Martha Shaffer recognized with 2025 Mewett Teaching Award

Martha Shaffer, a professor in the Faculty of Law, has been recognized with the 2025 Alan Mewett Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The annual award is given to a faculty member who exhibits excellence in teaching as selected by members of the graduating class. This is Shaffer's third award in five years, having previously received the honour in 2021 and 2024.

"Renowned for her ability to communicate legal concepts clearly and effectively, Professor Shaffer's evidence class is one of the most sought-after at the faculty," said Faculty of Law alum Isabel Brisson, president of the Students' Law Society in 2024/25. "Her approachability and unwavering dedication to student success in and out of the classroom have been a key part of many students’ law school experience."

Shaffer teaches criminal law, evidence law and legal methods and has taught family law as well as courses on cultural diversity and gender issues. She writes in the areas of family and criminal law, with a focus on gender, violence against women and the use of social science evidence to inform legal reasoning. She holds law degrees from Harvard University and U of T.

“Thank you, Class of 2025. It has been an honour to get to know you over the past three years both inside and outside of class," Shaffer said. "Alan Mewett was my mentor when I joined the Faculty and receiving the Mewett Award is especially meaningful.”