ALUMNI COMMUNITY
Class Acts Graduation anniversaries provide former McGill Law classmates with an opportunity to celebrate, reconnect and reminisce about their best law school memories. They have also inspired a tradition of making a class gift to the Faculty in order to create new opportunities for future generations of students. Here’s how the classes of 1989 and 1999 are helping build McGill Law’s future. Class of 1989: Providing a world-class learning environment
Class of 1999: Experiences of a lifetime
To mark the 30th anniversary of their graduation,
For the members of the class of ’99, extracurricular
the class of ’89 set a record when they exceeded a
activities provided learning experiences that helped
$350,000 fundraising objective to make the largest
shape them as jurists, business people and citizens-
single-class gift in the history of McGill Law. The
at-large. Two decades after walking across the stage at
donation will allow the Faculty to transform a
Convocation, 20th-year reunion campaign co-chairs
second-floor classroom into a flexible learning space.
Stéphanie Lapierre and Patrick M. Shea, led the class in
In addition, the cohort will contribute to the recruit-
raising over $200,000 to support student experiences
ment of promising young leaders by establishing a
for future cohorts of McGill Law students.
scholarship aimed at supporting students who have faced systemic barriers to education.
“Extracurricular activities were very important to all of us,” said Shea. “We were certainly a very social class that
“We were very fortunate to see our informal — and,
was always well represented at weekly Coffee Houses,
some thought, lofty — initiative to raise funds for our
which were held in the old Common Room during our
alma mater materialize into this incredible achieve-
first three years. In our final year, we inaugurated the
ment,” said Arthur Wechsler, a co-chair of the class’
atrium as the first graduating class to hold Coffee Houses
initiative. “It was very important for us to establish
there. More formal, organized activities like competitive
not only a brand-new endowed scholarship for
mooting, clubs, internships and conferences were also
deserving students, but also to create a state-of-the-
foundational elements of our collective law school
art physical space that will allow students to learn in a
experience.” The bonds they developed extended far
more contemporary and interactive environment.”
beyond their student years, with the class of ’99
Three decades out from McGill Law, the class of ’89
representing the largest contingent at the 2019 Law
remains a tightly knit group. Last year’s reunion
Alumni Homecoming Banquet.
brought back almost 50 classmates, who enjoyed a
“We created the class of 1999 Student Opportunities
weekend recollecting their days in Old Chancellor
Fund in order to provide critical resources that will
Day Hall, Skit Nights, Law Games at different facul-
enhance the number and quality of experiential learning
ties across Canada, and intramural baseball teams,
opportunities for students for many years to come,”
among many other events and activities.
Shea notes.
“The McGill Law class of 1989 fundraising objective could never have been achieved without the help and tremendous collaboration of the co-chairs, namely my colleagues Tom Friedland, Jean Lortie and Jennifer Dolman,” said Wechsler. “Most importantly, it was a testament to the bonds forged in the McGill Faculty of Law that have now endured for over 30 years.”
Call to action How will your class help shape McGill Law’s next century? Your support is essential in helping the Faculty of Law remain at the forefront of training, research and serving the public good. To find out about ongoing class initiatives or to volunteer as a class champion, please reach out to Julie Timmins at julie.timmins@mcgill.ca.
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