2025: The stories that defined our year

We hosted a panel to discuss the decision by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in The King v. McLeod et al., the sexual assault trial involving five former Hockey Canada World Junior players. The case raised significant questions about consent, credibility, institutional responsibility, and how sexual assault cases are adjudicated in the Canadian legal system.

The first Indigenous Chief Justice of British Columbia, Leonard Marchand, delivered the annual Feeney Lecture, named after the founding dean of the Common Law Section, Thomas Feeney. He said the justice system has taken “important strides” to becoming more responsive to the needs of Indigenous people “but there is still a long way to go.”

A new initiative at the Faculty of Law, the Indigenous Lands and Consultation Hub, brings together legal education and Indigenous knowledge in the spirit of reciprocity. The Hub connects law students with Indigenous Nations to co-develop practical tools, policy resources, and learning opportunities that support self-determination and capacity-building.

When Annina Trecroce stepped up to the podium as the 2025 Class Speaker at the Faculty of Law’s convocation ceremony, she offered her story with honesty, humility, and heart. “I never could have imagined sharing this story with anyone—let alone a room of 800 people,” she told the assembly of graduates, family and friends. Her message was clear: perseverance isn’t about perfection; it’s about showing up, owning your journey, and extending grace to yourself and others along the way.

In October, we had the privilege of hosting the 2025 Honour Society Inductees’ celebration. We were thrilled and proud to pay tribute to the 2025 Inductees: Sandra Barton, The Honourable Gabrielle St-Hilaire, and Nicholas Hersh. The inductees were joined by their friends, family, colleagues, as well as faculty members. It was a beautiful and moving celebration of three inspiring alumni.

For more than fifteen years, Professor Joseph Eliot Magnet has quietly dedicated himself to one of the world’s most vulnerable and overlooked communities - the Afar people of the Horn of Africa. Professor Magnet was recently celebrated by Samara University in Ethiopia, though he insists that the true reward lies in the progress made. “My real satisfaction comes from having made progress with the cause of the Afar people,” he says. In a region marked by instability — where the tension between Ethiopia and Eritrea continues to threaten the fragile peace of the Horn of Africa — his work stands as a testament to what one individual can do when compassion meets conviction.

Meet our Law School Sweethearts! To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we shared alumni law school love stories.