The Students’ Law Society on what they are doing to revive the yearbook tradition this year
The Student Law Society (SLS) is bringing back a by-gone tradition to the Faculty of Law—yearbooks! This tradition dates back to 1999. Ultra Vires reached out to members of the Social and Finance Committee who have taken charge in revitalizing the U of T law yearbook: Arielle Amacker (3L), the SFC secretary, and 2L SFC representative Emily Segal (2L) to inquire more about this exciting student initiative aimed at capturing moments that define the U of T law school experience.
The 2024-2025 yearbook will be a compilation of photos showcasing student life throughout the academic year. It will likely feature small group photos alongside snapshots of clubs, intramurals, and other student activities (including the law school’s very own Ultra Vires). Inspired by copies of old yearbooks found in the SLS office, the yearbook initiative seeks to revive a cherished SLS tradition while giving current students a physical embodiment of the law school experience—something that can be looked back on years from now.
“We came across copies of old yearbooks and decided it would be fun to revitalize the project,” explained Amacker. “There’s more to law school than just reading cases—we hope students can remember all of the other exciting things that go on at U of T Law” Amacker elaborated.
The SLS is currently in the process of collecting photos from small groups and student groups. Students will soon have the opportunity to submit their own photos from events such as the Halloween Party, Law Ball, and Call to the Bars throughout the year through an online form. The SLS is also open to student suggestions—the team will release a google form in the coming weeks to gather input for the yearbook.
While the main framework of the yearbook has been decided, the SLS gave a nod to the previous yearbook tradition. “We were loosely inspired by the old yearbooks,” Amacker noted. The SLS is looking to include the superlatives, which would add a nice touch of humour and personality to the yearbook.
The SLS hopes this year’s yearbook will mark the beginning of a renewed tradition. “Yearbooks next year would be up to the SLS. […] We think it would be great if they could continue what we hope can become a new tradition,” Amacker stated when asked about the yearbook in upcoming years.
For now, the focus remains on creating a memorable and inclusive yearbook that captures the essence of student life at U of T Law, whether that be candid intramural games shots or Law Ball photo booth pictures.
This year’s yearbook is expected to be available in April, pending confirmation for grad photos. It will be sold to students at an estimated cost of $40. In the meantime, students are encouraged to stay tuned for updates and contribute photos and ideas when the opportunity arises.