MOOT TIMES

The Law
Student’s
Newspaper

VOL I APRIL 2009 No. 8

Rafferty takes leave

roared.

“How useful will Ms. Silverberg’s CANS be then?” he

Finally, Rafferty revealed a surprising willingness to in-

draw noted law professor back to U.K.

Weather, incomprehensibility of Scots law dulge in traditional Scottish fare, including haggis, despite some
minor reservations.
BY Anjli Petel and Meghan Waters “I have high hopes for the local cuisine, although in all
likelihood it will be complete rubbish compared to the food I
Citing severe boredom from mocking students and Su- ate as a lad in England. Hopefully I will be able to find a decent
preme Court Justices “year after bloody year,” Professor Nicholas shortbread biscuit to have with my afternoon tea, if nothing else.”
Rafferty announced Thursday he will take a well-deserved sab- One of Rafferty’s current students, William McGonagall,
batical in Scotland for the 2009-2010 academic year. admitted he was surprised at Rafferty’s chosen destination.
Rafferty will leave Calgary following the completion of “To be honest, he didn’t really seem to like Scotland all
exams in late April. that much – there seemed to be some genuine animosity there,”
“I would really like to see all of my former students said McGonagall.
before I head off. Well, I can’t actually see any of you, of course, Rafferty chose Scotland in part because he misses the
but you know what I mean,” he said. constant, dreary rain of England, although the weather may inter-
Other than bringing along his newly acquired Scottish fere with his plan to don the customary dress.
Terrier – aptly named McRover – for company, he will be travel- “Hopefully the weather isn’t so miserable that I won’t be
ling alone. able to wear a kilt everyday. Wind around one’s nether regions is
“Conrad Goodwin has graciously offered to purchase good for one’s health,” Rafferty over-shared, which brought the
my Pinto for $10,000, saving me the trouble of foisting it upon interview to an abrupt end.
him.”

said.
The money will be used to fund his sojourn abroad, he
In This Legal Issue
Rafferty has several ambitious plans for the upcoming April Fools! page 1
year. His main focus will be studying the unique Scottish system Murray Fraser Hall page 3
of law.
“As my current and former pupils may be aware, the Hockey Pool page 7
Scottish system is absolute crap. Frankly, I will be shocked if a Bound to the Bar page 8
year is enough time to make any sense of it,” Rafferty said.
In addition, he intends to write several new jokes to use
Work/Life Balance page 11
in his lectures. What the Scott Hall !? back cover

Congratulations to the entire Jessup moot team for a

job well done in Washington!
 Publishers
Business Managers Editors-in-Chief
Fiana Bakshan fbakshan@ucalgary.ca Vhari Storwick vstorwick@gmail.com
Esther Kim estakim@gmail.com Orlagh O’Kelly ojokelly@ucalgary.ca

Contributors
Meghan Waters Adam Oppenheim Marcus Sixta Kane Andews
Andrew Kowalchuk Tim Ross Anjli Patel Bergis Mostaghim
Esther Kim Drew Campbell Kate Andrews

Dear Readers,

We are thrilled to have seen Moot Times through one academic year. There are innumerable people to thank. To all those contribu-
tors who would throw something together at the last minute and others who put a lot of time and effort into submissions (Williams,
Petts, Foster, Wreschner, Morris,Thon to name a few): we could not have done it without you. To the ‘regulars’, Andrews, Kowal-
chuk, Oppenheim and now Waters and Patel: thank you! To the faculty who put their weight behind us, Dean Lucas, Maryanne and
especially Professor Koshan: our utmost gratitude. To our resident cartoonist, Kevin Madison: you will be dearly missed. To Drew
our hockey pool guy: we have a hockey pool!! To our business manager- wizards, Esther and Fiana, who made this materially possi-
ble: we only hope you will do the same next year. To Vhari, who became a layout maven and is constantly honing her skills: keep’er
up. But most of all, we would like to thank the readers for making Moot Times an integral part of the student body and faculty.

The final hurray issue of Moot Times is not to be missed. If you didn’t get the April fools’ joke already, Waters and Patel displayed
their comedic genius and were kidding about Rafferty (kudos to Professor Rafferty for being a good sport). More seriously, Tim
Ross, Bergis Mostaghim and Marcus Sixta provided great wrap-ups from our beloved student associations. Finally, don’t miss our
regulars going out with a bang!

That is all, Folks. Stay tuned. Next year can only be bigger and better.

Our sincerest appreciation,

The Moot Crew

Vhari, Orlagh, Esther and Fiana

It is our second to last issue and we are so happy with the first few months of our faculty’s nascent student newspaper. We hope you

Editorial Policy
We are irreverent but not rude. We reserve the right to edit for content and length.

Submissions Deadline
We accept articles between 300 and 700 words, depending on the content. Articles submitted by law students are given priority but
we accept any submissions.

Disclaimer
The views in this publication do not reflect those of the University, the Faculty, of the publishers. In fact, they may not reflect any
honestly held views.

2
Murray Fraser Hall
Law School News
End of the Year Address by Bergis Mostaghim
President of the Society of Law Students

It was a year ago, that I was campaigning for the Presidency, telling anyone who would listen about my ACT platform: Ac-
countability, Communication, and Transparency and now I am getting ready to hand over the Presidency to another capable individual.
I guess time flies by when you are having fun and extremely busy! Before I step down into retirement, which I was hoping included
lots of golf, a healthy retirement package, and summer homes
(sadly that is not the case) I wanted to recap on all the positive
changes that were made this year.
Last year there was the issue about library space and the
carrels. Even though I know every law student would love to have
the library to themselves, we do have to share for the reasons that
Kim Clarke expressed in her memo. However, Kim was also gra-
cious enough to work with me on getting the law students our own
space and the Mezzanine law level was born. Tables were added
and signs were posted to let people know that the law students
owned that level. I also worked with Maryanne and Tim from
Pro Bono to expand the public interest opportunities for students
interested in a public interest field. We also took the J.D. issue to
the Faculty Council meeting after receiving the student mandate
last year and successfully got it passed! There was also an open forum created in the fall semester for the alumni and first years. In a
couple years, the University will be handing out Juris Doctors and alumni will get the opportunity to also change their degrees to the
J.D.
Communication is an important element, and we had meetings throughout the year with both the Dean and Associate Dean
to improve communication between the faculty and the students. There have also been talks with the Graduate Student Association
in terms of providing students with the same benefits as the GSA. I will be meeting with the President of the GSA shortly to discuss
what benefits could be given to the law students (i.e. access to the grad lounge, year long bus passes, medical plan, etc).
There were also some issues that our administration had to deal with this year, thankfully none of which had to do with me
having to deny that I had an affair or that I started a war for oil. There was the issue of the projector being stolen by unsavoury char-
acters and the complication of the levy fee. A new projector has already been bought and will hopefully be installed in the next few
weeks. The levy issue has been brought to the attention of the Dean as well as Faculty Council. The levy will be part of our tuition
next year and a part time assistant will be hired. The Dean will address the other issues in an email memo. I know this has been a
contentious issue but the SLS has been working diligently to get the answers that everyone seeks.
We also had a joint Law-Medicine Halloween Party with proceeds going to the Adopt a Family Charity; our first ever Casino
Royale Law Formal; and a very entertaining Law Show.
I was also lucky to have a talented executive that all assisted in creating a smooth running government. Gemma, Mike,
Geoff, James, Dave, Doug, Nabeel, and Ryu were all rock stars so give them a pat on the back when you next see them. Also, a spe-
cial thanks to Alifeyah for being an excellent student unions rep.
We don’t always get to see what people do behind the scenes, but
be rest assured everyone worked tirelessly to make sure events
were successful, issues were being addressed, and improvements
were being made. Even though there were idle threats about a
coup on my government, we survived and are leaving a stable and
strong legacy to the next incoming executive.
It`s been an absolute pleasure being your President and even
though I am sure I have gained a few white hairs, I wouldn`t have
traded this experience for anything.
It`s been fun folks.

3
SLA Wrap Up!
BY Marcus Sixta

30 years ago Student Legal Assistance (SLA) was founded with the goalof providing legal services to those in
need. Since then SLA has played a critical role in improving access to justice in the Calgary
area, developing close ties with the legal community and building one of the most successful student-based legal assis-
tance programs in the country. This year we proudly continued this tradition.
2008/2009 was an incredible year for SLA. The Drop-In Centre groups were successful in providing regular legal
assistance to a highly marginalized population, SLA (represented by Gareth Williams) won on appeal at the Court of
Queens Bench, and the annual fundraising dinner was honoured to have Omar Khadr’s lawyer, Denis Edney, as guest
speaker.
Thank you to everyone who spared what little time they had between readings, lectures and Den nights to give
back to the community. The work that we do would not be possible without our members. SLA makes a positive impact
on the lives of many people in the Calgary area and all of our members can be proud of their role in making this happen.
Top ten reasons why SLA is more fun than going to class
10. Negotiating with the Crown is easier than negotiating with professors.
9. Convincing yourself that everyone on the C-Train respects you because of your suit.
8. No one cares about obiter.
7. Speaking to prostitutes in a context that doesn’t lead to
criminal charges.
6. Listening to first years moan about their course load while
you plan your next ski trip.
5. The people that work at SLA know how to use the computers.
4. Hanging out with Maddy and Moe.
3. Testing out the Socratic Method on clients.
2. In SLA the sound of carrots, celery or apples being consumed
doesn’t drive you mad.
1. YouTube is so much better with sound.

The Moot Notebook
BY Orlagh O’Kelly
It’s April and everyone is wishing this fun was happening
in January, those yonder days when it was easy to pretend
you did not have major research papers to write and 500
pages to read. Boo Hoo. We are here, and there is much to
be happy about. So, what’s hot?
HOT This month the SLS put on the beloved law show,
thanks to the immeasurable student enthusiasm of Geoff
Boddy. Some acts were especially talked about: Asia v.
Newfoundland (that is, Wilma v. Farrell), Professor’s Ko-
shan’s stand-up, Mercer inspired gig and the Flukers, our
very own blast from the past.
NOT 2Ls- according to our anonymous law student for not
law-showing-up. Last year best year?
Around Town
HOT Louise Arbour, Ontario Court of Appeal Justice, Os-
goode law professor, Supreme Court Justice, International
Criminal Tribunal Prosecutor, UN Human Rights High
Commissioner and now head of the International Crisis
Group, accepting the “ Calgary Peace Award.” Arbour, a
diminutive but fiery woman, thrilled the audience with her
lecture on peace versus justice. The seasoned judicial intel-
lectual explained the two principles as co-extensive and
not as mutually exclusive. Her talk was especially timely,
considering the dilemma the international community
ostensibly faced in Darfur with Al Bashir’s arrest warrant
by the ICC. As law students, we can admire and aspire
to her courage in confronting some of the world’s gravest
problems.
NOT : Leave it to Calgary to welcome George W. Bush for
his victory lap. Rumour has it he dined at Medici in Kens-
ington, while Calgarians collected shoes to take up an old
Iraqi tradition.
And because we cannot get a enough HOT-ness during
crunch time:
HOT: Professor Brett Code, sessional lecturer , won the
teaching award at the faculty of law. Professor Jassmine
Girgis has been invited to join the Canadian Insolvency
Foundation (CIF) Board of Directors. The Jessup Team
made it to the Top 8 (in the WORLD- only a few more spots
till they can sing Queen)! The Gale Team off to Hong Kong
soon. Professor John Borrows, foremost aboriginal legal
scholar, gave a talk that did not fit in the traditional cate-
gory of legal lecture and offered hope for the way forward.
The Women’s Court of Canada hit Calgary with a vigour.
Many of the first years had the opportunity to participate in
some work shops with the likes of Sharon McIvor, formerly
of the Native Women’s Association. Now, we need more
upper years to participate in these unique opportunities!
Finally, OUR BEST WISHES TO ALL THE GRADUANDS
wherever your paths may take you, to the firms, to the gov-
ernment, to the courts of Alberta and Canada, or, in some
cases of the, World. We are proud of you!

4
 Exams

Refresh

Summer

See you soon.

2009 Summer Students 2009 / 2010 Articling Students 2010 / 2011 Articling Students
Adrian Etchell Marika Strobl Craig Alcock
Sylvie Welsh Ashley Weldon Fiana Bakshan
Scott Tallman Esther Kim
Kristen Dick
Mark Henderson
Mike Gilchrist
Bronwyn Inkster
Elizabeth Toews
Megan Ross

www.bdplaw.com
Anonymous Confessions of a 2L.

Another school year has passed and what do I have to show for it?
Going to events like the Law Formal and the Law Show have really put things into perspective for me; it has
made this 2L realize that I have spent way too many hours pouring over the books and attending one too many law func-
tions. Oh, and in case there is any confusion, when I say ‘law function’, I mean that in the strictest sense – yes, the meet
and greets, the ‘what-do-you-have-that-impresses-me-enough-to-grant-you-a-job-at-my-prestigious-LLP”.
Don’t get me wrong, I have had some good times studying at the library. I remember going home one Saturday
night feeling pretty satisfied with my night because I was able to finish the last bit of my Contract CAN and was half way
done with my Tort CAN. Talk about productive! And this one time, I even stayed overnight in the library to finish my
ALR assignment. I know what you’re thinking, and its true, I can be pretty rebellious and crazy.
But honestly, what do I have to show for it?
Events like the Law Formal and Law Show and the law school newspaper, Moot Times, have really fostered
a sense of unity and belonging for our law school. Way back when I was a 1L, I was somewhat disappointed that we
didn’t have an annual law formal or a newspaper, because it’s the little things that can really build a sense of ‘community’
for a law school. I found that law school can be clique-ish, and having these events and reading and learning about our
fellow classmates, really brings people together. Okay, I know I’m boarder-line cheesy right now, so I’ll spare you the
rest of my ‘insights’.
But know this, next year I will be out in full-force at all the law school events, and I’m talking about the NON-
“what-do-you-have-that-impresses-me-enough-to-grant-you-a-job-at-my-prestigious-LLP” ones. I will definitely be at
the Law Formal because it was such a great event. I will definitely be at the Law Show and will have one, if not two, acts
lined up. I will write an article for Moot Times because I have something I want to say. I will get out more and focus on
the relationships rather than focus all of my time with the text books. I mean, do you really want to be remembered by
your classmates as the ‘person who was in the library all the time’ or the ‘person who knew how to have fun’ (but not at
the expense of law school – there has to be a balance.
Everyone is so concerned with ‘work-life-balance’, once they get out in the ‘real’ world, but in all honesty, now is
the time to work on that balance because the relationships that you make in law school will follow you for the rest of your
life. Make the most out of your time and get out there.
This years Law Show was a lot of fun, but it was dominated by 3rd year acts. It was actually embarrassing that
we only had Wilma, Erin, Dave and Tim represent. Even the first years had more people on stage than us! It definitely
made this 2L very ashamed but at the same time, very inspired and I hope that everyone else will participate in more
school related events.
Fellow law school students, this is your ‘Call to Action’, because at the end of the day, what will you have to
show for your three years in law school?

Pro Bono Students Canada Named Best Student Organization...in

the World.
BY Tim Ross

As another school year approaches it’s conclusion, it is

important to recognize the contributions of our student volun-
teers who chose to give up the one thing that we’re all in short
supply of...their time.
We were fortunate this year to have a close group of
friends representing the PBSC student executive this year. As
a result, our events were well-organized and well-attended
throughout the year.
The year began with an exec rafting trip that forced us
to learn vital communication and teamwork skills - primarily
when the raft dumped and we nearly died (shout out to Kane
Richards, Lifeguard, for swimming Wilma and Maya to safe-
ty!). Beating the battle with hypothermia proved that we could
count on each other for the rest of the year, from the classroom
to the
curling rink.
Our events were a great success this year, with Wilma Shim providing support (and MC skills) for our well-
attended Public Interest Law Day in September as well as our 6 Just Cause Career Fair in January. Students attending our
events were given the opportunity to hear some candid stories on career paths and public interest law. This included
6
 Barry Robinson, and his journey from Forrester to Ecojustice law-
yer; as well as stories from our own Jennifer Koshan, whose career
has included experiences in remote Northern Canadian communi-
ties, non-profit organizations, and teaching assignments to us.
Our students have proven to be impressive ambassadors of
our law school this year. We have received tremendous feedback
from non-profit organizations in the community based on the work
completed by our volunteers, building positive networks for future
work. This includes a remarkable contribution by two students in
particular this year - First-year students, Jane Marsden and Shannon
Beckett. By contributing countless hours of their own time, the two
students compiled a valuable training and educational resource for
the MCC Centre for Newcomers, an organization that assists immi-
grants to Calgary.
“There is a very high demand for information about immigra-
tion processes, especially among people trying to bring relatives to
Canada,” says MCC Project Leader, Jason Klinck. “Jane and Shan-
non were able to present it in a way that was simple and very useful to help people choose the path which gives them
the highest chances of success.” The project was a great success, providing information to between 60 and 70 clients at
the MCC Centre. Jane and Shannon have been recognized for their efforts as this year’s *PBSC Outstanding Contribution
Award*.
Numerous other projects assisted in increasing access to justice in various ways. From risk assessments to re-
search on health-care legislation - our students have made a significant contribution to the Calgary community, and
for that, we thank them.
If you are interested in signing up for next year’s student executive, please complete the application form avail-
able on the bulliten board outside the PBSC Office (that’s right Mac Con, it’s the PBSC Office). We’d also like to take this
opportunity to congratulate Nabeel Peermohamed and Allison Cintosun, the new Program Coordinator and FLP Coordi-
nator, respectively, forthis year!
Thanks to everyone for a great year, and best of luck on exams.

Hockey Pool updates presented by BD&P

Hockey Pool updates presented by BD&P

Phone: 403-260-0100
Common SenSe, Fax: 403-260-0332
UnCommon InnovatIon . www.bdplaw.com

Phone: 403-260-0100
Common SenSe, Fax: 403-260-0332
UnCommon InnovatIon . www.bdplaw.com

7
Dear K + A
You ask, We answer, Everyone wins @ life.
Submit your questions to answers_live_win@live.com
(Madison got to say “MOTHER****ING”???)
[The views in Moot Times do not represent those of K + A]
Q: The government just cut me a big tax cheque. What should I do
with it?
A: I very much doubt the government actually meant to
give that money to you and not to those Wall Street Fat Cats, so
you’ve basically got two options: give it back to the very people
that got us into this mess, or use it to make a sacrifice to the Holy
Economy itself for forgiveness. That way the Economy won’t be
mad at you anymore, and you’ll be able to quit selling used con-
doms in order to make your mortgage payments. As for an ap-
propriate sacrifice, I say now’s as good a time as any to give up
touching yourself. How will that help, you ask? And exactly how
does this even relate to your tax rebate? I’m not really sure, but it’ll
definitely save you money on electricity since you can leave your
blinds open you sinner.
K: I don’t want to judge you or anything, but your first
problem is that you filed a tax return and now you are on the grid.
Like my grandfather always says over the phone from prison,
“Stay off the grid K, and don’t touch pennies. That’s how they get
you, those goddamn pennies.” Anyways, staying off the grid is for
another day. Let’s spend that cheque! In these uncertain times you
have two options: 1) spend it on something fun, or 2) invest it in the
future. Since I don’t believe in investing in anyone’s future, I say
choose option 1. And what fun item, you ask, should I spend this
cheque on? Well, you take that cheque down to Blockbuster and
buy the Glitter two-disc special-edition collector’s set, full of special
features and even sample glitter [actual glitter!]. What is more fun
than watching a rags-to-riches semi-autobiographical movie that
some (including me) argue changed modern film? I cannot think of
anything...well maybe a Gigli marathon.
Q: What’s the best April Fool’s joke ever?
A: For some good ol’ harmless fun, you could glue a quar-
ter to the floor in a busy place and watch as people try to pick it up!
Alternatively, you could soak a maxi pad with red food colouring
and put it in your classmate’s coffee cup. Either or.
K: Oh man, I got a doozey for you. So my girlfriend of
three years had just said “yes” to my proposal two nights before I
had to go away for the weekend to tell my parents the good news.
I came back on April Fool’s day and she had spent the whole
weekend moving all the stuff out of our apartment, and left me
a note that said, “Don’t try and contact me anymore.” Oh man I
laughed and cried for days. And you know the best part? It has
been two years and she still hasn’t broken character in the joke, not
even a single letter or phone call. Man, she has such a good sense
of humour...and all my credit cards. We are going to be so happy
together.
Q: There are so many summer blockbusters coming out! Which
ones are must-sees?
K: I choose movies based on a very complex set of fac-
tors. But in short, the main thing you want to ask yourself is, will
going to this movie make it more or less likely that I will get lucky
after? Take, for instance, crying. If the movie is going to make you
cry, then it’s probably a bad idea to go to it, since then all you’re
going to hear is, “Oh you cried, let’s talk about your emotions,” and
that’s never a good thing – because, frankly, I just sat through The
Notebook, and I am all emotioned out. Another thing to look for is
the chance that it is going to be a teen date movie. There is noth-
ing worse than you sitting in the theatre and realizing that Johnny
Pimpleface has more game than you, unless your date realizes it
too. But seriously, he wrote her every day for a year, so now is not
the time to pull the old hole-in-the-popcorn trick; these two people
are soul mates, and that’s worth more than third base. Finally, if
you still can’t decide, just go to the one with the most nudity in
it. Because if you aren’t going to get lucky later, at least you were
lucky enough to see the most beautiful kiss in the rain ever. I mean,
if you didn’t break down at that moment, you must be dead inside.
A: According to one “friend,” and 5 painful minutes on
Wikipedia, an extended version of the pilot for BSG (Battlestar Ga-
lactica, if you haven’t figured that out by now) will have its world
premiere exclusively on DVD on April 21, 2009. Now, I definitely
don’t even care about this, but I would like point out that having a
“world premiere exclusively on DVD” is just another way of saying
it’ll be as good as Pikachu’s Winter Vacation, or Jesus Christ Vam-
pire Hunter. I know that’s not the advice you wanted to hear, but
it’s the advice you had to be told.
Q: I am worried about course selection. How do I make sure I pick
courses that won’t pigeonhole me and my future career goals?
A: No matter how much time you spend reading course
descriptions or pouring over conflicting exam dates, when the reg-
istration package is finally released a mere month and a half after
the eleventh hour for this crap, it is probably going to have some
newfangled graduation requirements in it that will totally blow a
hole in your best laid plans anyways. So I suggest spending less
than 10 minutes on picking your courses; it’s probably more time
than was spent on the requirements anyways.
K: Oh, I totally feel your pain and excitement. This is
always a stressful time of year, waiting for the YMCA summer/fall
course packet to come out! I sit at the door waiting for Mr. Mail-
man to drop it off, and every day he doesn’t, I hurl unnecessary
insults about him and his family in blind uncontrollable rage until
he refuses to deliver my mail anymore. I mean, who can hold the
excitement back? So many questions and possibilities. Like, will
they finally offer Advanced Needlepoint, or is that old hag Mildred
sill in the nursing home because of a supposedly broken hip? I have
a semi-finished quilt, Mildred, that I don’t know how to final stitch.
The class won’t teach itself, so man up and teach damn it! Or, will
they finally lift my ban on participating in Handball? I mean, the
kid was asking for it. If I got the rock and you step into my lane, it’s
Thunder Time. I don’t care if the kid was eleven, if you get in my
way I am going to take you down. So yah, I am stoked too; course
selection is always a fun time!
 “Mentoring was a crucial
component of my articling year.
Doors were never closed, and
there was always someone
from whom I could seek advice
or guidance.”

David McKinnon
Bennett Jones Articling Student - 2007-08

At Bennett Jones, we have a long tradition of

recruiting the best and the brightest, ensuring
that you have the opportunity to be mentored by
dynamic lawyers who are leaders in their field.

Teaming up with partners and associates, you

will get out of the library and meet clients, attend
trials and mediations, participate in deals and
work on cutting-edge legal projects.

We make it our business to give you what

you need to be the best. Come work with the
brightest legal minds around and be a part of our
momentum.

CALGARY • TO RONTO • E DMONTON • OT TAWA

bennettjones.com/yourfuture

2009BJ-UofCMootFullPage2.indd 1 11/03/2009 11:02:07 AM

Work/Life Balance
Law Student Abroad: Kate Anderws in Rwanda
Saturday, October 25, 2008 Well, I’m on the road again. The drama at the university was getting to me (it wasn’t
even my drama, I just kept getting caught in other people’s) so I took off. Literally. And it’s been one hell of an adventure
so far.
I booked a flight to Kigali, Rwanda, with the intention of going to see mountain gorillas, hanging out for a few days,
bussing to Kampala, Uganda, chilling there, and then bussing back to Dar. All told, about 10 days - two weekends plus
skipping a week of classes.
Upon arrival in Kigali yesterday, I ditched my bag in my way-overpriced hotel room and headed out to find teh Rwan-
dan tourism office. That’s where you book passes to see the gorillas. Only about 50 people can do this per day, so getting
a pass can be challenging in itself. As I quickly found out. The woman in the tourism office told me that the only permit
available for the rest of the month was for today. Normally, not a big deal, except that the Parc National des Volcanes
is more than 2 hours from Kigali, and tracking starts at 7 am sharp. And it was 4:30 pm. I needed to get on a bus to
Ruhengeri, the town closest to the park. And fast.
Of course, I couldn’t cancel my over-priced hotel room, so I accepted that I’d have to pay for 2 rooms for the night
and immediately went about getting ready to go. I did a pretty bad job of it, actually. I did get a bus ticket, but I didn’t
take enough money out of the bank (can’t be done outside Kigali) and failed to buy food or water or anything else useful
and nourishing. The bus to Ruhengeri took about two hours on crazy-bumpy roads, which, as I was sitting near the front,
I could see the dangers of far too well. After paying for yet another overpriced hotel room, I went straight to bed. I didn’t
sleep well, though. I found a beetle under the covers and engaged in some useless wondering about what else could be
lurking in my room... a black mamba perhaps? giant cockroaches? Plus, I’d been up so early in the morning and hadn’t
eaten properly, so my body was just plain confused.
This morning I was up bright and early to attend the gorilla briefing at 7. I ended up in a group with an overland
tour, so lots of nice people. The eight of us, plus two guides, one porter, and two armed soldiers (to keep us safe from
rogue elephants, we were assured... right, elephants in dense bamboo jungle) would be visiting group number 13. It’s
important to understand exactly how regimented this gorilla tracking program is. Trackers follow the gorillas all day and
send in a GPS signal when they settle in for the night. In the morning, they pick up where they left off and keep in con-
stant contact with the guided group, directing it toward the gorillas. Each group is visited daily by only eight people, and
for exactly one hour. Oh, and the whole shebang costs about $500. This is not a zoo, not even a game reserve. This is the
Virunga mountain home of the gorillas. We’re the visitors.
Of course, since the gorillas have free range over their entire home territory, they’re not conveniently located.
And it’s rainy season in Rwanda, a fact of which I was unaware. We hiked, mostly uphill, for more than three hours
before stumbling across the group. And I gained about 10 lbs in mud. The fact that I am not naturally graceful meant that
I was the dirtiest in the bunch. The fact that I was wearing elastic-topped shoes that kept getting sucked off in the mud-
holes meant that my feet got good long mud treatment. That’s good for the skin, right?
It was hard work, but so worth it. I can’t wait to put up my pictures, because they are absolutely incredible. Goril-
las are herbivorous, so they just hang out eating bamboo all day long. Each group is headed by a silverback male (12-30
years old) and consists of his wives and babies, as well as a variety of young males. When we found them, the group was
kicking back before lunch. The silverback was asleep with his feet in the air, the sub-adult males were tussling; practicing
for becoming top gorilla one day, and the females were feeding their babies. We were maybe 2-3 meters away, you could
practically reach out and touch them. Except that a Rwandan soldier would probably kill you for it. We followed them
around as they ate and the young ones climbed in the bamboo and tumbled off, poking at one another, generally being
annoying siblings. The hour went by so fast I could barely believe it. They barely even noticed us; they’re habituated to
humans, but not familiar. For that reason, you have to stay quiet, no flashes, no pointing, no food, etc while you visit. We
left everything but our cameras with one of the soldiers a little back from the group.
I’ve been trying, but the experience was really indescribable. I’m sure the pictures make more sense. In the mean-
time, I’m sore and tired, and my shoes and socks are not salvageable. Shame really... I like those sneakers. But I spent
an hour trying to clean them in the hotel room bathtub, and it’s just not happening. I also haven’t eaten since yesterday
around lunchtime, so I’m going to grab some dinner and head to bed. Tomorrow, I go back to Kigali for a day or two. The
city’s super-expensive, and it’s difficult to do much there, so I think I’ll try and get to Kampala sooner rather than later.
Hopefully I’ll be able to update you all from there.
- Kate Andrews

11
cOMMITTED TO YOUR SUccESS AND
DEVELOPMENT.

So your goal is to be at the forefront in your chosen area of the law? BLG is committed to providing you
with the tools to become successful, as a student starting out and throughout your legal career. Through our
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To find out more about BLG, and how our mentor and professional development programs set us apart,
visit us at www.blgcanada.com/students/welcome or contact one of our recruitment professionals.

Kyla Sandwith, LL.B. Valérie Dufour, LL.B. Joanne Silkauskas, LL.B.

Calgary Montréal Ottawa
ksandwith@blgcanada.com vdufour@blgcanada.com jsilkauskas@blgcanada.com

Halla Elias, LL.B. Marketta Jokinen, LL.B. Rick Morelli, LL.B.

Toronto Vancouver Waterloo Region
helias@blgcanada.com mjokinen@blgcanada.com rmorelli@blgcanada.com

CALGARY MONTRÉAL O T TA W A TORONTO VA N C O U V E R W AT E R L O O R E G I O N

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP is an Ontario Limited Liability Partnership.
Lawyers • Patent & Trade-mark Agents • Avocats • Agents de brevets et de marques de commerce
Calgary Alum Takes in the “Boom inside the Bust”
BY Orlagh O’Kelly

Nary a couple years has passed since Robyn Gurofsky left the pre-renovated hallways of Murray Fraser Hall for
greater prospects downtown. When Gurofsky began articling with Borden Ladner Gervais in 2007, Calgary’s boom cycle
was in full force, legal work was in high demand and articling students were sought after.
“We were the last year of the big hiring group,” Gurofsky said. “At least in the big firms, you were not really wor-
ried about not getting hired back after articling because there was such a high demand for people.”
Times they are a changing and so too is the nature of Gurofsky’s commercial litigation work. In fact, she was
featured in a Globe and Mail articled entitled “The Boom inside the Bust,” which referred to the boom of legal work in the
areas of insolvency and bankruptcy.
“In litigation, it just so happens that there are a lot of insolvency files coming because of the market,” Gurofsky
said, clarifying that she still does other work as well.
Although the nature of the work is changing, the big question on most students’ minds these days is the avail-
ability of the work. When some of us started law school that was the last question on our minds. Gurofsky cautiously
commented on the situation.
“I can only surmise that it will be more difficult than it was in previous years because of the markets,” she contin-
ued. “We hear of companies and firms in the city letting people go. Things will turn around, but I only know what I read.
What I read varies, some saying that in 6 months the hiring freeze will stop. At the same time, I see other reports that say
five years.”
Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s had rosy reports a few weeks ago that Canada
would be the first to bounce back. Yet at the articling seminar, the firms were unclear as to
whether or not the economy would affect their hiring. So what should students seeking sum-
mer employment or articling positions do?
Gurofsky offers some realistic advice, suggesting that “the best thing to do is to keep
doing what you were doing. “ She adds that students would do well to gain broad experience
while in law school, to really know where your interests lie.
For Gurofsky, experience meant doing what she liked best- being involved with
Student Legal Assistance. “I knew that I liked litigation, but didn’t know what area I wanted
to practice in,” she said. So when bankruptcy and insolvency work landed on her desk, she
admits that she came to “really enjoy it.”
That’s all we can do in uncertain times: soldier on, while following our paths. In the
meantime, we can enjoy learning, and, if we’re lucky enough, we can continue learning in
Gurofsky’s favourite class- Rafferty’s first Royby Gurofsky
year Contracts.

Why I Miss Napster

BY Adam Oppenheim

There’s a legendary story that Jim Morrison threw a TV through a recording booth win-
dow when he saw a Ford commercial featuring Light my Fire. He couldn’t stomach his music,
his art, being used to drive car sales. But that was the past. Nowadays it’s a-ok to put your
music on an advertisement. Shit, the Ipod commercial is pretty much singularly responsible for
breaking Feist. Even musical stalwarts like Wilco are giving their music up to the TV. So what
changed? What made it all right for a band to whore out their music? Why aren’t music purists
screaming bloody Mary when a band sells out, goes for that dirty advertising buck? What hap-
pened? Well, we all stopped paying for music.
Back in the day (like a couple of years ago) there were three primary streams for an art-
ist to generate revenue- records, touring and merchandise. But then came Napster. Suddenly
every Jr. high kid’s computer had ICQ (uh-oh), a hotmail account, and a pirate download site.
Napster made it possible for a casual fan to have more music in their possession than the most
die-hard record collector. With the click of a button, and a pretty powerful modem, any listener could have an entire art-
ist discography for the cost of a Shaw cable bill.
Now, I reside in that small pool of people who buys the disc if they like the tracks they download. But I like hav-
ing the CD in my hand. I’m into liner notes, album art, and all that other nerdy swag. Pre- Napster, my album purchases
were largely based on tracks I heard on independent radio. Seeing as how singles on commercial radio are formulaic and
bland, my record collection was chiefly devoid of mainstream music. But Napster changed all of that.
I don’t think there’s anything particularly exciting about Kanye singles. I know people love the guy, but I found Gold
Digger more obnoxious than danceable. What download sites let me do is get past that, hear the single in the context

13
of the entire disc, realize that there’s more there than the artists to direct their careers without the interference and
make money-money track. Now even music snobs like dictatorial direction of the labels. There is a shortcoming
me own Kanye albums. So if Napster had the power to to the artist driven, DIY, Internet marketing. It means that
appease music fans and the mass populace all at once, why the music is over-saturated with tunes, good or bad, and
did the labels despise it so? Well, because they’re run by a it’s harder for the listener to sift through it all and find that
bunch of corporate fat cat dickheads. new band that really turns them on. But a band will come
Major entertainment distributors just love quash- along that’ll figure out how to standout in the Internet
ing the most effective marketing tools available to them quagmire. They’ll do it all by themselves, labelless, and
since TVs tuned in everyone’s’ living room. Go on You- emerge as bonafide superstars. It’ll be the best underdog
tube and try to find SNL skits. What’ll greet your search story to ever grace Rolling Stone’s cover. Right under the
is a content removed message. Sure, SNL puts its skits on cover story headline titled “XXXXX: An Unlikely Tri-
its website, but who goes there? Users always go where umph”, will undoubtedly be the sub-story tag-line “Labels:
they’re familiar. Radiohead released In Rainbows with a An Unfortunate Tragedy”.
pay-what-you-feel-its-worth for-
mat on the band’s website. The
fan could pay absolutely nothing
and download the album, or pay
$1,000.00 and download the album.
I personally paid $10.00. Here’s the
thing, anyone could have gone to Where great lawyers go.
radiohead.com and downloaded
the album for free. And yet, even
with the ability to go straight to the
source and pay absolutely nothing,
downloads from torrent databases
outnumbered the downloads from
the band’s site by almost 2:1. Listen-
ers instinctively went to the pirate
websites.
So what confronts today’s
entertainment industry is the ines-
capable availability of free down-
loads. The product is completely
accessible without having to pay as
much as a dime. Now the natural
move for the labels would have www.mdstudents.ca
been to say so long to the old model
and manipulate the download sites
to generate popularity for the bands.
I mean the more people that know
about the band, the more chance the
label has to sell t-shirts to hipster
music fans so that they can wear
them under their plaid long-sleeves.
Instead, they sued a 12-year-old girl
for downloading Brittney songs,
and forced her to write an apology
letter to Miss/Mrs/Miss/Mrs/Miss
Spears.
Now what? If the labels are
dying, and they most definitely are,
what does an up-and-coming band
do? Well who knows exactly, but
certainly it resides in the Internet.
The Internet made it possible for Calgary · Toronto · Moscow · Almaty / Atyrau
a talentless (and obnoxious) Tila Caracas · Rio de Janeiro · www.macleoddixon.com
Tequila to turn herself into a house-
hold name (even my mom knows
who TT is). The Internet is allowing

14
Law Students Play Hockey Too
The Ambulance Chasers won the Intramural B Di-
vision championship this week. Officially, they represent-
ed the Faculty of law, but the team was loaded, including
former Dino, Drew Campbell, former Lake Forest Universi-
ty hockey player, Cory Wilson, and good namesake, Jamie
Kariya.
The Championship win was no suprise, as the
Ambulance Chasers accumulated a 8-1-1 record. But that
did not take away from the glory of the 4-2 win. The oppos-
ing team pulled their goalie, allowing Cory Wilson to score
the final goal on an empty net. Team Captain, Campbell,
was very proud of the team’s accomplishments and sad let
some go.
“The team would like to say goodbye and thank
you to the third years who played, namely Kevin Kerr, Ken
Ritson, Scott Tallman, Jamie Kariya,” Campbell said.
Now the Ambulance Chasers are turning their at-
tention to championship exam writing.

15
 Sunday Monday
5 6
Take Flight - a
festival of Drama
department’s work
is on this week at
the Reeve Theatre
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 2 3 4
If you want to feel
Moot Times good about yourself Imagenes: Imag-
appreciation or to just feel lame es of Flamenco
party at the Den! go to Nickleback at
the Pengrowth. The on at the Univer-
Thank you to “best” Alberta has sity Theatre, at
our supporters! to offer. 8PM
7 8 9 10 11
Winter session Good Friday
lectures end Check out
Rene El Gitano with
Pachanga Latino
Band & El Mariachiat
La Pachenga Latino
Restaurant

12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Globe Columnist, Jef- Faculty of
Exams Start! If you have time, frey Simpson speaks
Gavin Ross-
Easter Sunday Easter Mon- Law’s “Beware
Calgary Job and on campus at ISEEE of Undergrads” dale with Suzie
day Country fans can Distinguished Speaker
Education fair Day - BSD runs McNeil at the
enjoy Aaron Pritch- Series 2009:
on at Big Four Energy and Environ- wild on campus MacEwan Ball-
University while we write
ett tonight ment: Ethics and Justice
Closed Building in a Global Society exams room

19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Done exams yet? Enjoy entertainment For those of you have Let Loose with Last day of Grad Banquet
and network not figured it out yet, exams!!! in Banff
Get it off your 2008/09 BD&P World check out Beyond The Get Down
Now that you have The Weaker-
chest at Bob the Music Series High School: Career with Battle time check out:
Fish’s open mic featuring Dobet Gna- and Life Management Snakes & the Edward Burtynsky:
thans in Calgary
hore. www.epcorcen- for the Gifted at the The Residual Land- and Leonard
night: tre.org U of C Exploding Pigs
scapes at the Whyte Cohen in Ed-
Magnus-Bennett at Broken Cit Museum
hosts monton.