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You are invited to join us for an evening of conversation and community building with the Honourable Gloria J. Epstein, Com'72, lead investigator of the .

The first part of the evening will be spent in conversation with Judge Epstein at on the findings and recommendations of the released in 2021, which indicated that systemic discrimination contributed to the failings of Toronto Police missing person investigations, particularly for 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, new immigrants, refugees, and racialized communities. 

The conversation will be followed by a community reception hosted by the Faculty of Law at the historic  from 7:45 â€“&²Ô²ú²õ±è;9 pm EST with Dean Mark Walters. Hors d'oeuvres will be served at the reception and a cash bar will be available.

This event is hosted by the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Queer Alumni Chapter, in partnership with Smith School of Business, ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Faculty of Law, and the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Toronto Alumni Branch. This event was made possible with generous sponsorships from Dentons Canada LLP, Propeller Coffee Co., and the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Alumni Association.

¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ the Speakers

The Honourable Gloria J. Epstein, Com'72 (she/her)

The , has 45 years of experience in the Canadian legal industry – as a lawyer, a trial judge, an appellate judge, and in leading complex government reviews.

Judge Epstein graduated from Queen’s University in 1972 with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce. She studied Law at the University of Toronto and obtained her L.L.B. in 1977, practising civil litigation at two large Toronto law firms before starting her own firm, Gloria Epstein and Associates, in 1985. She was appointed to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice in 1993 and to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in 2007, where, for 11 years she wrote and participated in the determination of appeals.

In 2018, she retired from the Court of Appeal to accept the Toronto Police Services Board’s invitation to lead the Independent Civilian Review into Missing Persons Investigations, a review prompted by the disappearances of a number of people connected with Toronto’s Gay Village, many of whom were found to have been murdered by Bruce McArthur. Released in April 2021, Judge Epstein’s Report was received with universal acclaim. Significantly, the Chief of the Toronto Police Service has publicly committed to implementing all of the Report’s 151 Recommendations.

Judge Epstein’s many community contributions include her having founded the McMurtry Gardens of Justice, being Co-Chair of the Ontario Justice Education Network, and serving as a Director of the Canadian Women’s Foundation. She is currently a member of the Pathways to Education National Board of Directors, the Sinai Health Foundation Board of Directors, and the Smith School of Business Advisory Board.

In 2007, Judge Epstein received a University of Toronto Arbor Award for volunteerism, and in 2013 she received a YWCA Women of Distinction Award. Judge Epstein has been further honoured by having bestowed upon her two honorary Doctor of Laws - the first by the Law Society in 2019 and the second in 2022 by the University of Toronto.

In July 2021, Judge Epstein received her Mediator Accreditation from the London School of Mediation, recognized by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and is currently a member of Arbitration Place as an arbitrator and mediator.

Pam Hrick, Law'13, Event Moderator (she/her)

is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) in Toronto. She provides leadership, support, and direction to LEAF's work to advance gender equality through litigation, law reform, and public education.

Before joining LEAF, Pam practiced law at Stockwoods LLP. She clerked for the Hon. Justice Thomas Cromwell at the Supreme Court of Canada and the Hon. Justice David Stratas at the Federal Court of Appeal. Prior to commencing her legal career, Pam served as Legislative Advisor to Ontario's Attorney General. She maintained a position as the Chair of the Board of Management of The 519 from Sept. 2021 to Nov. 22, a city organization that advocates for the inclusion of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and Chair of the Canadian Bar Association's Administrative Law Section.

Pam obtained her B.Soc.Sci. from the University of Ottawa in 2007, a J.D. from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ in 2013, and an LL.M. from New York University in 2019. She has been recognized as a Leader to Be Proud Of by Start Proud, a Precedent Setter by Precedent Magazine, and a Douglas Miller Rising Star by the Canadian Bar Association. 

Event Details

6 pm: Doors Open
6:15 – 7:40 pm: Conversation with the Honourable Gloria J. Epstein at The 519
7:45 – 9 pm: Community Reception at the Glad Day Bookshop 

Both venues are fully accessible.
Paid street parking and transit is available nearby. 

Dress code: Business Casual