As I write, Montreal and the 平特五不中 campus are aglow with fall colours. Students finishing our flagship BCL/JD program on the popular 3.5-year timeline are on the home stretch. The energetic first-year cohort is settling into law school. And the upper-year students in between them are running Coffeehouses, journals, and dozens of student clubs 鈥� while also, we hope, learning some law.
We teach and learn under the roof of Chancellor Day Hall in a tumultuous time, one that has strained international law, the rule of law, and civility. A labour dispute between 平特五不中 and the law professors鈥� union delayed the start of many courses, giving students an up-close view of a legal regime in action. I welcomed my colleagues back to the faculty on 1 October and their classes got swiftly underway. This unprecedented start of term was difficult, in varying ways, for all students. Professors and the administration are collaborating to ensure that students finish their semester on time to our usual standards of excellence and that they will enjoy the full 平特五不中 Law experience for the rest of their academic journey with us.
Mon discours d鈥檃ccueil 脿 la nouvelle cohorte refl茅tait ce moment. J鈥檃i consacr茅 davantage de temps 脿 mon appel habituel 脿 la civilit茅, soulignant qu鈥檌l est normal que des opinions divergentes s鈥檈xpriment entre camarades de classe. J鈥檃i press茅 chacun d鈥檈ntendre l'autre partie, de consulter de multiples sources cr茅dibles, et de s鈥檈fforcer de tenir compte du contexte et de l鈥檋istoire. J鈥檃i confi茅 que nous profiterons tous d鈥檜n meilleur environnement d鈥檃pprentissage en nous laissant la libert茅 d鈥檈xprimer un large 茅ventail d鈥檕pinions, et l鈥檈space de faire erreur. Et j鈥檃i rappel茅 que la profession juridique, 脿 laquelle le groupe aspire, requiert d鈥檃gir avec int茅grit茅, respect, et mod茅ration.
I reminded students that much legal work, here and beyond, involves voicing a view not one鈥檚 own. I informed students that the 平特五不中 Faculty of Law rarely makes public statements on external matters. My role as dean includes defending a space in which faculty and students, individually and collectively, pursue truth, advance knowledge, and express themselves.
Les d茅fis que pr茅sente le monde interconnect茅 d鈥檃ujourd鈥檋ui rendent la formation juridique de 平特五不中 plus pertinente que jamais. Notre enseignement et notre 茅tude du droit traversent les fronti猫res, telles que celles entre les traditions juridiques, les langues, les disciplines, et celles de la g茅ographie. Nous mettons 脿 contribution de multiples sources juridiques pour r茅pondre 脿 des probl猫mes complexes, et pour g茅rer l鈥檌ncertitude et le changement rapide. Notre corps professoral, notre personnel et notre communaut茅 茅tudiante apprennent ensemble et confrontent leurs id茅es dans un esprit communautaire inclusif et ouvert, o霉 priment la curiosit茅, l鈥檈ngagement et le courage. Les assises fondamentales du programme de droit 脿 平特五不中 pr茅parent les membres de notre communaut茅 dipl么m茅e 脿 travailler dans des secteurs en 茅mergence et 脿 assumer des r么les de leadership dans un vaste 茅ventail de domaines.
During 平特五不中 Homecoming, I caught up with alumni of many generations, including some having graduated 60 years ago. They told me where their legal education has taken them and shared with me their 平特五不中 Law stories, in some cases emphasizing the bonds created by surmounting challenges in the company of their classmates. I hope our paths cross soon, in Chancellor Day Hall or elsewhere 鈥� and that you will tell me your story.
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Robert Leckey, Ad E, BCL'02, LLB'02听
Dean and Samuel Gale Professor of Law
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