From the Spring 2006 issue of Nexus.
Every year, many of the law school's alumni donate generously to the Annual Fund, which supports a wide range of student activities and academic programs including: diversity and outreach initiatives, pro bono and clinic experiences, international human rights internships, mooting, law reviews and other important extra-curricular programs that enhance the law school experience. The funds we receive from alumni for these programs make an immediate and important contribution to the lives of our students.
We are very grateful for the support of our Annual Fund donors, many of whom have made annual contributions to this program for years. Their gifts have truly made a difference. In this issue of Nexus, we celebrate the donations of two of our long-standing contributors: Paul Morrison '75 and Joe Colangelo '76, who have consistently given to the Annual Fund and were recently inspired to give a significant gift of $1,000 each to the law school.
Paul Morrison '75
Paul Morrison has very fond memories of his years at the law school. As a student in the early 1970's, he was challenged, stimulated, and engaged in activities on a number of fronts, culminating in his election as President of the Students Law Society. As a result, he made many friends and developed the highest regard for his classmates and professors. These friendships survive to the present day. "Whenever I return to the Faculty, I feel as if I am among family," says Paul. "The Faculty is like my home. This is what inspires me to give."
Today, Paul is a senior partner at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto specializing in litigation, particulary corporate and commercial, class action, securities, competition, professional liability and products liability. He currently serves as the appointee of the Attorney General on the Class Proceedings Committee of Ontario, is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Advocates Society and was also co-chair of its Civil Litigation Task Force.
As an adjunct faculty member of the Faculty of Law from 1982 to 1993, Paul taught a course on Trial Advocacy. His firm, McCarthy Tétrault, also sponsors the Grand Moot annually and he attends almost every year to watch the students perform and to speak as a presenting sponsor. In addition, Paul is a member of the Executive Council of the Law Alumni Association. These on-going ties with the Faculty have allowed him to observe that the quality of the students and faculty remains at the highest level in Canada. "It is a source of pride to all of us that the Faculty continues to maintain its reputation and stature as a leading educational institution."
Joe Colangelo '76
According to Joe Colangelo, "any place that inspires the advancement of justice needs to be supported." A graduate of the class of 1976, Joe describes his time at the Faculty of Law as "the best educational experience of my life." Over the years, he has kept in touch with many of his classmates and professors who he considers to be his "intellectual parents." Indeed, he believes that his professors taught him vital survival skills for a difficult world and a challenging profession. They inspired him with their commitment to practical wisdom and encouraged the development of essential values of the legal profession: values such as prudence, a strong commitment to fairness, and a belief that justice must be accessible to all.
It is this passionate belief that justice should be accessible to all, not just the privileged and the wealthy, that has compelled Joe to give back to the Faculty of Law over the years. "If the value of accessible and competent justice is to survive, so must the institutions which teach that value," says Joe. "Law schools such as the Faculty of Law at U of T, which teach students the level of commitment that is expected of them, should be generously supported."
Joe was a partner at McCarthy Tétraut from 1984 to 1999 and is now a sole practitioner. His practice is primarily focused on professional liability (medical and legal malpractice) and constitutional law. He is a member of various legal associations and actively involved in volunteer community service.
