Tempora mutantur, but UV stays the same
Just like its readers, Ultra Vires has changed over its 20 years of existence. But a closer look suggests U of T Law students in 1999 and 2019 shared similar interests and concerns. While digging through the archives, we found some patterns in the newspaper’s structure and content.
Where can I find…
UV began with six sections: News, Clubs & Clinics, Editorial, Opinions & Legal Issues, Commentary, and Diversions. Though News and Diversions have survived, the others appear and disappear over time, with Features making its first appearance in September 2000. The paper’s current format was introduced in September 2008 and has remained unchanged since.
Read all about it
Certain topics have repeatedly made headlines in UV over the years. Student recruitment and OCIs dominate the front page with headlines such as “Bay Street Hiring a Bloodbath This Year” (November 2013) and “Hiring Is Up, Trust Is Not” (November 2017). 1L Orientation, the Grand Moot, and Faculty Council also feature frequently.
Other law school events are better recapped in pictures. Law Follies, which headlines twelve February issues, is no exception. Another common source of front page visuals is Law Ball, which appears on the cover of eight March issues.
The rise of tuition (and fall of financial aid)
Even when one year of legal education cost a mere $8,000, the price of attending U of T Law has never left the pages of UV. The October 1999 issue contains an editorial on the need for “faster financial aid”. Jump ahead five years to September 2004, where one can read that “Financial aid calculus produces shocking results”. Then another ten years, to February 2015: “Did You Make a Poor Financial Investment By Going to U of T Law?” Perhaps the most apt summary of student feelings is the March 2007 headline on consecutive tuition increases: “Tuition is going up again. Yay!”
The never-ending student space saga
If you have ever complained about a lack of seating in the law school atrium or the lunchtime crowds in the student kitchen, you’re not alone. The first issue of UV (September 1999) included a front-page report on the Rowell Room’s transformation into student space. The Victoria College years featured similar discourse on “transition space” and debates on the merits of the Birge-Carnegie building (September 2013).
Nor has Jackman Law escaped the wrath of UV writers. The September 2016 lead article (“Jackman Law Building: Moving On Up”) laments the lack of student space in the new building. And the announcement that the Flavelle basement would become a student lounge only appeared in September 2017—soon after the current 3Ls started law school.
Do you ‘see yourself here’? The ads think you do
Since its inception, UV has been powered by breaking news, student hot takes, and of course, law firm advertisements. Over the years, many Bay Street names have placed ads in the newspaper, hoping to attract students—but eagle-eyed readers may notice some repeats. Davies appears over 100 times, with an unbroken stretch of back page publicity from January 2010 to April 2018.
Not all UV advertisements come from private practice, though. Emond Publishing and the Osgoode Legal History Society have advertised in recent years, while Ryerson’s Law Practice Program has taken out four ads since its creation.
Editor’s Note: This article is part of a special feature to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Ultra Vires. A letter from our founding editor, Melissa Kluger, and another from our top 5 coolest stories can be found here and here respectively.
