The Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) program at the Faculty of Law provides an opportunity for outstanding law graduates to pursue original academic research at the highest level. Below are profiles of a number of our current SJD students.
Roxana Banu
roxana.banu@mail.utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: Harmonization vs. Unification of Law: The Fate of Decisional Harmony in Private International Law.
Research Interests:
- Private and Public International Law
- Private Law Theory
- Legal and political avenues for the harmonization of law
- Formation and implementation of international treaties
- Comparative analysis of conflict-of-laws methodologies
Education:
- Fordham Law School, LLM in International Business and Trade Law, magna cum laude, 2010
- Freie Universitaet Berlin, LLB, 2009
Daniele Bertolini
daniele.bertolini@mail.toronto.ca
Thesis Title: The Economic Efficiency of the Lawmaking Processes
Research Interests:
- Economic analysis of legal institutions
- Public choice analysis of the political process
- Economics of private legal orderings
- Biases and heuristics in the lawmaking process
- Methodology of the economic analysis of law
Education:
- University of Illinois College of Law, LL.M. (with honors), 2011
- University of Bologna, Law School, LL.M. in Tax Law, 2004
- University of Bologna, Law School, Post Graduate Diploma in Legal Profession, 2003
- University of Pavia Law School, LL.B. cum laude, 2001
Amar Bhatia
Thesis Title: The Laws of the Land: Indigenous Legal Traditions, Canadian Immigration Law, and Belonging in Canada's Multiple Legal Orders
Research Interests:
- Immigration & refugee law and policy
- Indigenous legal traditions
- Migrant work
- Law & policy of work
- Legal theory
Lindsey Carson
lindseydcarson@gmail.com
Thesis Title: The Limitations and Possibilities of Domestic Laws on Foreign Corruption
Research Interests:
- Law and development
- Transnational economic crime
- Institutional theory
- Law, economics, and public policy
Education:
- University of Pennsylvania Law School, JD, 2009
- The London School of Economics and Political Science, MSc (Development Studies), 2006
- Duke University, BA (Public Policy Studies), 2001
Blake Chapman
Thesis Title: Paternalism in the Shadow of Rational Choice: The Unjustified Expansion of Public Health Law
Research Interests:
- Public health law
- Health law
- Legal Theory
- Decision theory & rational choice
- Game theory & the law
Education:
- University of Toronto, LLM
- Osgoode Hall Law School, JD
- University of Toronto, BSc (Hon.)
Y.Y. Brandon Chen
Thesis Title: International Migrants' Right to Health in the Era of Medical Tourism
Research Interests:
- Health law & policy
- Immigration & refugee law and policy
- Constitutional law
- International human rights law
Education:
- University of Toronto, JD, 2010
- University of Toronto, MSW, 2005
- Emory University, B.Sc., 2002
Eddie Clark
Thesis Title: Citizen Participation and Administrative Consultation
Research Interests:
- Administrative law
- Constitutional law
- Law and democracy
- Law and sexuality
- Infrastructure regulation
Education:
- University of Toronto, current SJD Candidate
- University of Toronto, LLM, 2008
- Victoria University of Wellington, BA/LLB (Hons), 2004
Hilary Evans Cameron
Thesis Title: Fear and Lies: Heuristics and Biases in Refugee Status Determination
Research Interests:
- Refugee status determination
- Credibility assessment
- Risk theory
- Autobiographical memory
Education
- McGill University, BA (Hons) (modern languages)
- Osgoode Hall Law School, LLB
Patrícia Galvão Ferreira
Thesis Title: Resource-Rich and Governance-Poor: Obstacles for Institutional Reform for Development
Research Interests:
- Law and development
- International law and political economy
- Human rights
Education:
- University of Notre Dame, LLM in International Human Rights Law, 1999
- Federal University of Bahia, BA, Law, 1994
Aman K. Gebru
amanabesha@gmail.com
Thesis Title: Commercialization of Intellectual Property Assets
Research Interests:
- Intellectual Property Licensing and Commercialization
- Intellectual Property and Development
- Copyright, Trademark and Trade secrets
- Technology Transfer
Education:
- University of Washington - LLM in Policies and Laws of Intellectual Property
- University of Warwick - Law, Globalization and Development
- Haramaya University - LLB in Law
Stuart Hargreaves
stuart.hargreaves@mail.utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: Relational Autonomy, Privacy, & Geo-Immersive Technologies
Research Interests:
- Privacy law
- Data protection law
- Cyberlaw
- Legal theory
- Constitutional law
Education:
- McGill (BA)
- Osgoode Hall (JD)
- Oxford University (BCL)
Gail Henderson
Thesis Title: A Fiduciary Duty to Future Generations?: Corporate Governance and Sustainable Development
Research Interests:
- Corporate governance
- Corporate law
- Environmental regulation
- Corporate social responsibility
- Socially responsible investing
Education:
- University of Toronto, Honours BA with High Distinction, 2001
- Osgoode Hall Law School, Gold Medalist, LLB, 2005
- University of Toronto, LLM, 2009
Megha Jandhyala
Thesis Title: Copyright Law, Cultural Diversity and Development
Research Interests:
- Copyright law
- International Intellectual Property Law
- International Trade Law
- Law and Development
Education:
- ILS Law College, University of Pune, India, Bachelor of Social Legal Sciences
- ILS Law College, University of Pune, India, LLB
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, LLM
- University of Michigan Law School, LLM
Kyle Kirkup
kyle.kirkup@yale.edu
Thesis Title: "Gender Identity, Sexuality, and Canadian Criminal Law"
Research Interests:
- Criminal law and procedure
- Sentencing
- Queer theory
- Law and sexuality
- Evidence
Education:
- Yale Law School, LL.M., 2012
- University of Ottawa, J.D., 2009
- Carleton University, B.Hum., 2006
Website: yale.academia.edu/KyleKirkup
Howard Kislowicz
Thesis Title: Religious Freedom and Canadian Identity
Research Interests:
- Religious freedom
- Multiculturalism
- Qualitative methods
- Constitutional law
- Administrative law
Education:
- University of Toronto, LLM
- McGill University, BCL, LLB
- McGill University, BA (Political Science)
Joanna Langille
joanna.langille@gmail.com
Thesis Title: Who Governs? Reconceptualizing Conflicts of Law as Conflicts of Governance
Research Interests:
- International trade law
- Conflicts of law
- Foreign affairs law
- Legal theory
Education:
- B.A. (Hons.), Joint Specialist in Philosophy and Political Science, University College, University of Toronto (2006)
- M.Phil, International Relations, Balliol College, University of Oxford (2008)
- J.D. (magna cum laude), New York University School of Law (2011)
Miriam (Miri) Lavi-Zucker
mirizucker@gmail.com
Thesis Title: Defending Individual Rights of Weak Sub-Group Members within Religious and Cultural Minority Communities
Research Interests:
- Human Rights Law
- Administrative Law
- Law and Religion
- Moral and Political Philosophy
- Legal Theory
Education:
- LL.B. (magna cum laude), Haifa University (2003)
- LL.M. (magna cum laude), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2010)
Hugo Leal-Neri
hugo.lealneri@utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: Legal Accountability for Mexico's Past Crimes in Comparative Perspective
Research Interests:
- Transitional Justice
- International Criminal, Human Rights and Labour Law
- Public International Law
- Comparative Criminal Law
- Common Law and Civil Law traditions with a focus on the Canadian and Mexican legal systems
Education:
- University of Toronto, Juris Doctor (J.D.), 2007
- University of Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.), 2003
- Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (Mexico), Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), 2001
Website: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/hugolealneri
Andrew Flavelle Martin
andrew.martin@mail.utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: Statutory reporting obligations for health professionals: purpose, scope, and implications
Research Interests:
- Health law and policy
- Public health law
- Professional regulation
- Legal ethics
- Administrative law
Education:
- Georgetown University, LLM (Global Health Law), 2012
- University of Toronto, JD, 2009
- Queen’s University, BSc(Hons) (Life Sciences), 2005
Hélène Mayrand
Thesis Title: How to Ensure Environmental Protection in the Arctic in the Climate Change Context: A Critical Legal Analysis
Research Interests:
- International environmental law
- Theory of international law and international relations
- Law of the sea
- Human rights and indigenous rights
- Environmental law
Education:
- Université de Sherbrooke, LLB, 2006
- University of Cambridge, LLM, 2009
Derek McKee
Thesis Title: Global Governance and Internationalism in Canadian Public Law
Research Interests:
- Constitutional law
- Administrative law
- Globalization and global governance
- Law and development
- Legal theory
Education:
- Harvard University, A.B.
- McGill, B.C.L./LL.B.
Website: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1534719
Michael Nesbitt
Thesis Title: Taking the (International) Rule of Law Seriously: Legality and Legitimacy in United Nations Ad Hoc Commissions of Inquiry
Research Interests:
- Legal theory and the rule of law
- International law and institutions
- Administrative law and due process rights
- Commissions of inquiry
- Transitional justice
Education:
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, SJD (in progress)
- New York University School of Law, LLM
- University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, JD
- Queen's University, B.Comm. (Hons.)
Michael Pal
Thesis Title: Democratic Accountability and Political Behaviour in the Law of Democracy
Research Interests:
- Law of democracy
- Empirical legal studies
- Democratic theory
- Contracts
- Unjust enrichment
Education:
- Queen's University, BA (Political Studies)
- University of Toronto, MA (Political Science)
- NYU School of Law, LLM (Legal Theory)
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, JD
Website: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=738113
Sagi Peari
sagi.peari@mail.utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: The Choice-Based Perspective of Choice-of-Law
Research Interests:
- Private international law
- Private law
- Jurisprudence
Education:
- LLM (University of Toronto)
- LLB (Tel Aviv University)
Suzanne Porter
suzanne.porter@mail.utoronto.ca
Thesis title: Legal and ethical implications of the indirect promotion of patented pharmaceuticals.
Research interests:
- Intellectual property law
- Pharmaceutical patent regulation
- Mental health law and policy
- Intersection of education and mental health law
Education:
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, LL.M
- Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D.
- University of Toronto, B.Sc. (Hons), Biology
Carolina S. Ruiz Austria
Thesis Title: Social Protection in the Age of Migration: Rethinking Welfare, Rights and Social Protection
Research Interests:
- Migration
- Sexuality
- Rights
- Welfare and social protection
- Feminist and queer legal theory
Education:
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, SJD Candidate, 2009-present
- University of Toronto Faculty of Law, LLM, 2008
- University of the Philippines College of Law, LLB
- College of Mass Communication, University of the Philippines, BA (Journalism)
Nick Sage
Thesis Title: The Will Theory of Contract (working title)
Research Interests:
- Contracts
- Private law theory
- Philosophy of law
- Moral and political philosophy
Education:
- New York University, LLM
- University of Auckland, BA/LLB. (Hons.)
Website: http://ssrn.com/author=1628557
Rommel M. Salvador
Thesis Title: Children and Participation: Realities, Rights and Relationships
Research Interests:
- Children and the law, children's rights, childhood studies
- International law, human rights law
- Relational approaches to rights
- Law, culture and society
- Comparative law and Philippine law and jurisprudence
Education:
- University of Toronto, SJD Candidate
- University of Toronto, LLM
- University of the Philippines, LLB
- University of the Philippines, BA in Communication
David Sandomierski
Thesis Title: Critical and Remedial Perspectives on Legal Education, In and Outside the Law School/Faculty of Law
Research Interests:
- Legal education
- Democratic education
- Liberal arts education
Education:
- McMaster University, B.A.Sc. (Hon)
- University of Toronto, MA
- McGill University, LLB/BCL
Jacob J. Shelley
Thesis Title: The Concept of Public Health Law
Research Interests:
- Public health law
- Health law
- Legal theory
- Intersection of law and science
- Relationship between law and social institutions (e.g., religion)
Education:
- University of Waterloo, BA, Honours, 2003
- Conrad Grebel University College, Master of Theological Studies, 2006
- University of Alberta, Bachelor of Laws, 2007
- University of Alberta, Master of Laws, 2009
- University of Toronto, SJD
Zoe Sinel
Thesis Title: A Classification of Private Law Remedies (working title)
Research Interests:
- Private law theory
- Jurisprudence
Education:
- UBC, BA (Hon.)
- University of Toronto, JD (Hon.)
- Oxford, BCL
- Oxford, M.Phil.Back to T
Mai Taha
mai.taha@utoronto.ca
Thesis Title: From the League of Nations to the International Labour Organization: law, labor and nationalism in the inter-war Arab “Near East”
Research Interests:
- Legal Theory
- Legal History
- Public International Law
- Labour Law
- Law and Social Change
Education:
- Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) Candidate, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
- Master of Laws (LLM), Faculty of Law, University of Toronto
- Master of Arts, International Human Rights Law, American University in Cairo
- Bachelor of Arts, Economics, American University in Cairo
Website: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=1340024
Laura Tamblyn Watts
lw@elderconcepts.com; lwatts@bcli.org
Thesis Title: Mapping the Grey Zones: The Impact of Emerging Elder Rights in Canadian Law
Research Interests:
- Elder Law
- Law and Social Work
- Social Justice and Rights
- Consent and Capacity
- Gerontology
Education:
- BA (Hons) Queen's University 1995
- LLB, University of Victoria, 1998
Website: www.elderconcepts.com and www.bcli.org/ccel
