Mewett Teaching Award

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

rahul.kalvapalle — Fri, 12 Jul 2024 21:16:48 +0000

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

rahul.kalvapalle Fri, 07/12/2024 - 17:16

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

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Martha Shaffer (supplied image)

Martha Shaffer, a professor in the Faculty of Law, has been recognized with the Alan Mewett Award for Excellence in Teaching for the second time in four years.

The annual award is given to a faculty member who exhibits excellence in teaching – as selected by members of the graduating class – at the post-convocation ceremony.

Shaffer, who previously received the honour in 2021, was chosen by the Class of 2024 for her efforts to foster a caring and inclusive learning environment. She is credited with being committed to ensuring students grasped complex legal concepts and encouraging them throughout their law school journey.

Widely regarded as an inspired and dedicated instructor, Shaffer teaches criminal law, evidence law and legal methods, and has taught family law as well as courses on cultural diversity and gender issues. She writes in the areas of family and criminal law, with a focus on gender, violence against women and the use of social science evidence to inform legal reasoning. She holds law degrees from Harvard University and �鶹��Ƶ.

“Thank you, Class of 2024, for honouring me with the Mewett Award and with the opportunity to say a few words of hail and farewell as you leave the law faculty,” Shaffer said.

“You are a remarkable group of people: smart, talented, caring and engaged. It has been a privilege to have gotten to know you during your time at �鶹��Ƶ.”

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Catherine Valcke receives Mewett Teaching Award

siddiq22 — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 15:12:27 +0000

Catherine Valcke receives Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

siddiq22 Tue, 07/11/2023 - 11:12

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

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Catherine Valcke (supplied image)

The Faculty of Law’s Class of 2023 has recognized Professor Catherine Valcke with the Mewett Teaching Award, presented annually to a faculty member for excellence in teaching.

Valcke previously served as the faculty’s associate dean (first-year program) from 1997 to 2000. She holds a bachelor of civil law from the University of Sherbrooke as well as a bachelor of laws (common law) from �鶹��Ƶ, a master of laws from the University of Chicago and a doctor of juridical science from Columbia University.

Valcke writes and teaches in the areas of contract law, the civil law of obligations, comparative contract law and transnational legal theory.

“I have long felt that inspiring just a few students every year would be enough to keep me going. To receive the Mewett Teaching Award from the entire class of 2023 thus moves me more than words can say,” Valcke said.

“It is the most meaningful honour I have received in my 30-year career — especially coming from such an exceptionally talented and committed bunch [of students]. The world stands to gain enormously from your care and leadership.”

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Ian Lee receives Mewett Teaching Award

lanthierj — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:16:07 +0000

Ian Lee receives Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

lanthierj Thu, 08/04/2022 - 11:16

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

landscape

The University of Toronto Faculty of Law Class of 2022 has recognized Associate Professor Ian Lee with the Mewett Teaching Award, presented annually to a faculty member for excellence in teaching.

Lee’s teaching and research interests are in the areas of constitutional law, corporate law and European Union law. He practised with Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in Paris and New York before joining the Faculty of Law in 2003. He served as the associate dean of the Juris Doctor (JD) program from 2012 to 2015. He holds commerce and law degrees from �鶹��Ƶ and a master’s degree from Harvard Law School.

“Thank you to the Class of 2022 for honouring me with the Mewett Award,” Lee said. “It has been a privilege to accompany so many of you on your journey toward becoming lawyers. I learned from, and was inspired by you, every day.

“With your integrity, commitment to justice and legal skills, you are well equipped to make important contributions to the legal profession and to society."

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Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

lanthierj — Thu, 08 Jul 2021 15:37:17 +0000

Martha Shaffer receives Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

lanthierj Thu, 07/08/2021 - 11:37

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

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The University of Toronto Faculty of Law Class of 2021 has given Professor Martha Shaffer the Mewett Teaching Award, presented annually to a faculty member for excellence in teaching.

Shaffer was also chosen to deliver the send-off speech to the class – an honour she has held several times.

The graduating class recognized Shaffer for her welcoming teaching style, her clarity and commitment to ensuring students understood her lessons, and the empathy she showed students during the pandemic.

Widely regarded as a passionate instructor, Shaffer teaches criminal law, evidence law and legal methods, and has taught family law as well as courses on cultural diversity and gender issues. She writes in the areas of family and criminal law, with a focus on gender, violence against women, and on the use of social science evidence to inform legal reasoning. She holds law degrees from Harvard and �鶹��Ƶ.

“Thank you, Class of 2021, for honouring me with the Mewett Award and with the opportunity to say a few words of hail and farewell as you leave the Law Faculty,” Shaffer said.

“As some of my colleagues and I often say, the best part of teaching at �鶹��Ƶ Law is interacting with our students. You are a remarkable group of people: smart, talented, caring and engaged. It has been a privilege and an honour to have gotten to know you – in person and virtually – during your time at �鶹��Ƶ.”

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Law's class of 2020 honours Professor Yasmin Dawood with Mewett Teaching Award

s.anderson — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 19:16:28 +0000

Law's class of 2020 honours Professor Yasmin Dawood with Mewett Teaching Award

Teaching

s.anderson Thu, 07/02/2020 - 15:16

Faculty

St. George

Faculty of Law

Mewett Teaching Award

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The Faculty of Law’s class of 2020 has selected Professor Yasmin Dawood to receive the Mewett Teaching Award, presented to a faculty member for excellence in teaching.

The graduating class recognized Dawood for the kindness and dedication she has shown students both inside and outside the classroom. “Professor Dawood has a special ability to encourage students to explore issues from different perspectives, cultivating both academic curiosity and empathy for others,” said Sukhmani Virdi, the Student Law Society's outgoing chief returning officer.

An associate professor in the Faculty of Law, Dawood is the Canada Research Chair in Democracy, Constitutionalism and Electoral Law. She is cross-appointed to the department of political science. She specializes in election law, comparative constitutional law and democratic theory. Her scholarship is broadly concerned with improving electoral fairness and democratic governance.

“Thank you so much to everyone in the Class of 2020 for this tremendous honour,” said Dawood. “It is a joy and an absolute privilege to teach and mentor the extraordinary students at the Faculty of Law. They are insightful, smart, compassionate, and supremely talented.

“The world will benefit immensely from their remarkable leadership and legal skills.”

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