Three Former EiCs on the Magic of Ultra Vires
Ever wondered what it’s like to run Ultra Vires? Three past Editors-in-Chief share their experiences—from investigative wins to last-minute scrambles (and free donuts, of course). They reflect on the challenges, triumphs, and the lasting impact of student journalism at U of T Law. Here’s to celebrating the magic of Ultra Vires with our beloved UV alumni.
ALYSSA WONG
Class of 2024
EiC Year: 2023-2024 (Volume 25)
I’m Alyssa Wong. I was EiC for the 2023-2024 school year and graduated in 2024. I’m currently articling at the Law Society of Ontario.
I decided to join UV in 2L after seeing friends get involved during 1L. At the time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to write anything so I applied to be the Online Editor to help with maintaining the website instead. Despite my initial hesitations, I ended up writing for UV and had so much fun that I decided to apply to be an EiC going into 3L. I loved getting to spend time working in the UV office with people who became my friends and learning all about the different things going on at the law school. I especially loved seeing the work that went into each issue pay off on launch days when we got to hand out issues, even if people were only coming by for the donuts. To any current students, don’t wait until it’s too late to submit something to UV. While I was EiC, multiple students told us they hoped to submit something to UV but never got around to it before graduation. There’s one more issue this year–now’s your chance!
HARRY MYLES
Class of 2023
EiC Year: 2022-2023 (Volume 24)
Since July 2024, I have been working as in-house counsel for the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE). Initially, I advised CUPE locals in the school board sector on collective agreement interpretations and handled grievance arbitration. I then switched assignments to my current role as a WSIB Representative, in which I represent injured CUPE members at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and the Appeals Tribunal.
Outside of work, I volunteer at the Workers’ Action Centre to assist non-unionized workers with employment issues, particularly ESA claims for wage theft. I likewise volunteer with a labour organization working to unionize the private sector.
I joined UV in 1L after having written and edited an undergraduate music magazine. I began as a diversions contributor and loved the freedom UV offered to parody some of the (many) absurdities of law school. When I later focused on long-term investigations, I saw UV’s tremendous value as a tool to hold the law school (and greater UofT) administration accountable for its actions. As a student, you often feel powerless in the face of a dominant academic institution, but the press is one way through which students can tip that power imbalance.
SABRINA MACKLAI
Class of 2023 (JD/MI)
EiC Year: 2021-2022 (Volume 23)
It feels surreal to draft this from my office in New York almost two years after graduating U of T Law (and saying what I thought was my final goodbye to UV in a very melodramatic article that I can’t believe we ran!). So much has changed and yet some days I still wake up in a panic that I overslept and missed Sara Faherty’s 8am externship seminar.
I currently work on intellectual property (“IP”) transactions within a big law firm, after having clerked at the Federal Court for a year. During law school, I tried to make it known as the “IP Girl”—I took every IP class there was (shout out to Professor Ariel Katz for having to see me on a near-daily basis), wrote and edited for Osgoode’s IP blog, competed in the Fox Moot, volunteered for Artists Legal Advice Services, and started a club on legal innovation and technology.
You’d think after all that, something IP-related would be top of my mind when asked to reflect on my law school journey. And yet, when I think back on those three years, UV remains the highlight. I always loved student journalism; to me, it was the best way to foster community amongst my peers and give a voice to those who felt unheard. I joined as a 1L opinions editor, quickly fell in love with the paper, and, after authoring probably 20-something articles in my first year, became co-EiC in my 2L year. I loved our chaotic pitch meetings, as we tried to figure out what articles to include in the next issue/what the hottest gossip was on campus that wouldn’t get us sued for including. I loved doing a final sign-off on every article that came in, making sure everyone’s story was in its best form. And while I didn’t love chasing writers who missed their deadlines (I say as I missed the deadline for this article—sorry folks!), nothing beast the satisfaction every month of holding in my hands the output of everyone’s hard work and passion.
My apologies to the editors who have to review my draft and deal with my penchant for taking the scenic route to my point! So here it is: join UV! I’m not guaranteeing it will land you a job or an interview, or that it’ll make you the most popular person on campus (quite the opposite, really—I definitely pissed off more people than I can count with some of the articles I published). What I do guarantee is that it’s a lot of fun, you meet some really cool people and you get a chance to make a difference in the law school community, by publicizing issues that may have otherwise fallen on deaf ears. When I was EiC, I made it a point to increase UV’s foray into investigative journalism, running articles on a student’s human rights claim against the Faculty, an in-depth investigation into the Faculty’s budget, and countless articles on the law school’s lack of accommodations, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While I can’t say these articles directly led to change, they at least helped form part of the historical record, keeping the Faculty accountable and allowing for the conversation to continue. And you get free donuts!
