Law Times - Newsmakers

6 December 2014 top newsmakers doUGLas JUdson, a law student at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, already boasts quite an extensive resume. Before beginning his law degree, Judson received degrees in political science and commerce from the University of Ottawa. He studied at Lakehead University, the London School of Economics, Monash University in Prato, Italy, and the Hebrew University of Jeru- salem before landing at Osgoode and Schulich. But he has also quickly made his mark as he embarks on a legal career. He made a big splash as head of the new Law Students Society of Ontario, an organi- zation formed in April of this year in an effort to create a unified voice on issues affecting Ontario's law students. "We felt there was a voice missing at that table," he says of the impetus to get the long-standing project off the ground this year. "We talk about the greying of the bar and other demographic trends, and I think stu- dents were looking for somewhere to point, to say they had a unified voice to speak on some of these issues and certainly we've been able to get some attention to make a few waves on some of these problems." Judson has also held a number of leadership roles in the stu- dent, professional, and lesbian and gay communities. Among his roles are serving as an executive member of the sexual orientation and gender identity law section of the Ontario Bar Association, a member of the board of Out On Bay Street, and a member of the Osgoode Legal and Literary Society. He was also vice president of Osgoode's student government and is active in OUTlaws. "I started law school after working in federal politics for a Liberal MP for a while and then worked in a bureaucracy and having left school to work in a professional capacity before, I have an appreciation for how much freedom you really have to make an impact while you're a student," says Judson of his passion for activism. Most recently, OUTlaws chapters at Osgoode, the Uni- versity of Toronto, Queen's University, and the University of Windsor announced their intentions to intervene in the judicial review Trinity Western University has launched against the Law Society of Upper Canada over the denial of accreditation for the Christian-focused law school because of a community covenant decried as discriminatory towards the gay community. OUTlaws has also written to British Columbia Minister of Advanced Education Amrik Virk asking him to reverse his ministry's conditional approval of Trinity Western law degrees in the wake of the Law Society of British Columbia's move to rescind its approval on Oct. 31. Judson, an outspoken advocate for law students and the gay commu- nity, said the groups look forward to an "equality-minded resolution of the dispute." He notes his sense of equality is what prompted him to wade into the Trinity Western University issue. "For me, it just strikes at the core of that," he says. "If we want these institutions to be legiti- mate, they have to be there for everyone." At the moment, Judson says he's just trying to get through to the end of December and notes he'll be articling at McCarthy Tétrault LLP next year. "I'm pretty excited to be able to hit the ground running in a real professional capacity and not just a student capac- ity," he says. By mallory hendry Student leader making his mark doug Judson , a law student at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Schulich School of Business, already Before beginning his law degree, Judson received degrees in political science and commerce from the University of Ottawa. He studied at Lakehead University, the London School of Economics, Monash University in Prato, Italy, and the Hebrew University of Jeru- salem before landing at Osgoode and But he has also quickly made his mark as he embarks on a legal career. He made a big splash as head of the new Law Students Society of Ontario, an organi- zation formed in April of this year in an effort to create a unified voice on issues affecting Ontario's law students. "We felt there was a voice missing at that table," he says of the impetus to get the long-standing "We talk about the greying of the bar and other demographic trends, and I think stu- dents were looking for somewhere to point, to say they had a unified voice to speak on some of these issues and certainly we've been able to get some attention to make a few waves on some Osgoode's student government and is active in OUTlaws. "I started law school after working in federal politics for a Liberal MP for a while and then worked in a bureaucracy and having left school to work in a professional capacity before, I have an appreciation for how much freedom you really have to make an impact while you're a student," says Judson of his passion for activism. Most recently, OUTlaws chapters at Osgoode, the Uni- versity of Toronto, Queen's University, and the University of Windsor announced their intentions to intervene in the judicial review Trinity Western University has launched against the Law Society of Upper Canada over the denial of accreditation for the Christian-focused law school because of a community covenant decried as discriminatory towards the gay community. OUTlaws has also written to British Columbia Minister of Advanced Education Amrik Virk asking him to reverse his ministry's conditional approval of Trinity Western law degrees in the wake of the Law him to wade into the Trinity Western University issue. "For me, it just strikes at the core of that," he says. "If we want these institutions to be legiti- mate, they have to be there for everyone." get through to the end of December and notes he'll be articling at McCarthy Tétrault LLP next year. "I'm pretty excited to be able to hit the ground running in a real professional capacity and not just a student capac- ity," he says. making his Doug Judson made a splash as head of the Law Students Society of Ontario. What do your clients need? The means to move on. Guaranteed. ™ Contact us at 1 800 387 1686 or baxterstruc tures.com Kyla A. Baxter, CSSC PRESIDENT, BAXTER STRUCTURES Untitled-4 1 13-11-18 7:09 PM

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