The evening brought together a host of legal celebrities
If any event could be called a veritable who’s-who of the Canadian legal field, it took place on Saturday, September 14, at the Isabel Bader theatre. Gathered into the theatre was a crowd of familiar faces: Justice Abella (in a fabulous white-and-glitter two-piece ensemble), Dean Jutta Brunnée, Professors Aidid, Alarie, Cossman, Niblett, and Ripstein, as well as a small contingent of current law students. There were also some less familiar, but no less impressive guests: Bob Rae, U of T Law alumnus and current Canadian ambassador to the United Nations (who was escorted onto the stage by a live five-piece band), as well as every former dean of the law school right up to Martin Friedland. What event could bring together such an esteemed cast of legal rockstars, you may wonder? The kickoff event to the Law Faculty’s 75th anniversary celebrations, of course!
It has been 75 years since the founding of the modern Faculty of Law at the University, and to mark the occasion, the Faculty has planned an entire year’s worth of events. To initiate this long slate of celebrations, a team of alumni and current students banded together to put on a show inspired by the Faculty’s long-running comedy revue show, Law Follies. This ‘Follies 75’ show was a mix of live and recorded sketches, featuring some classic premises, like the ‘Back In My Day’ sketch performed by the professors (with Professor Phillips lamenting how lucky modern students are to have a library, professors, and exam questions), as well as some delightfully fresh sketches, like Professor Niblett’s ‘Are You Smarter Than a 1L’ and the ‘Bora’s Head’ heritage minute. A special mention goes out to the brief musical improv sketch, performed by guests from the Second City Toronto. One of these guests was Paul Constable, a Canadian actor and comedian who readers would recognize as a guy they definitely know from TV, or a commercial, or somewhere. The Second City guests performed an improvised power ballad based on 3L Brynne Dalmao’s prompts, providing the audience with the essential reminder that “the fourth L is life”. The show even featured a digital shoutout from David Shore, notable Faculty of Law alumnus and creator of hit TV shows House and The Good Doctor, announcing the creation of a ‘Gregory House’ scholarship for exceptional law students in financial need. Shore has a special tie to the Law Follies tradition, having been the very first emcee at the debut Follies in 1982.
The show was followed by a reception in the Jackman atrium, featuring another live band, two bars, and a generous spread of canapés. Alumni and students mingled, reminiscing over Follies past and commenting on their favourite sketches of the evening. Of course, many noted that nothing could ever live up to the comedic stylings of the student-run Follies club, which generously shared its branding with the event. Keep an eye out for news about other upcoming 75th anniversary celebration events, as Follies 75 marked only the beginning of this milestone year.
Editor’s Note: Megan Corbett (3L) is a member of Follies.
