معرفی
Martha Shaffer is a Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Toronto, where she has been teaching since 1990. She holds law degrees from Harvard and the University of Toronto and previously served as a law clerk to Chief Justice Brian Dickson at the Supreme Court of Canada.
- Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (2017-present)
- Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (1996-2017)
- Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto (1990-1996)
- Boulton Junior Fellow, Faculty of Law, McGill University (Jan.-June 1989)
Professor Shaffer received her LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 1990, her LL.B. with honours from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1987, and her A.B. magna cum laude in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University in 1983.
Her research focuses on family and criminal law, with particular emphasis on gender issues, violence against women, and the application of social science evidence in legal reasoning. She teaches Criminal Law, Evidence Law, and Legal Methods, and has also taught Family Law and courses on cultural diversity and gender issues. Her scholarly work demonstrates a consistent engagement with evolving legal standards in family law through her annual 'Developments in Family Law' articles covering Supreme Court decisions.
Professor Shaffer's research trajectory shows strong continuity in examining how legal frameworks address gender dynamics, particularly in family law contexts. Her work on spousal support agreements, divorce mediation from a feminist perspective, and the intersection of social science evidence with legal reasoning reveals a scholarly commitment to understanding how law impacts gender relations. Her criminal law scholarship, particularly on hate crimes and duress defenses, demonstrates complementary interests in how criminal law responds to societal challenges.
Professor Shaffer has published extensively on family law developments, contributing annual reviews of Supreme Court decisions that have become valuable resources for legal practitioners and scholars. Her collaborative work with Carol Rogerson on spousal support agreements demonstrates engagement with colleagues in her field.
Professor Shaffer maintains an active scholarly presence through her SSRN profile with 9 papers accumulating over 2,000 downloads, indicating her work's relevance to the legal community. Her teaching portfolio includes core courses like Criminal Law and Evidence Law, reflecting her expertise in fundamental legal subjects while also addressing specialized topics related to gender and diversity.
