Marilou McPhedran Class of 76

I chose Osgoode "because I had completed my degree in religious studies and wanted a skill set that would enable me to make a good living and to honour my values. At that time, there was only one law school with a
reputation for its progressive attitude and the Parkdale clinical program focus on poverty law - Osgoode."

The highlight of my experience "I was very lucky to be among the first big batch of women law students. We supported each other and, because we had leaders like Harry Arthurs as dean and Peter Hogg as chair of the legal education review, professors like Judy LaMarsh, Mary Jane Mossman and Louise Arbour, and senior law students like Connie Backhouse and Barbara Betcherman as role models, we made lasting personal connections. They taught me how to engage in courteous, rigorous debate. We had a tumultuous time: founding the women's caucus, battling in Faculty Council over appointments for women, lobbying for changes to the law school curriculum. By the time I was president of Legal and Lit in third year, relationships had been built at Osgoode that continue to enrich every day of my life."

What I learned "Through the intellectual and social opportunities within the flexible environment at Osgoode, I came to understand much more about my 'Self' - what I did not want to do with my knowledge as a lawyer, and how to differentiate between defining oneself as a human 'being' rather than just a human 'doing.' "