Winograd Symposium on Law and Jewish Life
The Winograd Symposium on Law and Jewish Life is an annual forum for students and early-career scholars from across Canada and internationally whose research intersects with law and Jewish life, broadly defined. It is typically held in early May.
At the Symposium, presenters are grouped into thematic panels and deliver 10-15 minute presentations on works in progress. Each panel is followed by a Q&A session in which presenters respond to questions from faculty advisors, legal professionals, fellow participants, and other attendees.
Generous research prizes are awarded at the Symposium, and the Winograd Initiative covers travel expenses for presenters, including airfare and hotel accommodation for those travelling to Winnipeg.
Selected presenters may be invited to submit completed papers for possible publication in a special issue of the Manitoba Law Journal.
The Symposium’s primary goal is to develop and promote the next generation of scholars researching all aspects of law and Jewish life.
May 2, 2027
2027 Winograd Symposium
The second annual Winograd Symposium on Law and Jewish Life will take place on May 2, 2027, at The Leaf in Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Research presentations and panel discussions are expected to run from approximately 9:00am-5:00pm, with a reception to follow from approximately 5:00pm-7:00pm.
Eligible students and early-career scholars based at institutions in Canada and internationally are invited to submit proposals. Anyone interested in supporting scholarship on law and Jewish lfie may also register to attend.
Past Symposia
May 3, 2026
2026 Winograd Symposium
The inaugural Winograd Symposium on Law and Jewish Life was held on May 3, 2026, at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
The Symposium featured 18 student presenters, divided into panels on the following topics: Definitions and Legal Frameworks; Community Impacts and Lived Realities; Constitutional Law, Rights, and Institutional Governance; and Law, Culture, and Legal Interpretation.
Presentations examined subjects including campus responses to antisemitism, Canadian hate-speech law, Jewish identity in human-rights law, legal history of Jewish organizations, Holocaust-art restitution, statutory interpretation through Jewish legal sources, religious practice, and the experiences of displaced Ukrainian Jews.
Following the Symposium, Hailey Kobrin (PhD Candidate at York University) and Camille Lisser (JD student at the University of Toronto) were named co-winners of the Best Paper Award, with each receiving $1,500. Several Honourable Mentions of $500 each were also awarded.
Special thanks to DD West LLP for sponsoring the 2026 Winograd Symposium.