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Laura Legge ’48 (1923-2010)
Laura Legge was the first woman to be elected as a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada and went on to become its first female Treasurer. A strong advocate for the traditional rights and duties of the legal profession, Legge led several legal and community services. She was also a role model and mentor to many young female lawyers. During her lifetime, Legge received several awards, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the Law Society and the Alumni Award of Excellence from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1997. In 2007, the Law Society created the Laura Legge Award to honour her many contributions to the profession. It is awarded to women who exemplify leadership in the profession.
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The Honourable George E. Carter ’48 (1921- )
George Carter is the first black judge born in Canada. The first of 14 children, Carter grew up in Toronto, where he attended Orde Street Public School and Harbord Collegiate Institute, where he graduated at the top of his class. In 1944, he received his BA from Trinity College at the University of Toronto and, in the same year, enlisted in the Canadian army. After his military service, Carter enrolled at Osgoode to pursue his dream of a legal career. Graduating in 1948, Carter articled with B. J. Spencer Pitt, the only black lawyer practising in Ontario, then went to work for Sydney Harris ‘42, a Jewish Canadian. At the time, no other firm would accept black law students for training and Pitt, Harris and Carter were pioneers in opening doors for black lawyers. In 1980, Carter was appointed to the bench. As a judge, he was instrumental in establishing legal aid services and informing the Adoption of Coloured Children agency.
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1947 - Hanging from the Rafters
Enrolment at the law school swells to over 700 students, as returning veterans take advantage of the benefits offered by the Veteran’s Rehabilitation Act to receive a post-secondary education. Due to overcrowding, students are moved to the Metropolitan Church House at Bond and Shuter Street.
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1945 - Small Class Sizes
Enrolment in the Law School dips to 450 students. Sidney Smith, a former law school lecturer and friend of Caesar Wright, returns to Ontario as the President of the University of Toronto. He tells a University of Toronto committee on legal education that he intends for “…the law school at Osgoode Hall should be absorbed.” The first-year law class 1944.
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Kew Dock Yip ’45 (1906-2001)
Kew Dock Yip was Canada’s first Chinese Canadian lawyer. Born in 1906, he was the 17th of 23 children of Vancouver businessman Yip Sang. After graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1945, Dock Yip, as he was known, worked with Jewish civil rights lawyer Irving Himel and activists from across Canada to repeal the Chinese Exclusion Act. Dock Yip was a leader within Toronto’s Chinese Canadian community, working out of his office in Chinatown for 47 years until his retirement in 1992. In 1998, he was awarded the Law Society Medal from the Law Society of Upper Canada.
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