There isn’t a class titled “How to Keep a Straight Face When Someone Lies to You” There are a lot of things you likely won’t learn in law school. This is not a dig at any of our professors, their pedagogy, or even the Canadian legal education system as a whole. The issue is that education can’t replace real world experience. You don’t learn key networking skills poring though a textbook and...
$2.3 million in bursary money distributed in the Fall process We here at the Obiter like to think of ourselves as creative. When we realized there was going to be a shortfall in submissions for the first issue, we jumped at the chance to reprint some of the favourites from the 2015-2016 year. This is one of those articles, enjoy! One of the first real deadlines Osgoode students face at the...
Some FAQs with your Editor-in-Chief Hello Osgoode! My name is Erin and it is my honour to introduce myself as the Obiter Dicta’s Editor-in-Chief for the 2016-2017 year. From my humble beginnings as a Staff Writer in 1L to running the editing cycle as the Managing Editor last year, I have come to love the Obiter and I am so excited to now be at the helm. I’d like to take this opportunity...
Lessons from the field Human-centered design (HCD) is a design method used to develop products and services from the perspective of those who use them. It is an intentional process, but also a creative one. It involves immersing yourself in the problem you are trying to solve, working with the people experiencing the problem, experimenting with solutions, and, most importantly, lowering your...
Learning from the Interim Federal Health Program Canada is currently seeing a revitalized interest in the plight of refugees, which started in early September when the tragic photos of the Kurdi family’s attempt to escape Syria were widely published in the news and shared on social media. Since then, a large number of different non-government organizations, activist groups, and public...
Dr. Kenneth Lam’s Two Cents As Arm Chair GM: Part One On 24 June 2016, Toronto Director of Player Personnel Mark Hunter—who has since been promoted to the position of Assistant General Manager—walked up to the podium at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York and with the following words promptly affirmed the worst kept secret since the Maple Leafs won the draft lottery back on 30...
Drought and high temperatures are killing people, crops and livestock – we must speak up by Maha Mansoor and Hilal Elver Troubles in the Middle East and Europe have distracted world leaders from tackling the growing hunger in Ethiopia caused by the country’s worst drought in at least thirty years. For example, at the most recent UN World Humanitarian Summit that took place in May the...
It has come to our attention that in Lisa Bush’s article, “Indigenous Stories, Settler Bodies: Why ‘Reconciliation’ is not a Commodity” a paragraph preceded the article that was a mistake. The paragraph read: “This article is not for everyone. If you are looking for an in-depth analysis of a Supreme Court case, or a cover on how to secure that Bay Street interview, move right along! If...
A great television series captivates you. It is intuitive–the thrills and suspense are sprinkled in methodically, and the more mundane parts of the season are purposeful. It knows its audience. Most importantly, a great television series knows when to end. If the show runs a little too long, in hindsight, it is probably as great a series as it could have been. Look at the critically-acclaimed...
How Valuable is the First Overall Section in the NBA Draft? Every decade or so, a supposedly “can’t miss” prospect out of high school or a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I powerhouse attracts national attention and emerges as the crown jewel of a National Basketball Association (NBA) draft. For instance, in the 2000s, there was LeBron James, who was...
…that nearly went forgotten Something horrible almost happened, Mock Trial was almost forgotten in the Obiter Dicta. Mock Trial is one of, if not the biggest events every year at Osgoode. A simple Google search proves it: “Mock Trial Osgoode Hall” brings up Obiter Dicta recap articles that go back to 2011, with one as recently as last year. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been looking forward...
How Pharma Companies Influence Medical Decision Making Pharmaceutical companies that manufacture a particular kind of drug can maintain their monopoly over this product through patent protections, preventing other companies from manufacturing, marketing, and profiting from the drug. However, drug patent protections do expire; most drugs are initially protected for around twenty years in the US...
by Barbara Captijn, former self-represented litigant, blogger and consumer advocate I was pleased to be invited to Osgoode Law School’s “Bring a Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) to Law School Day” on March 14th. Thanks to Dr. Julie Macfarlane of the University of Windsor Law School and Dean Sossin of Osgoode Hall for this opportunity to interact with students and law professors, and share...
By: Andrea S. Anderson, PhD Candidate, Osgoode Hall Law School There is nothing quite like being a defence lawyer—walking into a criminal courtroom with a nice suit on, pulling your litigation case, proceeding to the front to sit at counsel table ready to advocate for your client—only to be stopped by another member of the bar who advises you that the general public are to sit in the body of the...
Black Lives Matter and the Optics of Justice A little over a week ago, Black Lives Matter Toronto staged a demonstration at City Hall to protest a decision by the Special Investigations Unit not to criminally charge the officer who shot and killed Andrew Loku last summer. Many see the death of Andrew Loku, a forty-five -yearold survivor of war and father of five with a history of mental illness...
Justice Cromwell’s departure will test the Liberal government’s call for transparency Justice Thomas Albert Cromwell: “Being a judge is both a great privilege and an onerous responsibility” The news that Justice Cromwell had announced he will retire from the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) on 1 September of this year—twelve years before the mandatory retirement age of 75—seemed to come out of...
Bringing Awareness to the ‘Gap’ A brief look at how stereotypes, myths & seduction affect the application of law in sexual assault cases By Jessica Zita Law has power in constructing knowledge and ideology, yet it functions in dynamic tension with social structure and systems that affect its operation. –Ruthy Lazar If the outpouring of dialogue inspired by Ghomeshi indicates anything, it is...
Ghomeshi Acquittal A Watershed Moment for Sexual Predators and Their Apologists I remember my skepticism when colleagues and acquaintances waxed optimistic about how this trial would be a watershed moment for the criminal justice system’s treatment of sexual assault. I recall thinking that even if Ghomeshi was found guilty, nothing would fundamentally change. I knew that Marie Heinen would whack...
In the End, He was Only Human On 22 March 2016, Rob Ford – former mayor of Toronto and city councillor for Etobicoke North – died of cancer. My condolences to his family, particularly his children. Rob Ford was a surprisingly complicated man, considering he was actually something of a simpleton with no capacity for subtlety or nuance. He was a demagogue who was allegedly awkward and...
By Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights – Osgoode Students interested in international law often ask what it takes to find a career in this highly competitive and amorphous area of law. What is the recipe for success and where do I find the ingredients? At last month’s International Law Career Panel, hosted by Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights – Osgoode (CLAIHR-Osgoode)...
Before starting law school, I diligently researched what it was like to enter law school as a mature student. I found pitifully few accounts from those that had succeeded in the role, and many that just dropped off without a concrete indicator of where their journey ended. As I near the end of my three years at Osgoode, I can offer evidence (just what every law student needs) that success as a...
It all begins with four years of political science, economics, engineering, or maybe even art and design. At this stage, we stand out from those around us. Earning straight-A’s comes easily and most of us graduate at the top of our class with a 4.0 GPA. Some might immediately turn their attention toward the LSAT while others might pursue higher education, and others still might spend several...
Reflections on Law School from an Already-Nostalgic 3L My friends tell me that I am the only person whom they have heard utter the following refrain: I am devastated that law school is almost over. I know, I know. A job will allow me to pay off my debt (of course, if I stay in school forever, I can continue to accrue debt I never have to pay off), and I have been working towards becoming a...
Value. Potential. Character. Health. These are some of the things to consider when players are off the books, a.k.a., free agents. Picture two scenarios. In Scenario A, there is a budding talent who just came off a career year with your team (you are the general manager, so you do not own the team). He has yet to reach his “peak”, so to speak. He is just as good as his counterparts at his...
With the Toronto Maple Leafs poised to finish last in the NHL and teams across the four major North American professional sports intentionally losing in order to secure the best possible draft picks, the popular narrative has become that “tanking” is the smart way to build a team, and that without high draft picks, it is impossible to build a successful team capable of winning a championship...