Osgoode Looking to Undergo Makeover

By: Lawrence Gridin · October 17, 2008 · Filed Under Law Career, Law School · Add Comment 

“I was practically embarrassed to see such a horrible looking building,” [business leader and philanthropist, Ignat Kaneff, said] of his visit to the school where his daughter, Kristina, is a student. “It was awful.”

Many who know Osgoode Hall law school would echo this sentiment. Indeed, my anonymous friend at the school had this to say about the building: “like a bunker, but with fewer windows.”

Even the school’s website sports few photos of the building, probably for this very reason.

However, Osgoode’s Advancement Office has embarked on a campaign to remedy the situation.

Osgoode\'s new wing (exterior)

The Building Osgoode campaign is trying to raise $25 million to add an impressive new wing to the law school. The wing will include a rare books library, a lounge, and a new cafeteria. All of this will be centered around an expansive glass atrium.

According to the campaign’s website,

The Building Osgoode Campaign, however, is not strictly about bricks and mortar. It is about creating a centre for legal education that will equip young lawyers to face the challenge of constant change in the years ahead. Today’s law graduates must be able to navigate a legal system that is ever shifting, increasingly global in nature, and continually giving rise to new ethical and professional questions. Imparting this knowledge takes more than outstanding faculty, it requires physical facilities that match the ambition of the education provided. The Building Osgoode Campaign will give us the tools we need to fully engage a demanding future.

Osgoode\'s new wing (atrium)I got in touch with Anita Herrmann, Osgoode’s Office of Advancement Director. Ms. Herrmann’s office is in charge of the Building Osgoode campaign. She explains:

We’re in the final planning stages so I can’t offer any specifics on what will happen, but I can say that it will be a spectacular transformation that will focus on student space and improving the student experience.  We are planning to break ground next May.

Ignatt Kaneff has generously donated $2.5 million towards the project. Other notable donors include Canada Law Book, Goodmans LLP, and Ogilvy Renault.

Construction is expected to take two years to complete.

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