MORE THAN 80 CANADIAN LAW FIRMS SEND LETTER TO CANADIAN LAW SCHOOL DEANS

Firms express concerns over on campus conduct and importance of affirming Canadian values.

MONTRÉAL, Dec. 7, 2023 /CNW/ - More than 80 law firms from across Canada signed a letter sent to the deans of all Canadian law schools expressing serious concerns over reports of unacceptable conduct on university campuses. The firms expressed their core values and the importance for the deans to provide guidance and protection to students in a manner affirming Canadian values. This includes balancing the free exchange of ideas with the respect, safety and security of their students. The 80+ firms made clear that they have zero tolerance for any form of racism, discrimination, or harassment — whether it be on university campuses, in their workplaces, or in their communities — and asked the deans to take the same unequivocal stance on their campuses.

The full text of the letter (sent in English and French), and the names of the signatories is provided below.

Law firms who want to become signatories to this letter are invited to email [email protected]

For additional information, please contact:

Dear Canadian Law School Deans,

Among the core values at each of our law firms is that every person is entitled to be treated with respect and be free of any discrimination or conduct that targets their identity or that may be offensive, hostile, intimidating or inconsistent with their personal dignity and rights.

Over the last several weeks, we have been alarmed by the surging reports of anti-Semitic harassment, vandalism and assaults on university campuses. These include protesters calling for the death of Jews. Such anti-Semitic acts would never be tolerated at any of our law firms, nor should they be tolerated at our Canadian universities.

We also believe that universities should not accept student societies and outside groups engaging in acts of harassment and threats of violence, as has been occurring and tolerated on many campuses. In fact, some of these student groups associated with many of your universities have shown outspoken support for the terrorist group Hamas.

Students look to you for guidance and protection in a manner that affirms key core Canadian values being: respect, equality, safety and peace, all of which we as Canadians hold dear. We understand that as educators of higher learning, you must encourage discourse on various issues. This comes with the responsibility of managing a balance of the free exchange of ideas with the respect, safety and security of its students. As the leaders of these institutions this responsibility falls squarely on your shoulders.

At each of our firms, we prohibit any form of discrimination, hostility or harassment, whether verbal, visual or physical. Let us be clear: there is no room for anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism or any other form of violence, hatred or bigotry on your campuses, in our workplaces or our communities. As employers who recruit from each of your law schools, we look to you to ensure your students are prepared to join workplace communities such as ours that have zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment.

We continue to carefully monitor the situation and trust that you will take the same unequivocal stance on your campuses. We also invite you to meet in order to arrange a respectful dialogue so that we can understand how you are addressing with urgency this serious situation.

Yours sincerely,

Allen McDonald Swartz LLP

Anglehart et al.

Azancot & Associates Inc.

Bereskin & Parr LLP

Boro Frigon Gordon Jones

Breder Law

Brownlee LLP

Chaitons LLP

Choueke Hollander LLP

Consumer Law Group Inc.

Cooper, Sandler, Shime & Schwartzentruber LLP

Cozen O'Connor

De Grandpré Chait LLP

De Louya Markakis Avocats

Derhy Lawyers and Notaries

Diamond & Diamond LLP

DLA Piper

Duncan Craig LLP

Dunton Rainville, L.L.P.

Eidelmann Law Inc.

Epstein Cole LLP

Fishman Flanz Meland Paquin LLP

Fogelman Law PC

Francis Mehr LLP

FWCanada

Gluckstein Lawyers

Goldman, Spring, Kichler & Sanders LLP

Goodman, Solomon & Gold

Green and Spiegel LLP

Greenspoon Lawyers

Guardian Law Group

Halpern Law Group

Hatch Law

Hladun & Company 

Hoffer Adler LLP

Igor Ellyn ADR

JML Law Corporation

Kahn Zack Ehrlich Lithwick LLP

Kaufman Lawyers LLP

KRB Lawyers

Kugler Kandestin LLP

Labarge Weinstein

Law Office of Cynthia Lauer

Law Office of Harriet Altman

Lax O'Sullivan Lisus Gottlieb

Leo Adler Law

Leora Shemesh Criminal Law

Levine Frishman S.E.N.C.

Levy Tsotsis 

Lex Group Inc.

MacDonald & Partners LLP

Manis Law

MBM Intellectual Property LLP

McCague Borlack LLP

McLennan Ross LLP

Neuberger & Partners LLP

Parlee McLaws LLP

Pinto Law

Pitblado LLP

Rachlin & Wolfson LLP

Ravinsky Ryan Lemoine

Robins Appleby LLP

Robinson Sheppard Shapiro LLP

Rosen Sunshine LLP

Rosenstein Law

Scharfstein LLP

Schneider Legal

Segev LLP

Shadley Knerr s.e.n.c.r.l.

SOS Legal

Speigel Nichols Fox LLP

Spiegel Sohmer Inc.

Stein & Stein Inc.

Steinbergs LLP

Taylor & Blair LLP

Teplitsky LLP

Tilda M. Roll, Professional Corp

Torkin Manes LLP

Tutino Joseph Grégoire

Victor Vallance Blais LLP

Wagner Sidlofsky LLP

WLG Law

SOURCE 80+ Canadian law firms