Annual Report 2005-2006 - Osgoode Hall Law School - York ...

Introduction
I am pleased to report that Osgoode Hall Law School was successful in achieving its
priorities in 2005-06 — a year that also saw the Law School’s leadership position in legal
education recognized with a Number 1 ranking in the annual Canadian Lawyer survey of
law schools in Canada.
One of our main goals for the year was to complete a comprehensive strategic planning
process and begin to implement the new Plan for the Law School 2006-2010: Making a
Difference. The Plan, which was unanimously adopted by Osgoode’s Faculty Council in
October 2005, identifies three overarching goals for the Law School over the next five years:
building a more engaged learning community; promoting the Law School’s engagement with
the broader community; and continuing to situate Osgoode as a global law school.
The hiring of five new members of the full-time faculty; the initiation of a comprehensive review of the
Osgoode Admissions Policy; and the continued reform of the first-year curriculum are all significant
academic priorities that were undertaken in 2005-06. Other important milestones included negotiating a
joint LLB-LLM program with New York University School of Law (in addition to the JD-LLB program
previously negotiated in 2004-05); the holding of the second Raoul Wallenberg International Human
Rights Symposium at NYU in January 2006; and the creation of the Honourable Ian Scott Public Interest
Internship Program through private fund raising, which will give students the opportunity to carry out
public interest work in the summer.
On the financial front, the Law School achieved a balanced budget in 2005-06 for the first time in seven
years; implemented a new business plan for the Osgoode Professional Development program that resulted
in a 30 per cent increase in revenues over the previous year; and raised $3.5 million in paid gifts, reflecting
a continued upward trend in fund raising. In conjunction with the Schulich School of Business, the Law
School also secured a gift of $2 million from three donors to establish an endowed Chair in Corporate
Governance. And, thanks to the generosity of a major law firm, we financed the renovation of the last of
our large classrooms that included the addition of a much-needed window in the room.
All of us were also proud when the Ontario government announced that it will establish a new Law
Commission of Ontario at Osgoode, and that Osgoode will host the Ontario Citizens’ Assembly looking into
provincial electoral reform.
Osgoode will continue to focus on actions in 2006-07 that will create value for our students and build on
the strengths and accomplishments that are documented in this Annual Report. I would like to express my
thanks to the faculty, students, staff, alumni and friends of the Law School, including members of the
Alumni Association Board of Directors and the Dean’s Advisory Council, for their contribution to our strong
performance in 2005-06. I would also like to extend a special thank you to departing faculty members
Judy Fudge, Toni Williams and Iain Ramsay, all of whom have accepted senior academic appointments at
other universities. While we regret their departure, this is a reflection of the stature and international
reputation of members of the Osgoode faculty.
Yours very truly,
Patrick J. Monahan, Dean