Thornton: Success lies at the edge of the puddle

Robert Thornton

For happiness, Thornton encouraged graduates to “embrace imperfection, whether in yourself, or others, or both.” He recalled a comical dinner conversation with his wife, where his advice to accept imperfection was initially well-received, until she realized he meant his imperfections, too.

To become extraordinary, Thornton encouraged continuous growth. He recalled a second-year moot competition where, despite his partner winning Best Oralist, they were eliminated early because of his own poor performance. He explains that despite feeling like a failure, he did not let this moment define him. He worked to improve and highlighted a special moment later in his career where he eventually appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada, and his daughter messaged him from her dorm room: “Way to go, Daddy.”

He closed with a powerful demonstration involving a drop of water resisting gravity through surface tension. That thin, curved edge, he explained, is called the “chaordic interface”, where order and chaos meet. “Where dynamism and creativity are at the centre of all things,” he said. 

“It’s your choice, you can follow precedent, do what others have done and stay in the middle. Or you can go to the edge, do new things, create new precedents, and do what's never been done before,” Thornton concluded. 

Class valedictorian Ciaran Sheahan (JD ’25) took the stage at the Awards Ceremony to reflect on the journey of the graduating class and the community that shaped their time at law school.

Ciaran Sheahan

“Today is all about marking and celebrating the conclusion of one incredible journey and the beginning of another,” said Sheahan, whose speech combined humour, gratitude, and heartfelt reflections on the Western Law experience, ranging from the anxieties of first-year orientation to the stress of exams, the late nights at the library (and Dennings), and the ever-changing role that law students play as mentors to those who follow.

He spoke highly of the uniquely collegial Western Law culture, saying, “What makes the Western Law student experience so special is that it helps craft students not only into sharp legal minds but into conscientious, thoughtful individuals.”

Sheahan emphasized gratitude towards peers, professors, and loved ones, for their part in the journey, and acknowledged the challenges facing the profession as graduates step into a rapidly changing world.

“As lawyers, we have a duty to society to hold ourselves to the highest standards of honesty and integrity… to defend the principles that we hold dearest, even if it is the difficult or unpopular thing to do,” he said.

He concluded his speech with a call to carry forward the values learned in their time at Western Law; for students to be proud of what they’ve accomplished, to have some pride in how they carry themselves each day, and finally, “Be kind, be thoughtful, be authentic. Be the person who sends the elevator back down. That is, after all, the Western Law way.”

Robert Thornton, Keynote Address

Ciaran Sheahan, Valedictory Address

 A list of awards presented at the ceremony can be found below.