featured in the Globe and Mail
It’s not by chance that the Law faculty at the University of Windsor in Ontario is one of the most diverse law schools in Canada. A conscious effort over several years has aimed to make the faculty more representative of Canada’s evolving demographic profile.
And with Statistics Canada projecting that approximately one-third of the country’s population will be made up of visible minorities by 2031, the effort will continue, says Reem Bahdi, Dean of Windsor Law.
“A growth in racialized communities in the general population will increase the demand for diverse lawyers who can relate to their clients in a professional and personal manner,” she says. “As the legal profession’s pipeline, law schools share the responsibility of recruiting, retaining and training a diverse workforce.”
Windsor Law introduced a holistic admissions policy in 1978 based on the philosophy that merit and excellence are reflected not only the ability to earn good grades and LSAT scores but also through strength of character, a commitment to community and a commitment to the equal dignity and worth of all individuals.
“Though we have never had identity-based admissions targets, this philosophy has produced a highly diverse student body for decades,” says Dean Bahdi.