OPINION
Monday , September 28, 2015 9
The Definitive Ranking of the Deans of Osgoode
From Arthurs to Wright, where will your favourite Osgoode
dean rank?
henry limheng › staff writer
L
ook to your left, look to your right…”: the
classic go-to of any law dean’s welcome
add ress to t he i ncom i ng students.
Historically the saying would end, “one of
you won’t be here by the end of the year,” an attempt
to underline the cutthroat, competitive nature of
law school. That said, deans have adapted and varied
the line over the years. While giving the welcome
speech is an important part of a dean’s functions,
they do much more than that.
“Deans aren’t like Presidents of the United States,
they’re administrators. They don’t have that much
impact on the school,” remarked an Osgoode
administrative staff member to me while doing
research for this piece. Respectfully, deans are more
than just administrators: they are the spiritual
leader of the school, the public face of the faculty,
the introducer of events, and responsible for shepherding a generation of legal minds.
Motivated by Dean Sossin’s reappointment as
dean for a second term, it is worth looking back at
Osgoode’s past deans and reflecting on their tenures. Often respected intellectuals and leaders in
their area of expertise, comparing Osgoode’s deans
to one another seems like an impossible task. But
just as the bell curve must be applied to dubiously
rank students relative to one another, these decanal
rankings are no different.
Methodology
Only full-time deans of Osgoode were considered for this list, including the deans of the school
when it was located in downtown Toronto. Meaning
that the principals of the law school that existed
pre-1923, or any interim or acting deans, were not
included. Deans were judged on the dual and equally
weighted criteria of legacy to Osgoode and personal
awesomeness.
Honourable Mention: Lorne Sossin
Nickname: The Soss-boss
Term: 2010–present
“Look to your left, look to your right, you’ll be best
friends forever!”
It would be unfair to rank the current dean while
his term is still ongoing, so he’s being placed in the
honourable mention category. A wizard of administrative law, the affable and well-liked Dean Sossin
has worked hard to foster the image of Osgoode as
a friendly place. Some of his accomplishments so far
have been to expand the school’s international connections, the appointment of a wellness and health
coordinator, and the creation of the artist-in-residence program.
That said, Dean Sossin also faces a number of
challenges: high tuition and corresponding debt
levels, and the availability of articling positions, to
name a few. With a full term ahead of him, Dean
Sossin has lots of time to cement his place in
Osgoode dean history, perhaps taking a few lessons
from his predecessors.
12: Stanley Beck
Nickname: Dean Who?
Term: 1977–1982
“Look to you left, look to your right, one of you
might remember who I am.”
Someone has to be at the bottom of the curve, and
unfortunately for Dean Beck, he falls into that role.
Not because of any personal failing or terrible performance, but despite extensive research, I could not
find the remotest hint of Dean Beck doing anything
at Osgoode.
In any event, Dean Beck is an expert in corporat B