News
SLS Open Letter to the Law Society of Ontario re Rescheduled Summer 2022 Ontario Licensing Exams
April 11, 2022
In response to the Law Society of Ontario’s April 7, 2022 announcement, the Students’ Law Society wrote an open letter sharing concerns related to candidates’ mental health, candidates who will already be working, candidates who have already made plans, candidates writing additional bar exams, and basic respect for candidates. Specifically, the SLS and 138 student signatories called on the LSO to:
Revert to the original timeline with the Barrister licensing exam taking place at the end of May/early June and the Solicitor exam taking place in mid/late June;
Ensure virtual writing options for the licensing exams are facilitated, regardless of the timeline for licensing examinations; and
Only in the event that rescheduling to the previously and above-requested timeline is impossible, work with employers to facilitate the new dates and amend the latest possible start date for articling terms as appropriate.
SLS Statement re the Approved 2022-23 University of Toronto Fee Framework
April 4, 2022
On March 31, 2022, the Governing Council of the University of Toronto adopted a fee schedule for the 2022-23 academic year, which created distinct fee categories domestic students resident in Ontario and domestic out-of-province students. Please see the SLS’s statement on this development, and President Willem Crispin-Frei’s remarks to Governing Council prior to the adoption of the framework.
SLS Letter to the LSO re Support for Mandatory Minimum Compensation for LSO Licensing Candidates
March 15, 2022
The Student Life and Academic Committee submitted a letter in support of the Law Society of Ontario implementing a mandatory minimum wage for Licensing Candidates.
SLS Announces Membership Fee Increase Referendum
February 28, 2022.
During the Spring General Election, the CRO will place the following question on the ballot:
Do you approve of the SLS membership fee increasing from:
○ $20.00/semester to $30.00/semester for full-time students; and
○ $10.00/semester to $15.00/semester for part-time students?
In brief, the SLS is pursuing a Membership Fee increase because:
The SLS Membership Fee last increased before 1995–$20.00 then is worth $32.80 today. The SLS is proposing a fee increase to $30.00 per term.
At $30.00 per term, the SLS fee will be roughly 0.1% of the cost of tuition, and lower than the Osgoode Legal & Lit Society’s fee ($34.32 per term).
The cost of food and hosting events has dramatically increased during the pandemic, and more and larger venue deposits are needed. Post-pandemic, it will likely cost 25-45% more to host a Law Ball.
The SLS would benefit from having more financial resources at the beginning of the year to be able to put down more deposits while ensuring timely club funding reimbursements.
Prior to the pandemic, the SLS spent more than it took in. In order to resume pre-pandemic levels of spending, the SLS would operate with a structural deficit of $4,000 per year. This issue was being discussed as early as 2019, but was put on hold with the pandemic.
In addition to sustainably operating at a balanced budget, a fee increase would give the SLS flexibility to host more social functions, while providing more generous club funding.
Read the full backgrounder here.
Letter to President Gertler re Academic Freedom and the CAUT Censure
May 20, 2021
[The following covering email was sent:]
Dear President Gertler,
Please find attached a letter from the Students' Law Society (SLS) regarding academic freedom and the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) censure. We share the concerns of the CAUT and urge you to take the necessary steps to end the censure and ensure that the University remains a place where students can engage with difficult topics free from external pressures.
We also stress that alongside the uncertainty caused by this controversy, students at the Faculty of Law are affected by the present and developing situation in Israel and Palestine. It is of paramount importance that all students feel safe at the University and have appropriate spaces to discuss these complex and challenging issues with qualified instructors who do not fear reprisal.
Working with the CAUT to end the censure is the first of several steps the University must take to achieve the reconciliation promised in your March 29, 2021 statement. The SLS calls on you to take that first step.
Sincerely,
The Students’ Law Society
Other Links (materials not created by the SLS): Cromwell Report, President Gertler’s Response, Dean Brunnée’s Email Response, CAUT Censure announcement.
Letter to Dean Brunnée re Tuition
March 8, 2021
A subsequent version with 349 signatures from students, alumni, faculty, and student groups was sent on March 22, 2021.
SLS Pedagogy Survey Summarized Feedback
December 9, 2020
Results and recommendations from the November 2020 student Fall Pedagogy Feedback Survey as sent to Associate Dean Essert.
SLS Letter to Dean Iacobucci re the Controversy Around the IHRP Hiring Process
September 17, 2020
SLS Recommendations for Improving Accessibility in a Virtual Learning Environment
September 1, 2020
Sent to Professors at the Faculty of Law (including adjuncts) with recommendations around improving accessibility for virtual and hybrid classes.