Osgoode Hall Law School hosted legal scholars, judges, and institutional leaders from around the world on November 8 for the Advancing the Rule of Law: A Global Academic Partnership Conference, a first-of-its-kind initiative aimed at strengthening democratic institutions amid growing global challenges.
The event marked the first in-person meeting of the Rule of Law Global Academic Partnership, a non-partisan network now involving more than 150 law schools worldwide. Held at Osgoode Professional Development, Osgoode’s downtown Toronto campus, and livestreamed globally, the conference brought together deans, senior academics, judges and organizational leaders to explore strategies for strengthening judicial independence, civic and legal education, academic freedom, and due process.
“This inaugural conference demonstrated the tremendous potential of global academic collaboration to promote justice and strengthen democratic institutions,” said Osgoode Dean Trevor Farrow. “At a time when the rule of law is being tested by polarization and misinformation, it is more important than ever for legal educators and institutions to take a collaborative leadership role in addressing these most fundamental challenges.
Keynote Speakers: Chief Justice Tulloch and Deputy Minister Curtis-Micallef
The conference featured keynote addresses from The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch (LLB ’89, LL.D ’23), Chief Justice of Ontario, and Shalene Curtis-Micallef (LLB ’95), Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, underscoring the critical role of legal educators and institutions in upholding democratic principles.
Chief Justice Tulloch emphasized the central role of law schools in safeguarding the rule of law:
“Law schools and legal educators stand at the very centre of our shared mission—strengthening the rule of law,” he said, praising Osgoode’s “intellectual courage” in examining the foundations of the legal order. “It remains the heart of the law school’s mission today, reflected in its scholarship, in its students’ public service, and in the way it continues to share conversations about justice and democracy across Canada.”
He also stressed the importance of judicial independence:
“You must explain that the separation of powers is not an obstacle to efficient government, but the safeguard against its excess… In Canada, as in every democracy, we are not guardians of power—we are guardians of principle… Let us cherish it. Let us protect it. And let us pass it on—stronger—to the next generation.”
Deputy Minister Curtis-Micallef highlighted the foundational role of the rule of law in building public trust:
“To preserve the rule of law, we all need to diligently enhance a whole-of-society understanding of what it is and its importance in sustaining a just and prosperous society.”
A Platform for Global Action
Plenary sessions and breakout discussions explored practical strategies for law schools and legal institutions to collaborate on research, teaching, and civic engagement.
Professor François Tanguay-Renaud, Osgoode’s Associate Dean (Research and Institutional Relations), described the conference as an important way for Osgoode and our faculty to demonstrate leadership in a truly collaborative way on this challenging and timely topic. “So many Osgoode faculty members work at the cutting-edge of issues related to the realization of the rule of law in these times of crisis and social reinvention”, he said. “Osgoode is a national and international leader in championing this ideal in the context of legal education, research, and policy making”.
Hari Osofsky, founding director of the partnership and former Dean of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, emphasized the focus on sustained action:
“Today is about where we go from here in moving forward meaningful action… We all agree on the importance and power of global partnership in protecting and advancing the rule of law.”
The conference was hosted by York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School in partnership with Lincoln Alexander School of Law, Queen’s Law, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Co-sponsors included the University of Washington School of Law, LSU Law, Association of American Law Schools, AccessLex Institute, Law School Admission Council (LSAC), Winkler Institute for Dispute Resolution, and Connected Minds CFREF.
As the partnership moves forward, Osgoode remains committed to global collaboration that strengthens democratic institutions and advances justice worldwide.
Learn more: https://www.yorku.ca/events/theroleoflawschools/