Legal education in crisis: healing and humanizing Canadian law schools /

Western law schools are suffering from an identity and moral crisis. Many of the legal profession's problems can be traced to the law school environment, where students are taught to reason and practice in ways that are often at odds with their own personalities and values and even with generally accepted psychologically healthy practices. The idealism, ethic of care, and personal moral compasses of many students become eroded and even lost in the present legal education system. Formalism, rationalism, elitism, and big business values have become paramount. In such a moment of historical crisis, there exists the opportunity to create a new legal education story. This paper is a conceptual study of both my own Canadian legal education and the general legal education experience. It examines core problems and critiques of the existing Western legal education organizational and pedagogical paradigm to which Canadian law schools adhere. New approaches with the potential to enrich, humanize, and heal the Canadian law school experience are explored. Ultimately, the paper proposes a legal education system that is more interdisciplinary, theoretically and practically integrated, emotionally intelligent, technologically connected, morally accountable, spiritual, and humane. Specific pedagogical and curricular strategies are suggested, and recommendations for the future are offered. The dehumanizing aspects of the law school experience in Canada have rarely been studied. It is hoped that this thesis will fill a gap in the research and provide some insight into an issue that is of both academic and public importance, since the well-being of law students and lawyers affects the interests of their clients, the general public, and the integrity and future of the entire legal system.

Buddhism and the earth : environmental thought in early Buddhist philosophy

Introduction Fundamental to the philosophy of Buddhism, is the insight that there is "unsatisfactohness" (dukkha) in the world and that it can be eliminated through the practice of the Noble Eight Fold Path. Buddhism also maintains that the world as we experience and entities that exist are bereft of any substantiality. Instead existence is manifest through dependent origination. All things are conditional; nothing is permanent. However, inherent in this dependent existence is the interconnectedness of all beings and their subjection to the cosmic law of karma. Part of cultivating the Eight Fold path includes a deep compassion for all other living things, 'trapped' within this cycle of dependent origination. This compassion or empathy (karuna) is crucial to the Buddhist path to enlightenment. It is this emphasis on karuna that shows itself in Mahayana Buddhism with respect to the theory of the boddhisatva (or Buddha-to-be) since the boddhisatva willingly postpones his/her own enlightenment to help others on the same path. One of the ramifications of the theory of dependent origination is that there is no anthropocentric bias placed on humans over the natural world. Paradoxically the doctrine of non-self becomes an ontology within Buddhism, culminating in the Mayahana realization that a common boundary exists between samsara and nirvana. Essential to this ontology is the life of dharma or a moral life. Ethics is not separated from ontology. As my thesis will show, this basic outlook of Buddhism has implications toward our understanding of the Buddhist world-view with respect to the current human predicament concerning the environment. While humans are the only ones who can 4 attain "Buddhahood", it is because of our ability to understand what it means to follow the Eight fold path and act accordingly. Because of the interconnectedness of all entities {dharmas), there is an ontological necessity to eliminate suffering and 'save the earth' because if we allow the earth to suffer, we ALL suffer. This can be understood as an ethical outlook which can be applied to our interaction with and treatment of the natural environment or environment in the broadest sense, not just trees plants rocks etc. It is an approach to samsara and all within it. It has been argued that there is no ontology in Buddhism due to its doctrine of "non-self". However, it is a goal of this thesis to argue that there does exist an original ontology in Buddhism; that according to it, the nature of Being is essentially neither "Being nor non-being nor not non-being" as illustrated by Nagarjuna. Within this ontology is engrained an ethic or 'right path' (samma marga) that is fundamental to our being and this includes a compassionate relationship to our environment. In this dissertation I endeavour to trace the implications that the Buddhist worldview has for the environmental issues that assail us in our age of technology. I will explore questions such as: can the Buddhist way of thinking help us comprehend and possibly resolve the environmental problems of our day and age? Are there any current environmental theories which are comparable to or share common ground with the classical Buddhist doctrines? I will elucidate some fundamental doctrines of early Buddhism from an environmental perspective as well as identify some comparable modern environmental theories such as deep ecology and general systems theory, that seem to share in the wisdom of classical Buddhism and have much to gain from a deeper appreciation of Buddhism.

The impact of tobacco control policies on university students' smoking in Ontario

Objective. Despite steady declines in the prevalence of tobacco use among Canadians, young adult tobacco use has remained stubbornly high over the past two decades (CTUMS, 2005a). Currently in Ontario, young adults have the highest proportion of smokers of all age cohorts at 26%. A growing body of evidence shows that smoking restrictions and other tobacco control policies can reduce tobacco use and consumption among adults and deter initiation among youth; whether young adult university students' smoking participation is influenced by community smoking restrictions, campus tobacco control policies or both remains an empirical question. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship among current smoking status of students on university campuses across Ontario and various tobacco control policies, 3including clean air bylaws of students' home towns, clean air by-laws of the community where the university is situated, and campus policies. Methods. Two data sets were used. The 200512006 Tobacco Use in a Representative Sample of Post-Secondary Students data set provides information about the tobacco use of 10,600 students from 23 universities and colleges across Ontario. Data screening for this study reduced the sample to 5,114 17-to-24 year old undergraduate students from nine universities. The second data set is researcher-generated and includes information about strength and duration of, and students' exposure to home town, local and campus tobacco control policies. Municipal by-laws (of students' home towns and university towns) were categorized as weak, moderate or strong based on criteria set out in the Ontario Municipal By-law Report; campus policies were categorized in a roughly parallel fashion. Durations of municipal and campus policies were calculated; and length of students' exposure to the policies was estimated (all in months). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between students' current smoking status (daily, less-than-daily, never-smokers) and the following policy measures: strength of, duration of, and students' exposure to campus policy; strength of, duration of, and students' exposure to the by-law in the university town; and, strength of, duration of, and students' exposure to the by-law in the home town they grew up in. Sociodemographic variables were controlled for. Results. Among the Ontario university students surveyed, 7.0% currently use tobacco daily and 15.4% use tobacco less-than-daily. The proportions of students experiencing strong tobacco control policies in their home town, the community in which their university is located and at their current university were 33.9%,64.1 %, and 31.3% respectively. However, 13.7% of students attended a university that had a weak campus policy. Multinomial logistic regressions suggested current smoking status was associated with university town by-law strength, home town by-law strength and the strength of the campus tobacco control policy. In the fmal model, after controlling for sociodemographic factors, a strong by-law in the university town and a strong by-law in students' home town were associated with reduced odds of being both a less-than-daily (OR = 0.64, 95%CI: 0.48-0.86; OR = 0.80, 95%CI: 0.66-0.95) and daily smoker (OR = 0.59, 95%CI: 0.39-0.89; OR = 0.76, 95%CI: 0.58-0.99), while a weak campus tobacco control policy was associated with higher odds of being a daily smoker (OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.31-3.30) (but unrelated to less-than-daily smoking). Longer exposure to the municipal by-law (OR = 0.93; 95%CI: 0.90-0.96) was also related to smoking status. Conclusions. Students' smoking prevalence was associated with the strength of the restrictions in university, and with campus-specific tobacco control policies. Lessthan- daily smoking was not as strongly associated with policy measures as daily smoking was. University campuses may wish to adopt more progressive campus policies and support clean air restrictions in the broader community. More research is needed to determine the direction of influence between tobacco control policies and students' smoking.

Barnes Wines, LImited By-Law no. 81

The by-law reads: "A by-law to amend by-law no. 79 of the company by restricting the distribution of monies set aside for profit sharing to officers and employees regularly employed at the company's plant. Be it therefore enacted as a by-law of Barnes Wines, Limited as follows: That Schedule 'A' to By-Law no. 79 of the Company enacted on the 2nd day of February, 1953, be and the same is hereby amended by adding after the word "Company" in the last line of paragraph I thereof, the following: 'regularly employed at the Company's plant,' Enacted this 9th day of February, 1966. Witness the Corporate Seal of the Company. Unanimously confirmed by all the Shareholders of the Company at a Special General Meeting of the Shareholders of the Company held on the 21st day of February, 1966."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 84

The By-Law reads: "A By-Law to change the Qualification of a director of the Corporation. Be it enacted and is hereby enacted as a By-law of Barnes Wines, Limited that: - Whereas it is deemed expedient to change the qualifications of a Director of the Corporation; Be it therefore enacted as a By-law of Barnes Wines, Limited, as follows: That By-law no. 75 of the Corporation be and the same is hereby amended by striking out Paragraph 4 thereof. Enacted this 9th day of April, 1973. Witness the Corporate seal of the Corporation."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 80

The by-law reads: "A by-law to change the date for the holding of the annual meeting. Whereas it is deemed expedient to change the date for the holding of the Annual Meeting of the Company; Be it therefore enacted as a By-law of Barnes Wines, Limited as follows: That By-law No. 75 of the Company be and the same is hereby amended by striking out paragraph 24 thereof and enacting in the place or stead thereof the following: "24. Annual Meeting - The Annual Meeting of the Share-holders shall be held at the Head Office of the Company or elsewhere in Ontario on the first Monday in March in each year or on such other day as the Directors may be resolution determine."

By-Law No. 56

The by-law reads: "Be it enacted as a By-Law of the Ontario Grape Growing & Wine Manufacturing Company Limited that the Directors be and they are hereby authorized to make application to the lieutenant-Governor of the Province of Ontario, for issuance of Supplementary letters Patent providing for, 1) Changing the name of the said Company to Barnes Wines, Limited. 2) The Management of the affairs of the Company by a Board of 7 Directors. 3) Re-dividing the Capitol Stock of the Company from 60 shares of par value of $500.00 each, to 6000 shares of par value of $5.00 each. Passed this 5th day of February A.D. 1934."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 72

The By-Law reads: "Whereas it is deemed expedient to vary the manner of the payment of dividends to Shareholders of the Company and consequently necessary to repeal By-Law No. 64 of the Company. Now therefore be it enacted and it is hereby enacted as a By-Law of the Company: 1. That By-Law No. 64 of the Company, passed the 25th day of January, 1941, be and the same is hereby repealed."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-law No. 73

The By-Law summary reads: "A By-Law to authorize payments to certain employees in lieu of benefits provided for other employees under a retirement plan."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 74

The summary of the By-Law reads: "A By-Law to provide for participation in profits by employees of the company."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 76

The summary of the By-Law reads: "A By-Law to provide for participation in profits of Barnes Wines, Limited for the fiscal year 1949, by employees of the Company."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 77

The summary of the By-Law reads: "A By-Law to authorize an application for supplementary letters patent to alter the authorized capital by reducing the same in respect of the preference shares, cancelled and retired, and increasing the capital by the creation of additional preference shares."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 78

The summary of the By-Law reads: "A By-Law to authorize the setting aside of certain monies annually out of the net profits of the Company before payment of dominion and provincial income taxes and provincial corporation tax to be paid to a trustee for distribution to the employees and officers of the Company and to authorize the execution of an agreement with a trustee to effect such purpose."

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 83

The By-Law is titled "Respecting the borrowing of money by the Corporation".

Barnes Wines, Limited By-Law No. 85

The By-Law is titled "Being a By-Law authorizing borrowing and giving security".