert Cunningham

Nicolas Papernot receives AI2050 Early Career Fellowship from Schmidt Sciences

Read the U of T Engineering story

Abdi Aidid and Benjamin Alarie recognized by Association of American Publishers

Read about their book on U of T News