Obiter Dicta Issue 8 - January 6, 2014 | Page 4

PAGE 4 news Returning to Osgoode, 35 years later DAVID LEPOFSKY Contributor cases at the Human Rights Tribunal. I secured orders requiring TTC to audibly In 1979, I left Osgoode Hall Law announce all subway and bus stops, so School, law degree in hand, excited that blind people like me can know when and anxious about an uncharted career we’ve reached our stop. I’ve learned what ahead. Thirty f ive years later, I am back it’s like to have a case named after you, at Osgoode, honoured to be selected as a and to endure a long day being crossRoy McMurtry Clinical Fellow. examined. From January 13 to February 7, I will It is an incredible honour to take a be at Osgoode full time, eager to add solid month out of my law practice, to to your legal education, and to learn as sp end w it h Osgoode ’s much as I can. I want students and faculty, to to meet as many of you teach and learn. To do so as possible, to deliver in the capacity of a felas many law lectures as lowship named in honour time permits, and to toss of the indefatigable Roy around ideas on your McMurtry, for whom I legal education, future have such huge respect, ca reers, a nd the law makes it even better. itself. Please feel free to Have you contemplated introduce yourself and the possibility of a career to chat, in my Osgoode in the public service at of f ice (Room 3048) or any level? I’m delighted around the school. to tell you what it’s like. C ont ra r y to p opu Thought about dedicating lar myth, we blind folks all or part of your prod o n ’t r e c o g n i z e a l l fessional time to social voices we’ve ever heard. justice causes? There’s I encourage you to just lots we could discuss. If identify yourself. You you are wrestling with can easily pick me out in DAVID LEPOFSKY STANDS IN FRONT OF A T TC BUS. HE WAS an interesting problem a crowd, white cane in RESPONSIBLE FOR AN ORDER REQUIRING ALL T TC VEHICLES TO in constitutional, crimihand. AUDIBLY ANNOUNCE STOPS, AND IS NOW A ROY MCMURTRY nal or administrative law, S o why ret u r n to VISITING FELLOW AT OSGOODE. disability rights or human Osgoode? For three rights, and want to toss decades I have been a around ideas, that’s what public sector litigator, at all levels of my career. For over three decades, I have I’m here for. If you just want to learn court and before diverse administrative enjoyed many volunteer hours engagmore about being a litigator (and espetribunals. I have appeared some 30 times ing in an activity for which law school cially in appellate forums), swing by. in the Supreme Court. didn’t prepare me - - community orgaSince 1982, I have held three succes- nizing and community advocacy for the David Lepofsky, CM, O.Ont , LL.B. sive jobs in Ontario’s Ministry of the rights of people with disabilities. I was (Osgoode), LL .M. (Har vard), LL .D. Attorney General. From 1982 to 1987, one of many who successfully fought, 33 (Hon.) (Queens, Western) is a Roy McMurI cut my teeth in civil and administra- years ago, to win protection for persons try Clinical Fellow at Osgoode. He invites tive law litigation in the Crown Law with disabilities in the Charter of Rights you to drop by his office if you want to know Off ice Civil. I also got my feet wet in and the Ontario Human Rights Code. what lectures he’s lined up to deliver while some of the earliest Charter litigation. From 1994 to 2005, I led the non-paron campus. Feel free to follow him on TwitThen, from 1988 to 1993, I concentrated tisan community coalition that won the ter if you’re into that: @davidlepofsky. on constitutional litigation, as counsel enactment of the Accessibility for Ontarin the Ministry’s Constitutional Law ians with Disabilities Act, a law requirBranch. ing Ontario to become fully accessible Then came the time for a big change, to person 2v