Professor Rory Gillis Recognized with Western Law Award for Teaching Excellence
April 28, 2026
Western Law is proud to recognize Professor Rory Gillis as the recipient of Western Law’s 2026 Award for Teaching Excellence, celebrating his exceptional contributions to classroom teaching, student engagement, and mentorship.
The Award for Teaching Excellence acknowledges the outstanding efforts of full-time faculty in fostering the academic and professional development of students. The criteria for selection include course design, classroom teaching, innovative course delivery and assessment methods, student mentorship, and educational leadership.
“Professor Gillis exemplifies the very best of Western Law’s commitment to teaching excellence,” said Dean Mohamed Khimji. “His ability to engage, challenge, and support students reflects the kind of transformative learning experience we strive to provide.”
Since joining Western Law in 2021, Professor Gillis has quickly established himself as an outstanding educator whose teaching reflects the Faculty’s commitment to academic excellence and student-centred learning. Across courses such as Income Taxation and Constitutional Law, he is known for delivering intellectually rigorous, engaging instruction that helps students navigate complex legal concepts with confidence and precision.
“No other law school instructor has delivered as effective of a classroom teaching experience as Professor Gillis,” wrote one student referee. “He has an exceptional ability to simplify legal principles without trivializing them, allowing students to cut through the irrelevant and reach the important principles.”
For Professor Gillis, teaching excellence is grounded in clarity, dialogue, and respect for students as developing professionals.
“My goal in the classroom is to help students build confidence in their own legal reasoning,” Gillis said. “That means focusing on core principles, welcoming thoughtful questions, and treating students as active participants in the learning process.”
Students also point to the inclusive and dynamic nature of Professor Gillis’s classrooms, where discussion is encouraged and every contribution is taken seriously.
“Every classroom contribution was welcome,” one student referee noted. “Professor Gillis weaves students’ comments into discussions of legal principles in a way that is clear, meaningful, and deeply engaging.”
Beyond the classroom, Professor Gillis is widely recognized for his exceptional mentorship, particularly through first-year small group instruction. Students emphasize the depth and personalization of his feedback, as well as his generosity in supporting clerkship and other career pathways.
The Award for Teaching Excellence recognizes not only Professor Gillis’s effectiveness as an instructor, but also the lasting effects of his mentorship and commitment to student learning—hallmarks of the Western Law experience.
