EDITORIAL
20 Obiter Dicta
Editorial
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benefits that accrue from seeing the world (increased
open-mindedness, greater adaptability, and pushing oneself outside of one’s comfort zone), it’ll make
for great fodder come OCIs or articling interviews. So
backpack through southeast Asia, hike the Inca trail,
and drink your way through the vineyards of Tuscany
– those partners at Blakes or Torys (or elsewhere) will
love hearing about it.
Also, while law students have a tendency to overcomplicate things, check out the simple advice of
some of these experts:
• Peter K ahn, Professor, University of Washington,
Department of Psychology: Open the window.
Fresh air is a miracle-worker. But even exposure
to the outside world through a glass pane melts
away apprehension.
• Mehmet C. Oz, co-author of You: Stress Less:
Send yourself flowers. “Without question, stress
is mitigated by nature. Humans are comforted
by vegetation.” Buy a houseplant to keep on your
desk and cut flowers at your kitchen table.
• L aura Berman, Assistant Clinical Professor,
Northwestern University, Feinberg School of
Medicine: Pucker up. “It makes you feel less isolated, which is a source of anxiety.” Berman recommends at least one ten-second kiss a day. We
recommend at least two.
• Julie Holl and, Assistance Clinical Professor,
New York University, School of Medicine: Step
into the light. “Exposing your retina to sunlight
resets your circadian rhythm so your brain is on a
schedule.” Take a walk outside without sunglasses
for twenty minutes a day, three times a week.
• Alison S. Troy, Assistant Professor, Franklin &
Marshall College, Department of Psychology:
Watch a tearjerker. “Thinking positively while
watching a sad movie may help you cope with
setbacks in the real world.” Come up with happy
endings and good advice for the characters.
• Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, Professor, Yale
University, Department of Psychology: Adopt a
pastime. “Overthinking without resolving anything draws us deeper into the feeling of being
overwhelmed.” A recurring activity that requires
you to engage with others—whether playing
squash, taking a cooking class, or starting a reading group—lets you escape from your own head.
• Yehuda Baruch: Professor of Management, Rouen
Business School: Drop an f-bomb. “People swear
as a coping mechanism to relieve stress.” Just do
so around your friends, and not around those
lawyers you’re trying so hard to impress (or come
to the Obiter office).
• Chris Streeter, Associate Professor of Psychiatry,
Boston University, School of Medicine: Employ
And some parting thoughts (we left the hardest, and
most enjoyable, for last):
Hall Law School, before taking any decisions about
transformation.”
of advocacy that truly speaks to the needs of marginalized communities.
#2: The Osgoode Community Has
Dedicated Access to Justice Advocates
#1: You Can Help Shape How the Vision
Report Impacts Osgoode In the Coming
Year
(some) yoga poses. “The part of the nervous
system that relaxes the body and mind is stimulated when the spine is bent.” Inverted stances,
such as back bends and headstands, have the
greatest positive effect on your mood.
• k ate hanley, author of The Anywhere, Anytime
Chill Guide: 77 Simply Strategies for Serenity:
Take a power nap. “There’s also an exercise you
can do at your desk that’s just as refreshing.”
Stack your forearms on the edge of the table, scoot
back in your chair so your spine is extended, and
rest your forehead on your arms for a few minutes.
• Turn off your phone. Seriously, it instantly raises
your blood pressure.
• Put on some music. Classical music is best (and
trust us, Debussy and Brahms are amazing).
• Watch a YouTube clip. Laughter is good for your
health.
• Spend time with your best friend. They never see
enough of you these days.
• Get away from the screen. Go offline at least an
hour before bedtime.
• Stop being your own worst critic! There’s a reason
you’re at Osgoode (you’re great). u
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Program in Poverty Law.” Concerns raised by students were rebuffed at the Faculty Council meeting
based on three primary assertions: (A) regardless of
what happens to other Toronto clinics, PCLS will be
saved because it is the crown jewel in the legal aid
crown, (B) the Vision Report advocates for mergers
not closures, and (C) the MOU between Osgoode and
PCLS does not provide Faculty Council the requisite
jurisdiction to provide the PCLS Board with an opinion regarding the impact of the Vision Report’s proposals on clinical education at Osgoode. Concerns
persist about these claims.
Even if one accepts the hope that PCLS will be protected from closure, shouldn’t we be worried about
the Vision Report establishing a precedent of defining the needs of Canada’s low-income communities
with minimal community consultation and evidence? Further, the Vision Report explicitly eschews
the idea of mergers in favour of outright closures as
demonstrated on page twenty of the report and the
reliance on “realign” in the Framework Agreement.
In response to the lack of jurisdiction claim, students have pointed out that the Vision Report stands
to alter a large scope of the joint partnership in the
MOU. In addition, any Osgoode specific decision
regarding the Vision Report cannot strong-arm the
independent PCLS Board into making a decision.
On January 14, 2015, the PCLS Board of Directors
released a statement on the GTA Transformation
project affirming a “commit[ment] to a broad consultation process over the next several months with
its constituencies, including community members, agencies, PCLS staff, students and Osgoode
I doubt Student Caucus’ engagement on this issue
would have been possible without the instructive
capacity building of Professor Mary Jane Mossman.
Professor Mossman—who helped found the community-based legal clinic model in Ontario and was
the first articling student at PCLS in 1971-1972—
has been an inspirational advocate at Osgoode and
in Ontario more broadly. Letters and resources
from Ron Ellis, Shin Imai, Frederick Zemans,
Thea Herman, and Doug Ewart have also provided
urgently needed clarity about the Vision Report and
its recommendations.
Making progress at Osgoode towards the fundamental right of access to justice in Toronto’s community-based legal clinic system would not have been
possible without a dedicated student voice. Over
the past year, the following law students have provided incredible expertise and leadership to shape
the debate over expanding access to justice for all in
Ontario: PCLS caseworkers and Osgoode students
Craig Mazerolle, Kate Siemiatycki, Andrew Cox,
David Nisker, Amina Juma, Nicole Veitch, Justin
Amaral, Osgoode and PCLS alumni Mika Imai and
Oriel Varga, as well as past PCLS articling students.
By coming together on an issue of shared concern,
students, faculty, and Osgoode alumni have demonstrated that community building is a necessary part
Student Caucus recognizes the importance of keeping the student dialogue on Toronto legal clinic
transformation ongoing while consultation, decision-making and any change-implementation
occurs. In order to adequately participate in this
endeavour, Student Caucus welcomes interested
students to join the sub-committee struck to continue to explore how the Vision Report might affect
Osgoode’s clinical education program at PCLS. The
goals of this sub-committee are in development.
They may include some of the following priorities:
• stay apprised of discussion about the Vision
Report;
• disseminate information to the Osgoode community about the Vision Report; and
• direct an Osgoode discourse about a future community-based legal clinic model for Toronto.
To be part of the sub-committee please contact [email protected]. u
editorial note: The electronic version of this article contains hyperlinks to sources cited as the issue
of Tor onto’s legal clinics involves much research and
media portrayal.