What attracted me to Osgoode when I enrolled here as a first-year law student in 1977, and again when I returned to the School as a faculty member in 1982, was Osgoode’s commitment to excellence, coupled with its leadership role in Canadian legal education.

Established in 1889 and now the largest common-law law school in the nation and also one of the oldest, Osgoode has always stood in the front rank of Canadian law schools. Our full-time faculty is the strongest in the country with internationally recognized scholars in a wide variety of fields. Our adjunct faculty is also second to none, drawing as we do from the many fine practitioners of the Toronto Bar. We have an incredibly rich academic program, unparalleled in Canada, that spans the spectrum in terms of range, coverage and diversity of perspectives.

Of course, it’s not only the faculty and academic program that distinguish a great law school; it’s also the students. At Osgoode, our admissions standards are very high. We receive well over 2,000 applications to our three-year LLB Program every year and we have only 290 first-year places. So we choose the best. And the best includes a student body that reflects the diversity in our society including women – who have outnumbered male students in recent years – visible minorities, aboriginal persons and disabled persons.

In addition to our LLB Program, we are proud to have the largest and most ambitious Graduate Program in Law in Canada. We also have an equally outstanding Professional Development Program for practising lawyers and other professionals.

I did not know what path my career would follow when I embarked on my legal education at Osgoode, but what I wanted most was exposure to multiple perspectives on the role and the possibilities of law. I found that in the depth and breadth of Osgoode’s teaching and research and the critical thinking that faculty and students brought to bear upon the study of law.

The Osgoode community has always maintained a common belief in the essential role of law in society. We aspire to promote the common good by providing broad-ranging, rigorous and comprehensive education to prepare the next generation of leaders for legal careers and careers in other professions.

If the accomplishments of our 14,000 alumni are any indication, we are achieving our mission.

As a student, faculty member, Associate Dean and now Dean of this great public institution, I can attest to the fact that Osgoode’s particular blend of pluralism, innovation and excellence in legal education and legal scholarship created exciting and challenging opportunities for me that have shaped my life and career. I know that the same will be true for today’s Osgoode students, the legal community’s leaders of tomorrow.

Patrick J. Monahan
Dean