A Review of the Annual Law Ball
On Saturday, March 8, hundreds of U of T law students headed to Old Mill Toronto to attend the annual Law Ball. Like many other students, Law Ball is my most anticipated event of the school year, providing the opportunity to dress up and talk with my friends and classmates in a more relaxed environment (aside from attending the occasional Call to the Bar).
The Theme
The Students’ Law Society (SLS) took it upon themselves to spice things up this year, changing the theme dramatically from “James Bond” and “Viva Las Vegas” from the past two years, to “Barristers, Boots, and Bowties.” If I am being honest, I purchased my dress well in advance (March 2024), and my dress most definitely did not match the theme, nor did I want to buy another and let go of the opportunity to dress up. In my defence, with all my friends currently being single or already married, when else would I have the opportunity to wear a floor-length dress? While I opted not to follow the theme, many students were excited by the chance to strut in their finest cowboy hats, boots, and bolo ties. As such, this year’s theme provided a fun way for students to cosplay as someone from the Wild West and made it more comfortable for those who wanted to dress more casually to do so.
The Location
As per the last few years, Law Ball was held at Old Mill Toronto, located on the border of the city of Toronto and Etobicoke. While Old Mill offers a unique and spacious Tudor-style venue, some students, including myself, would have preferred a venue closer to downtown Toronto. Although subwaying is an option to reach Old Mill, I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable commuting in a dress after spending hours getting ready to potentially fall victim to a TTC mishap. This makes Ubering an additional cost on top of pricey tickets.
The Layout
Similar to last year, the venue was split into three rooms. Unlike last year, however, attendees could only enter and exit through the first room. The first room was dedicated to tables filled with food, snacks, and seating for those wanting to chat; the middle room doubled as a casino and bar (and the cornhole game), and the third room was a dedicated dance floor.
There was a variety of food to choose from. For those not as hungry (or hoping not to look bloated in their outfits) there was a wide selection of candy and snacks, while those too busy getting ready to have dinner (guilty) could devour burgers and grilled cheese. Despite the range of food, there were a number of complaints that the burgers and grilled cheese were on the dry side. At least this year, unlike previous years, there was a dedicated water station.
As in other years, the casino was the highlight for many attendees. While there were a good number of tables, it may have been too many—attendees commented that there were more tables than dealers.
Another major critique was the change from multiple bars to the single bar. While the one bar had more bartenders, the line wrapped around the entire room. The first time I lined up, it took me about 30 minutes to reach the front, although the bartender let us take two drinks at a time, which helped. Still, with people cutting the line (I may have done this afterwards) it made getting drinks a hassle, and with how loud the music was, it was hard to talk to those I was waiting in line with.
If I’m being honest, I thought the third room wasn’t being used for a good chunk of the night. I think it would’ve made more sense to designate the middle room as the one for dancing, as people would be more likely to cross it to get to the other rooms, creating more traction. The decline in dancing from last year may also be the result of the music. While the country theme was fun, the DJ seemed to have taken the theme too seriously. Instead of hearing repeats of the top country hits, many attendees would’ve appreciated more recent and trendy bops (circa 2000s, to be exact). One attendee also commented that they did not appreciate slow dancing at 11 pm and that it was “giving middle school vibes.”
Despite my critiques, Law Ball was still a fun night to remember, and I appreciate the effort that the SLS put into planning the event. I look forward to attending again next year.
