Things you may not have known about everyone’s all-time favourite law professor
Editor’s Note: Ultra Vires contributed a personalized profile to this year’s law school Promise Auction. Professor Jim Phillips was the generous winner, who graciously selected his good friend, Professor Martha Shaffer, to be highlighted in this interview. Literally none of the upcoming information was fabricated nor exaggerated.
Now if you thought that the profile on Professor Jim Phillips back in 2017 was impressive, you were right—it was. But even so, I know for a fact that none of you are ready for this. Those of you who don’t know her, brace yourselves. Who is this shining star? Well, of course, it is none other than our very own Professor Martha Shaffer, the pride and joy of the Faculty of Law.
If you haven’t heard already, Professor Shaffer teaches the number one most sought-after class, Evidence Law. While the rules and exceptions for hearsay are obviously riveting for any law student, that isn’t why this class boasts an impressive 200-person waitlist. Yes, that’s right, Professor Shaffer is the reason the upper years vie for this class. As one of the lucky law students enrolled in Evidence this semester, I can confirm that there are a million and one reasons why this class is everyone’s number one choice on Cognomos, making it the single most difficult class to get into, despite its 80-student class size.
When I found out that Professor Shaffer had been selected for this profile, I knew I had to personally find out more about our beloved professor. She is, of course, lovely, sweet, and by all accounts, kind. Some other information may shock you—so buckle up, and stay tuned. Allow me to share with you all the information you didn’t know you needed until now about Professor Shaffer, aside from her well-renowned teaching.
Professor Shaffer grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and in 1979, she headed to Harvard University for her undergraduate degree. Like many of us, Canada was always going to be home. After finishing her degree, Professor Shaffer was drawn to Toronto, having always wanted to visit the city. When I asked her why she loved Toronto so much, she replied that it was “interesting, vibrant, and diverse,” and I certainly couldn’t agree more.
For her next steps, Professor Shaffer couldn’t decide whether she wanted to go into psychology or law. She worked at a law firm for a year as a law clerk and “hated every single minute of it.” I mean—that’s fair, who wouldn’t?
So what did she want to do? Professor Shaffer replied that at the time she wanted to do social justice type of work, particularly where she could work closely with people. She went to law school notwithstanding her legal experience, thinking she would do clinic work or practice in poverty law. She smiled knowingly when I suggested that she does sort of work with people in dire financial straits in need of her expertise—not too far off from her original plan.
She described her transition into teaching as something she just fell into. The Faculty at the time was looking for a very short but strong woman who could carry and uplift students, literally and metaphorically. Needless to say, Professor Shaffer fits that bill to a tee.
Beneath her confident exterior, Professor Shaffer is sweet, lovely, and modest to a fault. You will probably have noticed all these photos of her are surreptitious, as Professor Shaffer is self-described as “camera-phobic” and has “literally never taken a selfie in her life.” I had to obtain a candid photo (with her express consent) as an alternative.
Furthermore, Professor Shaffer had a thing or two to say about her good friend Professor Phillips. They met in 1988 as fellow clerks for the Supreme Court of Canada and have been the best of friends ever since. Professor Shaffer instantly recognized Professor Phillips as someone a little bit older and smarter at the time. She described Professor Phillips as the “most generous, kindest person [she] knows, not to mention the smartest.” It couldn’t be clearer how much respect these two have for each other. Professor Phillips came to Professor Shaffer’s rescue one late night while doing research at the library, where she was unable to reach a book on the top shelf. Luckily, it was nothing that couldn’t be solved by Professor Phillips’ impressive height and long arms. No wonder Professor Shaffer looks up to him, literally and figuratively.
Their friendship has never waned. When the faculty moved out of the old building, Professor Shaffer and Professor Phillips purposely chose to have offices next to each other, so that their friendship could be reflected in their office proximity. Need I say more?
I asked her one last question: “Why do you love us students?”
She replied, “I like students. I really love the interaction with students, and the worst part of the pandemic was not being able to interact with students on a daily basis.” Professor Shaffer comes to the Faculty of Law every day just to run into students, even on days off! Now that is true dedication.
Before letting me go, Professor Shaffer did have one secret to share—her secret passion: bodybuilding. Yes, you read that right. We all knew she was a scholarly superhero, but it turns out she is more than just an intellectual genius. She even had a picture to share, which I have permission to share with you all now. Professor Shaffer’s defining feature, her hair, can be seen in the photo—but that’s not all that’s defined if you know what I mean. Who knew that Professor Shaffer was moonlighting as a superhero? No wonder she’s so good at carrying students through law school. Don’t worry, Professor, we appreciate you, and your secret is safe with us.
