F[O]CUS

droit law

Fièrement enracinés à Montréal, we reach out to the world

AUTOMNE 2019

In this issue

2

16

14

FEATURES

24

COMMUNAUTÉ DE DIPLÔMÉ.E.S

2  Tech @ McGill Law

5 Alumni in Senior Roles

Entrevue avec les professeurs Fabien Gélinas et Ignacio Cofone

12  Actions, connexions, inspirations!

8 LGBTQ2+Alumni and Allies Launch Everett Klippert Scholarship

18 Young Alumni to Watch

Un regard sur le Programme L.E.X.

21 The appeal of McGill Law 29 Alumnotes

14  Un honneur suprême

35 Événements des diplômé.e.s en photos

A look back at the distinguished legal career of Justice Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85

43 Annual Giving – Class Success Stories 44 The Chancellor Day Circle

16  McGill Bicentennial:

Leading in Law across Time

FROM THE FACULTY

A snapshot of the Faculty of Law’s Bicentennial Project

1 Le mot du doyen 4 Faculty News

24  En vedette : Le Centre

de développement professionnel

Un coup d’œil sur comment le Centre aide les etudiant.e.s à intégrer au marché de l’emploi

F[O]CUS

droit law

PHOTOGRAPHES

DESIGN ET MISE EN PAGE

David Beyda

Steven McClenaghan

Claudio Calligaris

McGill Graphics Design

Robert Leckey Brian Peebles Heather L. M. Powers CONTRIBUTORS Philip Fine

Sébastien Thibault

28 Collation des grades du printemps 2019

Sarah Huzarski

Lysanne Larose

Cover Illustration by

10 Student Experiences Here and Abroad

RÉDACTRICE EN CHEF

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

AUTOMNE 2019

9 Featuring Grad Studies – The Clive B. Allen Fellowship

Lysanne Larose Annick Poitras, BCL/LLB Student Mark Witten

Owen Egan Lysanne Larose Nicolas Morin Taurus Multimedia David Woolfall PROOFREADERS Hayley Juhl Serge Lamarre TRANSLATION McGill University Translation Services

Focus Law est publié par l’équipe des communications de la Faculté de droit de McGill. Faculté de droit Université McGill 3644, rue Peel Montréal (Québec) H3A 1W9 www.mcgill.ca/law ebulletin.law@mcgill.ca

DEAN’S MESSAGE

Le mot du doyen @DeanLeckey

It’s been an another extraordinary year for your

Looking to McGill’s third century, we focus on how

Faculty of Law. Within these pages, you’ll find stories

we can best cultivate the leaders of tomorrow. We aim

and images of many inspiring initiatives and accom-

to prepare our graduates to deal with uncertainty,

plishments by our faculty, students, and alumni.

to adapt swiftly to change, and to bring creativity,

While we celebrate the achievements of the past year,

appreciation for the rule of law, and sensitivity to differ-

my mind is on the future. We and other faculties are

ence to their endeavours in public and private sectors,

preparing to celebrate McGill’s bicentennial. While the

wherever they go. In our teaching and research, we

Faculty of Law wasn’t established until 1848, McGill

focus on how we can shape a better world by address-

was founded in 1821. To mark this milestone, the

ing some of our time’s most pressing issues. These

university has launched Made By McGill: the Campaign

challenges include regulating artificial intelligence

for Our Third Century.

and other evolving technologies, assuring peaceful

J’ai été témoin d’une parcelle de cette histoire. Depuis

interactions in outer space, facilitating everyone’s full

que j’ai accepté le décanat, j’ai eu le privilège d’engager de nombreuses conversations avec des membres de la communauté mcgilloise du droit, à Montréal et ailleurs dans le monde. Ils m’ont raconté ce qu’ils avaient tiré de leur passage à la Faculté de droit,

participation in society through universal access, and including Indigenous traditions in Canada’s overdue efforts toward reconciliation with First Nations. We’re concerned with how to transform our spaces into learning environments commensurate with our

ainsi que les contributions qu’ils avaient apportées

innovative, world-class legal education.

à celle-ci et à nos collectivités. J’ai eu des discussions

The participation of you, our alumni — who love McGill

particulièrement intéressantes et stimulantes avec

and have deep experience in these areas — improves

des professeur.e.s, des membres du personnel, des

each of these conversations as we dream the Faculty of

étudiant.e.s et des diplômé.e.s sur ce que nous pouvons

Law that McGill will have during its third century and

accomplir ensemble dans le cadre de notre travail.

work to build it. McGill can make much more than any

Ces échanges nous ont permis de définir ce qui

of us can individually. Where will you engage in the

distingue notre Faculté. Je la décris comme la faculté de droit la plus internationale au Canada : fièrement

conversation? What future solution will you help to be Made by McGill? What will we make together?

enracinés à Montréal, nous rayonnons dans le monde.

Robert Leckey Dean & Samuel Gale Professor

1

FEATURE

Tech @ McGill Law by Mark Witten

Les professeurs Fabien Gélinas et Ignacio Cofone

LE PROFESSEUR FABIEN GÉLINAS Lorsqu’il s’agit d’utiliser les technologies de l’infor-

La Plateforme d’aide au règlement de litiges en ligne

mation pour améliorer l’efficacité et l’accessibilité du

(PARLe) a permis de régler des différends relatifs

système de justice, le professeur Fabien Gélinas, Ad. E.,

aux petites créances entre des consommateurs et des

fait figure de pionnier. En 2010, après une décennie de

commerçants, en plus d’être utilisée par le Tribunal de

collaboration sur le règlement en ligne des différends,

l’autorité du secteur des condominiums de l’Ontario.

Fabien Gélinas et Karim Benyekhlef, professeur de

« Certains des premiers projets dans ce secteur ont fait

l’Université de Montréal, ont cofondé le Laboratoire de

fausse route parce que le développement des outils

cyberjustice de Montréal, un projet concerté de McGill

numériques était mené par les concepteurs de logiciels

et de l’UdeM. Leur vision : procéder à une refonte

plutôt que par les parties prenantes. Nous en avons tiré

numérique et à une simplification des processus judi-

des leçons, et nous avons pu concevoir de meilleurs

ciaires, et élaborer des outils permettant aux citoyens

outils pour l’Office de la protection du consommateur

et citoyennes de résoudre un vaste éventail de litiges

et le Tribunal de l’autorité du secteur des condominiums

en ligne. « Les technologies promettaient d’améliorer

en écoutant les utilisateurs et en passant beaucoup

davantage l’accès à la justice que les approches

de temps avec eux à chaque étape du projet », ajoute

adoptées par le passé », explique M. Gélinas, professeur

M. Gélinas.

titulaire de la chaire Sir William C. Macdonald et expert du règlement des différends internationaux et en ligne.

2

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Le professeur Gélinas est emballé par sa participation

L’utilisation d’algorithmes dans le contexte juridique

au projet Autonomisation des acteurs judiciaires par

pose toutefois des problèmes éthiques. « Pour que nos

la cyberjustice (AJC), qui réunit de nombreux cher-

outils soient déployés de manière responsable, nous

cheurs et partenaires internationaux afin de mettre

devons comprendre ces enjeux, par exemple ceux

la simulation et l’intelligence artificielle (IA) au service

que soulève l’utilisation de l’IA par les commissions

de la prévention et de la résolution des conflits. « L’idée

de libération conditionnelle pour déterminer si une

d’autonomisation nous est venue de cette tendance

personne représente un danger pour la société. »

observée sur le terrain, où toutes sortes d’outils et

Si la communauté juridique et le système de justice ont

d’applications juridiques en ligne sont développés pour faciliter la tâche aux usagers des services de justice. Par exemple, nous travaillons sur des outils d’IA pour aider les nombreuses personnes qui n’ont pas les moyens d’être représentées par un avocat – y compris celles de la classe moyenne – à mener elles-mêmes leur dossier. »

longtemps été réfractaires au changement, le professeur Gélinas croit que le vent tourne : « Le moment est maintenant propice. Les gouvernements et le système judiciaire ont à cœur d’améliorer l’accès à la justice, et ils sont conscients du potentiel de la technologie. Utilisée à bon escient, celle-ci a un pouvoir égalisateur. Ces outils peuvent ouvrir bien des portes aux groupes marginalisés de la société ».

PROFESSOR IGNACIO COFONE Ignacio Cofone, an assistant professor specializing in

“Privacy harm is related to financial, physical,

information privacy and technology law, is researching

emotional, and reputational harms,” Cofone notes.

privacy harms and the ways in which the law could be

“People sometimes think ‘If I have nothing to hide,

adapted to give people greater legal protection when

then I have nothing to lose.’ But you do have something

their personal information is used in harmful ways.

to lose if your personal information is used in socially

“One way the law can make the use of technology more

inappropriate ways.” He’s developing a theory that will

responsible is by ensuring the voices of all stakeholders

help determine privacy harm in torts, so people will be

are heard. In public-policy deliberations about

able to sue and be appropriately compensated when

information privacy, victims are the voice least heard,”

they suffer harm and judges will be able to assess

Cofone says.

those claims objectively.

Cofone cites the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook

Another of Cofone’s intriguing projects focuses on the

scandal as a high-profile example of a situation where

responsible use of artificial intelligence and personal

millions of unwitting victims’ personal information was

information in decision-making. Take as an example

used in socially inappropriate, unauthorized ways.

Amazon’s experimental AI recruitment tool, which

He maintains that a regulatory approach that relies

was shut down after it became clear that it discrimi-

only on consent to safeguard against inappropriate use

nated against female job candidates. Discrimination

of personal information provides inadequate protection

was created by a male bias in the data it used to rank

for consumers and social media users against privacy

potential employees. “Algorithms are fueled by the

harm. “In Canada, if a company processes your

personal information we feed them. And when not all

personal information and you’re harmed, you can’t sue.

the stakeholders are included in developing AI tech-

You can only report it to the Privacy Commissioner,”

nology, this can lead to the technology being used in

he explains.

socially irresponsible ways,” he says.

Cofone, who was a research fellow at the NYU

To combat discrimination in these types of situations,

Information Law Institute and a resident fellow at

Cofone says we need to use fair data. “Fair data looks

the Yale Law School’s Information Society Project

like what we believe the data pool would look like

prior to joining McGill, believes that individuals have

without inherent inequalities. By using a ‘biased’ data

the right to pursue privacy class actions, both to deter

sample that counterweights social biases, we can help

misuse of personal data and to facilitate legal recourse

prevent discriminatory outcomes in algorithmic

for privacy harm claims. While judges are well accus-

decision-making.”

tomed to recognizing objective harm — like financial harm, for example — privacy harm can be difficult to measure because it encompasses many different facets. 3

Hires and promotions NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

JAKUB ADAMSKI, BCL/LLB’02, was appointed Faculty Lecturer. He is respon-

Faculty News

sible for the Integration Weeks and Integration Workshop, and teaches Advocacy, and Legal Ethics & Professionalism.

Professor ANDREA K. BJORKLUND, who

Professor IGNACIO N. COFONE was

holds the Fortier Chair in International

selected as the recipient of this year’s

Arbitration & Commercial Law, was elected

Canadian Institute for the Administration

as Vice-President of the American Society

of Justice Charles D. Gonthier Research

of International Law’s Executive Council.

Fellowship. (Read more about his work

Professor ADELLE BLACKETT, Ad. E.,

on p. 3)

BCL’94, LLB’94, Canada Research Chair

La professeure YAËLL EMERICH

Professor ANDREA K. BJORKLUND

in Transnational Labour Law and

a remporté le Prix Walter-Owen de la

was appointed Associate Dean (Gradu-

Development, and Professor Emeritus

Fondation pour la recherche juridique

ate Studies) for a three-year term, taking

ARMAND DE MESTRAL, CM, BCL’66,

pour son ouvrage Droit commun des biens:

over from Professor RICHARD GOLD,

Jean Monnet Chair in the Law of

perspective transsystémique. L’ouvrage

while Professor ROSALIE JUKIER,

International Economic Integration, were

a également reçu une mention honorable

BCL’83, LLB’83 was appointed Associate

both appointed to Canada’s rosters of

pour le Prix Canada 2018 de l’Académie

Dean (Academic) for two years, taking

experts for the Canada-European Union

internationale de droit comparé.

over from Professor VRINDA NARAIN,

Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in January. Professor Blackett was also appointed to the Human Rights Expert Panel of the Government of Canada’s Court Challenges Program.

Professor RICHARD GOLD has been named to the Innovation Asset Collective’s (IAC) board of directors. The IAC is a new non-profit organization that will govern a four-year, $30-million pilot project known as the Patent Collective. Professor DAVID LAMETTI, PC, QC, MP

Classements mondiaux Nous avons aussi été classés 14e

for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, BCL’89, LLB’89, was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in January.

Les professeurs PAYAM AKHAVAN et FRÉDÉRIC MÉGRET ont été promus au rang de professeur titulaire, tandis que la professeure MARIE MANIKIS a accédé au rang de professeure agrégée.

LLM’97, DCL’06. Ayant terminé son mandat à titre de chercheur Boulton à la Faculté, MUGAMBI JOUET a accédé au poste de professeur adjoint. BRIAN PEEBLES a rejoint la Faculté à titre de doyen adjoint à la planification stratégique et ANDRA SYVÄNEN, BCL/LLB’14, a été nommée doyenne adjointe aux admissions et au recrutement.

meilleure Faculté de droit au monde

La professeure MARIE MANIKIS a reçu

par les World University Rankings, nous

le Prix de la principale pour chercheurs

plaçant ainsi au top 15 mondial pour

exceptionnels émergents et a entamé

Professor RENÉ PROVOST, Ad. E., was

une deuxième année consécutive. Par

un mandat de cinq ans en tant que

elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

ailleurs, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)

titulaire d’une Chaire William Dawson.

The Royal Society of Canada’s fellowship

a aussi classé la Faculté 22e meilleur

Elle a également été désignée lauréate

is comprised of more than 2,000 Canadian

endroit au monde où étudier le droit

du Concours juridique annuel de la

scholars, artists, and scientists who are

dans son classement pour l’année 2019,

Fondation du Barreau dans la catégorie

peer-elected as the best in their field.

en hausse d’un rang comparativement

manuscrit d’article juridique.

aux résultats de 2018. La Faculté de droit

Le professeur AARON MILLS a assumé la

Constitutional Law MARK WALTERS, who

Chaire de recherche du Canada en Consti-

left McGill to take up the position of Dean at

tutionnalisme et philosophie autochtones.

Queen’s University’s Faculty of Law.

figure dans le top 35 mondial depuis que le classement a été créé par QS en 2011.

We bid adieu to F. R. Scott Chair in Public and

Professor VÍCTOR MUÑIZ-FRATICELLI received a New Directions Fellowship Professor and Associate Provost (Equity and

from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Academic Policies) ANGELA CAMPBELL,

in March to pursue studies in theology

BCL’99, LLB’99, was named a member of the

that will complement his interdisciplinary

RCMP civilian advisory board “tasked with

scholarship.

overhauling RCMP ‘culture of dysfunction’.”

La professeure JOHANNE POIRIER,

Professor ALLISON CHRISTIANS,

BCL’91, LLB’91, titulaire de la Chaire

Associate Dean (Research) and holder of

MacKell en fédéralisme, a reçu

the Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation,

le Prix d’excellence en enseignement

received the Principal’s Prize in Teaching

John W. Durnford 2019.

Excellence.

4

International Academy of Comparative Law The International Academy of Comparative Law elected Professor LARA KHOURY as a titular member, and Professors ADELLE BLACKETT and VINCENT FORRAY as associate members.

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Alumni in Senior Roles by Sarah Huzarski

Focus celebrates three alumni who hold senior leadership roles in their respective organizations. Meet Jonathan Amiel, Sarah Qadeer, and Warren Katz. JONATHAN AMIEL, BCL/LLB’02 From childhood, there was an expectation that

I wanted to be a part of after seeing doctors and nurses

Jonathan Amiel would work in the legal field. Initially,

who’d had the opportunity to practice elsewhere in

that was his intention: after completing a summer

the country and the world, but were committed to the

internship at a law firm in Boston, he planned to pursue

Montreal community,” he says.

graduate studies at Oxford and go back to Boston to practice. Instead, he and his young family returned to Montreal, where he began working at his family’s business, Maroline Inc., which focused on wholesale luxury kitchen appliances at the time. “I had an opportunity to get in, get my feet wet, and see where it took me,” he says.

Amiel has also focused his philanthropic efforts and generosity on the Faculty of Law. “I feel it’s an obligation for me to give back to the Faculty,” he says. “I received such a tremendous education from McGill Law. To this day, I think it’s probably the most valuable skill development that I have ever experienced. Even though I never practiced law, I use my legal education

Amiel has now been with Maroline for 20 years, and is

every single day. I believe that having a law degree

President and CEO. On top of helping Maroline grow,

is a competitive advantage in business.”

Amiel also runs Saturnia Asset Management Inc., the family investment office. “I’m responsible for the long-term strategy and the implementation of business processes. In my role, I look not just at how we are doing as a company, but where the industry is going, where the customer is going, and how our business can continue to be relevant.”

Amiel recently helped fund the Faculty’s Local Wellness Advisor, a full-time position whose role is to promote mental health awareness and support early intervention within the law student community. “I was inspired to give back when I found out about the opportunity to invest in student wellbeing. The Faculty produces talented legal minds, but it’s important for

Outside the office, Amiel spends much of his time

these individuals to be healthy in both mind and body.

giving back. He has been a member of the Montreal

I think the future for work, whether in business or law,

Children’s Hospital Foundation Board of Directors for

is a better balance between one’s career and self, family

15 years, recently completing his term as the board’s

and friends.”

Chair. “My wife and I have four children who have all had their own unique health challenges. As a parent who used the Hospital, I knew it was something

5

“I liked thinking outside the box for creative solutions and about situating them in broad societal and business trends.”

SARAH QADEER, BCL’96, LLB’96 Sarah Qadeer has a genuine curiosity to learn and a passion to lead. Named one of Canada’s 100 Most Powerful Women by WXN in 2016, she is General Counsel for Home Depot Canada, where she helps shape the vision and strategy of one of the country’s largest home improvement businesses. For Qadeer, there is no such thing as a typical day at

Qadeer credits the Faculty of Law for providing her

the office. “With the retail industry going through a

fluency both in languages and in legal traditions. “It

data, digital and supply chain transformation, every

made me realize that I could have a lot of things thrown

day raises novel and challenging business and legal

at me from many disciplines and thrive. It allowed me

questions,” she notes. Qadeer brings a strong spirit of

become adaptive and nimble, to find common ground.”

inquiry and an ability to distill complexity into action

This echoes her role as General Counsel, which

to her role, which help her to tackle the breadth of

requires her to be fluent in both law and business and

issues and challenges ahead. “Enabling the business to

to use both skillsets interchangeably. “Outside of being

succeed and lead, understanding where the business

an expert in whatever you do, if you are leading a team,

wants to go, and helping them find creative ways to get

the ability to collaborate, align divergent interests

there, all while protecting the brand, are core aspects

and inspire is critical.”

of my role,” she explains.

On top of leading Home Depot Canada’s legal team,

While she was a law student, Qadeer found that

Qadeer is Vice-Chair of the Board of the Home Depot

the late Professor ROD MACDONALD’s encourage-

Canada Foundation — whose mission is to end

ment and mentorship fostered her engagement in the

youth homelessness — and sits on the Home Depot’s

profession. In addition to working on summer projects

Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council. She is also

together, Macdonald was a sounding board for Qadeer

President of Legal Leaders for Diversity, a group of over

in the ways in which her intellectual interests could fit

110 General Counsel from across Canada committed to

in with her legal career. “I liked thinking outside the

creating a more inclusive legal profession at all levels.

box for creative solutions and about situating them in broad societal and business trends. He really pushed me to explore,” she says. “It was one of the special relationships I developed in those years.”

“As lawyers, we’re uniquely situated to look at the justice and equity in things. The profession needs to take an honest look at what the data says about who is represented in law schools, in law firms, and in leadership positions and compare that against the demographics of Canadian society,” says Qadeer. “If we acknowledge the barriers that may exist, we can examine how we each reinforce those barriers in unnecessary and often unconscious ways, and learn to be more inclusive and open doors.”

6

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

WARREN KATZ, BCL’95 Warren Katz wears two equally important hats at

Katz credits McGill Law for instilling in him the skills

Stikeman Elliott LLP. In October 2018, Katz was named

and rigour needed to succeed. Katz initially attended

Managing Partner of the firm’s Montreal office. He also

McGill as a visiting student from the University of

maintains a practice in both mergers and acquisitions

Ottawa. After applying to stay on for a fourth year

(M&A) and securities, for which he has been named a

at McGill to complete his civil law degree — a request

leading lawyer by multiple publications, including

that was the first of its kind — it was Professor

The Best Lawyers in Canada and The Canadian Legal

ROSALIE JUKIER who helped make Katz’s case to

Lexpert Directory.

the Registrar, after which he was granted permission

Katz’s passion for business precedes his legal career, having obtained a BComm before heading to law school and beginning his journey at a large multinational firm. “During my first year of practice, I worked on many IPOs (initial public offers) and public and private M&A.

to stay to earn his BCL. “This stuck with me,” he says, “not only because of how proud I am to be a McGill graduate, but because of the interest that was taken in me and my development. I try to do the same thing for those who work at our firm on a daily basis.”

I enjoyed both, so I maintained the dual practice,”

As a testament to his talent of balancing it all, Katz

he says. As Managing Partner, Katz leads a team of

makes sure to take time for himself outside the office

150 lawyers and 250 staff and manages the day-to-day

walls. “I’m pretty religious about going up north to our

doings of the firm, including client intake, business

chalet every weekend, where I get to spend time with

development, and more.

my kids.” And while he may still check in on work, he

For Katz, balancing multiple responsibilities seems to come effortlessly. But according to him, it’s truly a team effort: “I don’t manage the firm alone, and I don’t manage my clients alone, either. Everyone brings their A-game to work each and every day. We’re all driven by a passion for what we do: provide exceptionally high-quality advice and an unwavering commitment to our clients.”

“We’re all driven by a passion for what we do: provide exceptionally high-quality advice and an unwavering commitment to our clients.”

7

welcomes the change in environment: “It’s better to do it looking out on a lake than out of an office tower.”

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Justice David Platts, BCL’90, LLB’90, Florence Ashley, BCL/ LLB’17, Dean Robert Leckey, Samuel Singer, BCL/LLB’09, LLM’11,

LGBTQ2+ Alumni and Allies Launch Everett Klippert Scholarship

and Brandon Bonan, 1L, at the Everett Klippert scholarship launch

As part of its commitment to equity and diversity,

“The project immediately struck a chord for many,” said

the Faculty of Law has launched a scholarship to

Dean Leckey. “One alum’s mother gave, and a straight

recognize an incoming student’s dedication to working

businessman who read about it on Twitter donated,

with LGBTQ2+ communities. The scholarship is

saying it was important to support minorities in the face

named after Everett George Klippert, who was the

of rising intolerance and hate.”

last person in Canada to be imprisoned as a dangerous sex offender for having consensual gay sex in the 1960s. The Supreme Court of Canada upheld his sentence. His case symbolizes the injustice visited on countless LGBTQ2+ folk under Canada’s discriminatory

The scholarship was launched at the Faculty in May during the conference On the Margins of Trans Legal Change. Dean Leckey also announced the scholarship at the Law Society of Ontario’s Pride Reception in June.

criminalization of same-sex relations. The scholarship was dreamed up by SAMUEL SINGER, BCL/LLB’09, LLM’11, now an assistant professor in the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University. Singer had benefited from scholarships

Meet the Inaugural Recipient

while a law student and wanted to pay it forward.

A self-described “extroverted almost-engineer

Singer, Dean ROBERT LECKEY, and a committee

with a desire to disrupt the status quo,”

compiled a list of alumni to whom they thought

BRANDON BONAN chose to pursue his legal

the initiative might speak and started making calls.

education at McGill to prepare for a career

Other committee members were LLM candidate

“of guidance and headship among fellow citizens

FLORENCE ASHLEY, BCL/LLB’17, JENNIFER

and of engagement to a more sustainable future.”

KLINCK, BCL/LLB’10, MICHAEL LUBETSKY, BCL/LLB’09, DAVID-EMMANUEL ROBERGE, BCL/LLB’01, and JOYCE TAM, BCL/LLB’10. Justice DAVID PLATTS, BCL’90, LLB’90, stepped down from the committee when named to

Bonan is proud of what he has accomplished in his position at the TD Bank. “I’ve have been ‘out’ at work ever since I started there in 2014,” he says. While Bonan notes the journey toward being “out” consistently in different settings can be challenging and

the Superior Court of Quebec.

confusing, he is an advocate for being unapologeti-

Fundraising was a true grassroots effort, with

cally yourself. “By being openly LGBTQ2+,” he

40 LGBTQ2+ folks and allies making one-time gifts or

explains, “we provide hope for others wanting to

multi-year pledges. Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg

make progress in their own journeys. We show the

LLP, Juristes Power Law, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Osler,

world that being a member of the LGBTQ2+ com-

Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, and Paul, Weiss, Rifkind,

munity is not our sole identifier: we are also excellent

Wharton & Garrison LLP partly or wholly matched

managers, engineers... and soon-to-be lawyers.”

gifts by their employees.

8

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

NOUVELLES DES ÉTUDIANT.E.S

Featuring Grad Studies by Sarah Huzarski

SI CHEN is a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) candidate and the current Clive V. Allen Fellow in International Business Law. Working under the supervision of Professor ADELLE BLACKETT, Ad. E., who holds the Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development, Chen’s doctoral research explores the protection of labour rights in the context of Chinese investment in Africa. “China’s political and economic engagement with Africa has generated intriguing debates in the academic and policy arenas, because such engagement has — and will continue to have — implications for both economic development and social justice in Africa. China’s approach to labour issues in its outward investments will have considerable impacts on workers, both on the African continent and in other transnational contexts,” Chen explains. Last winter, Chen was also a Doctoral Teaching Fellow for Professor Blackett’s course Transnational Futures of International Labour Law. The course served as a celebration of the International Labour Organization’ (ILO) centenary and an opportunity to critically reflect on the transnational future of international labour law. Founded in 1919, the ILO is the only tripartite United Nations agency, which brings together governments, employers and workers of Member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programs to advance social justice and promote decent work. In addition to being a founding member, Canada uniquely supported the ILO during WWII by providing a temporary home for it at McGill University from 1940 to 1948. Intending to become an academic herself, Chen is thrilled to be working with Professor Blackett, who she describes as an inspiring mentor. “It is my great honour to be the recipient of the Clive V. Allen Fellowship. It has helped me realize my research goals, exchange views and disseminate findings at conferences in Canada and abroad. I have also been inspired to support my peers and younger generations to the best of my ability.”

9

About the Clive V. Allen Fellowship The Clive V. Allen Fellowship in International Business Law was established in 1999 through a substantial contribution by Nortel Networks Corporation on the retirement of CLIVE V. ALLEN, BCL’59, following his 25 years of service as Nortel’s Chief Legal Officer, and subsequent generous contributions by Mr. Allen and some of his friends in the legal community.

NOUVELLES DES ÉTUDIANT.E.S

Student experiences here and abroad Through human rights internships and international clerkships, law students and recent alumni have the opportunity to put their legal education to practical use. Available in Canada and abroad, these transformative and sought-after clinical opportunities are made possible thanks to the generous support of our donors.

SAMANTHA BACKMAN

CHRISTOPHER LITTLE

BIANCA BRAGANZA

Human rights internship –

Human rights internship –

Human rights internship –

Bulgarian Center

Dept. of Justice & Correctional

Law Reform and

for Not-for-Profit Law,

Services, Cree Nation Government,

Development Commission,

Sofia, Bulgaria

Nemaska, Quebec

Republic of Namibia

“My internship allowed me to witness the

“I wrote Gladue reports, a kind of

“My internship has changed my perspective

bottom-up nature of civil society work

pre-sentencing report for Indigenous

on international legal work and human rights

firsthand. I was able to observe grassroots

offenders that discuss their life and com-

endeavours. Before, I thought it was out of

community outreach initiatives and was

munity histories and propose sentencing

reach, and I imagined a Canadian — perhaps

exposed to legislative reform advocacy in

options to the Court. While Gladue

even strictly Torontonian — career for myself.

the area of disability rights. This experience

reports can make a positive difference for

This experience truly did change my life

has spurred me to seriously contemplate

individual offenders, I learned that there

path, opening me up to the ways in which my

pursuing a career with an NGO. I now

is still much uncertainty surrounding

hybrid upbringing, experience, and educa-

intend to broaden my knowledge of

Gladue within the legal community and

tion of the East and West can be fused with a

Canadian civil society and explore career

a great deal of variation in their form

career that is both personally and profession-

opportunities in this sphere.”

across the country. As such, Gladue

ally fulfilling.”

Fund: Justice James K-Hugessen Junior

reports are likely to receive increasing

Fund: Robert S. Litvack Memorial Fund

Fellowship in Disabilities and the Law

attention over the next several years.” Fund: McGill University’s Enriched Educational Opportunities Bursary

10

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

IÑAKI NAVARRETE, BCL/LLB’16

DAVID MATYAS, BCL/LLB’19

SARA PIERRE, BCL/LLB’19

International clerkship –

Human rights internship –

Human rights internship –

Inter-American Court of Human

Maliiganik Tukisiiniakvik

Institute for Human Rights &

Rights (IACtHR),

Legal Services,

Development in Africa (IHRDA),

San José, Costa Rica

Iqaluit, Nunavut

The Gambia

“After graduation, I clerked at the IACtHR,

“During my internship, I travelled to Baker

“My time at IHRDA inspired to write a

where I worked on a broad range of human

Lake, Nunavut, and participated in the

paper on human rights violations stemming

rights cases, including Lagos del Campo v.

circuit court. It was an eye-opening and

from accusations of witchcraft in Ghana.

Peru — a judgment rendered in 2017 that

thought-provoking experience and led to

The research I did following my internship

dealt with labour rights issues. I cannot

my writing a working paper afterwards.

allowed me to explore the intersection

think of a moment in my life where I had

I interacted with clients while supporting

between human rights from legal, anthropo-

more passionate, intense legal debates

a team of Legal Services defense counsel,

logical, and intersectional feminist points of

than during that period. As a Canadian

and had the chance to make oral submis-

view. Apart from learning and researching

of Chilean origin, I feel my clerkship con-

sions about a territorial infraction. My time

human rights abuses across the continent,

nected me to my past as well as my future,

in Iqaluit was a fantastic complement to

one of the things I most loved about working

most likely a career in international

my studies in Montreal: it exposed me to

at IHRDA was observing and participating

human rights law.”

the realities of how justice is organized and

in capacity-building workshops. I am a

Fund: Shull Yang International

administered in northern Canada.”

big believer in education, and I think it is

Experience Awards

Fund: Robert S. Litvack Memorial Fund

crucial when it comes to human rights work. I am very grateful for the practical experience I got during my internship.” Fund: Schull Yang International Experience Awards, CDO Undergraduate Internship Award

11

FEATURE MOT DU DOYEN

Actions, connexions, inspirations! par Annick Poitras, étudiante au BCL/LLB

Contrer le décrochage scolaire et sensibiliser les jeunes à l’importance du droit dans la société, voilà la mission louable du programme L.E.X. qui, par ailleurs, fait aussi tomber bien des préjugés.

Avant même son entrée à la Faculté de droit en 2016,

permet aux étudiant.e.s en droit de se rendre dans

ANGÈLE POUPARD, 4L, savait qu’elle contribuerait

des écoles secondaires de la région de Montréal afin

un jour à éveiller les consciences quant à l’utilité du

d’initier les élèves à des notions juridiques de base

droit dans la société. « La connaissance des grands

et de les renseigner sur les études en droit.

principes juridiques fait de nous de meilleurs citoyens,

« En 2006, la Faculté a instauré ce programme afin de

affirme-t-elle. C’est pourquoi tous les jeunes devraient prendre connaissance de l’ABC du droit, un domaine d’études qui leur paraît souvent complexe et réservé aux élites. »

rejoindre des jeunes issus de groupes sous-représentés dans les facultés de droit et la profession juridique, ou des jeunes pour qui la poursuite d’études supérieures semble impossible, explique ANDRA SYVÄNEN,

Ainsi, lors de son entrevue d’admission à la Faculté,

doyenne adjointe aux admissions et au recrutement

Angèle a fait valoir son désir d’être bénévole pour le

et conseillère académique du programme L.E.X.

programme L.E.X. (Law-Éducation-ConneXion) qui

L’objectif du programme consiste à éveiller la curiosité

12

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

et à donner l’envie de débattre à des jeunes issus de

Le programme rapporte aussi de nombreux bénéfices

milieux défavorisés, de minorités visibles, de popula-

aux étudiant.e.s bénévoles, qui apprennent notamment

tions autochtones ou d’autres groupes qui présentent

à vulgariser des concepts juridiques complexes,

un risque de décrochage », précise-t-elle.

« ce qui leur sera utile dans leur pratique », fait valoir

En 2018-2019, 36 étudiant.e.s bénévoles ont consacré

la doyenne adjointe Syvänen. Elle souligne que depuis

près de 500 heures à la préparation et à l’animation d’ateliers offerts dans une dizaine d’établissements scolaires, précise PERLA GARCIA-CAMACHO, 3L, qui a coordonné le programme L.E.X. l’an dernier. Originaire de la République dominicaine, l’étudiante dit avoir marqué l’esprit de jeunes hispanophones qui ont vu en elle un surprenant modèle à suivre. « Certains

2018, le programme L.E.X. développe davantage d’ateliers visant spécifiquement les élèves issus de communautés autochtones dans le cadre de l’appel à l’action de la Commission de vérité et de réconciliation. « Il est très important pour notre Faculté de rejoindre davantage ces jeunes, notamment pour les encourager à poursuivre en plus grand nombre des études

étaient sous le choc de voir qu’une fille comme moi,

juridiques. »

qui a aussi grandi en milieu défavorisé, avait pu être

Le Programme L.E.X. ne pourrait exister sans la

admise à la Faculté de droit de McGill », observe-t-elle.

générosité de la Fondation Beaverbrook du Canada.

Durant un atelier type, trois ou quatre bénévoles

Nous exprimons notre plus profonde gratitude pour

visitent une même classe à trois ou quatre reprises pendant l’année scolaire, abordant à chaque rencontre des sujets chauds qui interpellent les adolescent.e.s,

le soutien que cette organisation a fourni à notre Faculté dans le développement et l’expansion du programme.

tels que l’immigration, le harcèlement sur internet ou le droit criminel. « Comme plusieurs ont des amis ou des parents ayant des démêlés avec la justice, certains jeunes peuvent avoir une perception assez négative du système juridique », témoigne NIKOLAS SHYMKO, 2L, qui s’est engagé dans le programme dès son entrée à la Faculté. Les bénévoles L.E.X. remettent les pendules

Un programme, trois volets

à l’heure en démystifiant le rôle du droit, le présentant plutôt comme « un outil de transformation de la société », souligne BIANCA BRAGANZA, 2L, qui a aussi animé

LES VISITES EN CLASSE

plusieurs ateliers l’an dernier et qui coordonne

Les ateliers L.E.X. favorisent l’interaction

le programme cette année.

des participant.e.s et suscitent leur

Au moyen de situations, de faits ou de jugements, les jeunes sont encouragés à analyser les faits, et à développer leur propre raisonnement et leurs arguments sur des enjeux juridiques et sociaux, ce qui favorise notamment leur confiance en soi. « Ils apprennent à débattre entre eux sans s’insulter... ni se battre! » résume Perla, un sourire dans la voix.

engagement relatif à des sujets pertinents au quotidien. LES JOURNÉES D’ACCUEIL Chaque année, le programme L.E.X. invite les participant.e.s à passer une journée à la Faculté. Une journée d’accueil inclut des ateliers interactifs, un lunch, et une simu-

Vrai que l’art de la discussion s’apprend. « Ce n’est pas

lation de procès. La Faculté reçoit environ

dans toutes les familles où les jeunes sont encouragés

150 élèves de 4 ou 5 écoles lors de deux

à réfléchir, à partager leurs points de vue et à nuancer

journées d’accueil séparées.

leur pensée, dit Angèle. Les ateliers L.E.X. contribuent à leur apprendre qu’il est important d’explorer plusieurs facettes d’une même situation, comme le fait le droit. »

LE PROGRAMME D’OBSERVATION Les participant.e.s particulièrement intéressé.e.s par les études juridiques peuvent être jumelé.e.s à un.e étudiant.e en droit afin d’assister à un cours de droit, de casser la croûte à l’Université, de visiter le Palais de justice, etc.

13

FEATURE

Un honneur suprême by Sarah Huzarski

On September 16, former McGill Law professor and dean Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85, began his tenure at the Supreme Court of Canada, replacing Justice Clément Gascon, BCL’81, upon his retirement. Focus looks back at Kasirer’s distinguished legal career, which is deeply rooted in McGill Law. Justice Kasirer’s first brush with McGill Law was as a

James McGill de 2002 à 2009, il a également été doyen

student, where he obtained his BCL and LLB in 1985.

de la Faculté de droit de 2003 à 2009, avant d’être

He then completed postgraduate studies in Interna-

nommé à la Cour d’appel du Québec. Il a été fortement

tional Law at Université Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne)

impliqué dans la vie intellectuelle de la Faculté de

in 1986. HILLEL ROSEN, BCL’85, LLB’85, Justice

l’époque, y compris dans le développement du

Kasirer’s friend and classmate, describes how the

programme transsystémique qu’on connaît aujourd’hui.

justice’s passion for the law — civil law, in particular —

« En décloisonnant le droit civil et la common law

has long been evident. “I recall visiting Nicholas in

et en s’ouvrant à l’étude d’autres traditions juridiques,

Paris while he was studying there. Sitting in cafés,

la Faculté s’engageait intellectuellement au soutien

he would speak with such pleasure and passion about

de la diversité en droit », explique le juge Kasirer.

his studies. His career as an accomplished academic and now jurist certainly comes as no surprise to anyone who knew him even then.” Justice Kasirer is a specialist in Quebec private law, comparative law, family property law, legal theory and the administration of civil justice. He began teaching at the Faculty in 1989, where his professorship spanned 20 years. Professor ROSALIE JUKIER, who was his colleague throughout his two decades at McGill Law, notes that while he is a civilian jurist at heart, he is also

Selon le professeur et ancien doyen DANIEL JUTRAS, Ad. E., le juge Kasirer est un formidable auteur : « On sait qu’il collectionne les œuvres d’art avec un goût très sûr, mais son sens du beau se manifeste aussi dans l’écriture, le choix des mots, la manière de construire des phrases, des représentations et des métaphores riches de sens. » Following his nomination to the Supreme Court in July, a group of McGill Law students had the oppor-

well versed in the common law. “He understands the

tunity to attend Justice Kasirer’s Q&A period with

independence and genius of these two legal traditions

parliamentarians prior to his appointment. Student

and recognizes the delicate relationship between them

KAI-LEE GIBEAULT, 2L, was grateful for the experience,

and the mutual inspiration one offers the other,” Jukier

noting that Justice Kasirer’s opening statement

says. In his answers to the Supreme Court of Canada’s

in particular was articulated with much gratitude

Questionnaire, Justice Kasirer notes that his time as an

and respect.

academic is, without a doubt, the life experience that

“The deep grasp of Canada’s legal traditions and

helped him grasp Canada’s diversity.

keen sensitivity to difference that Justice Kasirer

De 1996 à 2003, le juge Kasirer a dirigé ce qui est

developed at McGill will serve him well at the Supreme

devenu le Centre Paul-André Crépeau de droit privé

Court — to the benefit of all Canadians,” says Dean

et comparé, où il est rédacteur en chef d’une édition

ROBERT LECKEY. “We wish him continued success

critique du Code civil du Québec. Titulaire d’une chaire

and joy in his work.”

14

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

(above) Kasirer speaks with Michel Deschamps at the 2014 Macdonald Symposium (left) Kasirer in the Common Room during his deanship (far left) Kasirer’s composite photo

(above) Kasirer hosting the McGill Black Law Students’ Association at the Quebec Court of Appeal (left) Kasirer stands with Marie Giguère, Ad. E., BCL’75, in 2008

15

MOT DU DOYEN FEATURE

McGill Bicentennial:

Leading in Law Across Time by Sarah Huzarski

In March 2021, McGill will celebrate its 200th birthday. Throughout the 2020/21 academic year, dozens of events will take place to mark the milestone and each Faculty has been called upon to create a unique Bicentennial Project as part of the festivities. For the occasion, the Faculty of Law will be turning (and creating) a page in McGill’s history with a unique commemorative project of its own. About the project Professor ROSALIE JUKIER was appointed Chair

as its potential for future impact moving into McGill’s

of the Faculty’s Bicentennial committee in 2016 and

third century. The site also draws inspiration from

has been instrumental in driving the project forward.

the book A Noble Roster: 150 Years of Law at McGill,

Tasked with brainstorming what the project would look

by IAN PILARCZYK, LLM’97, DCL’03, which provides

like, Jukier found inspiration in the Montreal Jewish

an overview of the Faculty’s history in celebration

community’s Federation CJA website celebrating its

of its 150th anniversary, as well a handful of scholarly

own centenary. “I thought a website would be a great

articles that chronicle aspects of the Faculty’s history.

way to make our project accessible to the multitude

With a faculty legacy spanning over 150 years, Jukier

of stakeholders the Faculty has. We’re such an internationally dispersed community and a website is something that everybody can access,” she says. The website, which will be launched in September 2020, will offer an interactive visual archive that explores the Faculty of Law’s impact throughout its history, as well

16

notes that there were many questions to answer and issues to tackle due to the sheer volume of information available. To help, a team of eight student researchers* was hired over the course of two summers to piece together the materials. Through many hours of digging through university and museum archives — both

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Student perspectives “The most exciting moment during my work physical and digital — the students were able to distill the Faculty’s immense history into a manageable project. “The eight students we hired were amazing,” Jukier says. “To see their excitement and willingness to research,

was researching and interviewing Justice MORRIS FISH , BCL’62, CC, QC. He was such

an interesting and funny person to interview, and it was inspiring to hear about the trajectory

learn, and put the project together has been the ‘wow’

of his career.”

factor for me.”

— ÉMILIE LAFLÈCHE

Each student cohort faced unique challenges when piec-

“I was moved to learn about the many McGill Law

ing together the Faculty’s history. MICHAEL JACOBS

students who served in the World Wars, many

notes it was particularly difficult to inform the narrative

of whom perished overseas. Their sacrifice is an

of the 19th and 20th centuries: “It involved poring over

important part of our Faculty’s contribution to

boxes of physical data, scanning microfilms, and relying

Canada that we don’t hear much about.”

on disparate sources.” Another challenge was deciding

— FRÉDÉRICK COURCHESNE-MACKIE, BCL/LLB’18

upon which aspects of the Faculty’s history to include. “McGill Law graduates and faculty members have accomplished so much, and it was difficult to boil that down to a manageable history,” ÉMILIE LAFLÈCHE says. As Jukier notes, however, the project is just a sample of the Faculty’s rich past: “Although we had to make some tough decisions, the beauty is that it is a website, so we can change it and add to it as needed,” she says.

“I really enjoyed interviewing MICHAEL BERGMAN , BCL’75, LLB’76, who, as a third-

year student, founded the Legal Aid Clinic of his own initiative. I left the interview feeling quite inspired, and realized that I am not too young to begin creating a lasting legacy in my community.” — DANIEL JORDAN

“One special thing I learned was that the

A lasting impact

Hon. KEN DRYDEN , PC, OC, LLB’73, played in

The project became a source of inspiration for the student researchers, who observed over 150 years of astonishing accomplishments from the Faculty’s gradu-

the Stanley Cup final for the Montreal Canadiens during his law school exams. McGill wasn’t sure how to accommodate him, but in the end,

ates and faculty members. “Working on this project has

they let him write his exams at a later date.”

really shown me that the possibilities are endless after

— HANNAH YOUNG

graduation,” JULIANNA DUHOLKE says.

“It was fun to realize how many Faculty tradi-

Jukier hopes the website is something that people will

tions have been around for a long time. I was

turn to when they want to learn about the Faculty.

surprised to find out how long Skit Nite has been

“I hope that this project will showcase who we are, where

around — since the 1970s! — and Coffeehouse

we’ve come from, and some of the interesting things that

has also been around for several decades.”

have happened here. This website will be a success for

— JULIANNA DUHOLKE

me if everyone who goes on it can find a piece of himself or herself within it.” HANNAH YOUNG echoes this sentiment: “Perhaps this project will also encourage people to think of the future, and where we want the Faculty to go.” *Julia Atack, BCL/LLB’19, Frédérick Courchesne-Mackie, BCL/LLB’18, Julianna Duholke, Michael Jacobs, Daniel Jordan, Émilie LaFlèche, Anna Rotman, and Hannah Young

(left) The 2018 Bicentennial research team: Anna Rotman, Michael Jacobs, Professor Rosalie Jukier, Communications Officer Karell Michaud, Frédérick Courchesne-Mackie, BCL/LLB’18, Julia Atack, BCL/LLB’19 (right) The 2019 Bicentennial research team: Daniel Jordan, Professor Rosalie Jukier, Julianna Duholke, Hannah Young, Émilie LaFlèche, Communications Officer Sarah Huzarski 17

“As an Anglophone who was attracted to McGill because of the French factor, I loved learning that we have a rich history of supporting and encouraging the bilingual character of our program.” — MICHAEL JACOBS

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Young Alumni to Watch

MARCO GAROFALO BCL/LLB’15

by Sarah Huzarski

Focus shines the spotlight on three recent alumni whose diverse careers are taking off in fascinating directions. Meet Marco Garofalo, Annamaria Enenajor, and John Lennard.

Détenteur d’une double citoyenneté canadienne et

Habitué à voir du pays, Garofalo poursuit une carrière qui

italienne, Marco Garofalo est né aux États-Unis,

l’a déjà mené dans plusieurs grandes villes du monde. Après

a grandi ensuite aux Pays-Bas et a terminé ses études

avoir été Summer Associate chez Morrison & Foerster LLP

secondaires en Chine. « Je suis ce qu’on appelle

à New York, il s’est établi à Paris pour œuvrer dans

un third culture kid, explique-t-il. Lorsque j’ai débuté

l’arbitrage international au sein de Quinn Emanuel LLP.

mes études à McGill, on s’attendait à ce que je sache

C’est là qu’il a décidé de s’impliquer dans le Comité

ce que les Canadiens savent et à ce que j’agisse comme

consultatif des jeunes diplômé.e.s : « On découvre alors

eux. Par contre, c’était la première fois que je vivais au

que certaines de nos connaissances habitent dans notre

Canada. Disons que l’expérience a été intéressante. »

ville, ou qu’on a des amis communs avec quelqu’un ».

Pendant ses études en droit, Garofalo n’a pas tardé à

Après quelque temps, Garofalo s’est demandé comment

s’impliquer dans la vie étudiante et à nouer des rela-

il pouvait continuer à s’épanouir. « Un avocat spécialisé

tions durables, tant personnelles que professionnelles:

en litige peut perfectionner ses compétences à l’infini,

il a contribué au lancement du McGill Journal of

mais j’ai éventuellement compris que je voulais plutôt

Dispute Resolution et à la fondation du club de football

apprendre à identifier des opportunités ou des projets

Old Chancellor, a participé à la troupe de théâtre

intéressants et à rassembler les gens autour de ces projets.

Actus Reus, et a également rencontré sa fiancée.

Au lieu gérer des conflits et de réparer les dégâts, j’avais

« Mon passage à la Faculté de droit de McGill m’a enri-

envie de construire quelque chose. » Il s’est donc récem-

chi personnellement et intellectuellement, observe-t-il.

ment joint à Givaudan, leader mondial des arômes et

J’ai beaucoup grandi comme personne. »

des parfums, près d’Amsterdam. Il participe actuellement à un programme de formation qui comprend plusieurs rotations en gestion commerciale de projets en Europe, en Afrique et au Moyen-Orient. Dans le cadre de cette formation, il acquiert l’expérience requise en lien avec les divers services de l’entreprise en vue d’occuper éventuellement un rôle commercial.

18

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

“I had a desire to help people through the practice of law and to make their lives better.” Annamaria Enenajor’s passion for advocacy is

Following law school, Enenajor felt the best thing for

palpable. As a named partner at Ruby Shiller

her career was to expose herself to as many oppor-

Enenajor DiGiuseppe Barristers in Toronto,

tunities as possible in the legal field. She clerked at

she maintains a lively practice in criminal and

the Supreme Court of Canada for now-Chief Justice

constitutional law. She’s also the campaign director

Richard Wagner and was offered a position with Ropes

of the Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty, where she

& Gray LLP in New York. “I had the chance to work

fights to expunge Canadian criminal records of

on one of their large pro bono cases, which was a class

cannabis-related crimes. “There’s a lot of strategy

action against the New York Department of Corrections

behind criminal cases and trials,” she notes. “As an

at Rikers Island,” she says. The deep sense of injustice

attorney, you’re a person’s lifeline while they face

Enenajor felt after witnessing the systemic racism in

a criminal matter — you stand between them and

the American justice system helped her reconnect with

deprivation of freedom. You are there to answer their

the reason she went to law school. “I had a desire to

questions and comfort them while they go through

help people through the practice of law and to make

the process, because it’s probably the scariest thing

their lives better,” she says.

they’ve ever gone through.”

For other young legal professionals, Enenajor stresses

One of Enenajor’s fondest memories of McGill Law

the importance of taking time for self-reflection. “You

was her secured transactions course, taught by the

need to take the time to be really honest with yourself

late Professor ROD MACDONALD: “He encouraged

about what’s going on internally when you work,” she

me to think beyond the material in a way that I

says. “It will allow you to understand when you are

thought I couldn’t.” Enenajor says Macdonald gave

dissatisfied or on the verge of a burnout.” She is also

her the confidence to trust her perception and

an advocate for striking a healthy work-life balance;

challenge the status quo.

Enenajor notes her family, her partner, and practicing yoga help her achieve this: “It’s important to have something outside of law that you love.”

ANNAMARIA ENENAJOR BCL/LLB’12

19

A tax partner at Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg LLP in

He notes, however, there was a steep learning curve

Montreal, John Lennard says practicing tax law wasn’t

to overcome. “Early on in my practice, a senior lawyer

always on his radar: “I did my undergrad in business,

told me, ‘You’ll probably spend the first five to seven

and went to law school because I thought account-

years of your practice feeling like you don’t know very

ing was too dry,” he says amusedly. “I’ve always been

much’. Accepting this fact can be quite humbling — you

interested in politics and current events, and thought I

need to spend years learning, absorbing, and growing

would end up being a constitutional litigator or a public

before you are able to provide solid legal advice to your

advocate. But when I got to law school, I found I really

clients,” he says. “But once you’ve developed a solid

enjoyed my business-oriented classes.” Lennard credits

base of knowledge,” Lennard notes, “it’s like an inflex-

professors KIM BROOKS (who previously held the

ion point. You become a crucial part of any deal or team

H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation at

because of your specialized expertise.”

the Faculty before becoming dean of law at Dalhousie)

Lennard maintains a strong connection to the Faculty,

and ROBERT RAIZENNE, BCL’80, with solidifying his interest in tax law.

serving as Chair of the Young Alumni Board. He also played an active role in establishing the Alexandra

Many things excite Lennard about his practice.

Dodger Memorial Award and the Everett Klippert

“It’s all about the intellectual challenge — you need to

Scholarship (see article, p. 8), which will help to support

understand rules, language, context, and policy,” he

future generations of McGill Law students. “McGill

says. “Tax is an extremely varied practice area. You get

Law was the time of my life,” Lennard says. “When

to touch on different skill sets and different facets of

I think of my time at McGill, and I think of my current

tax, and since things change so quickly, you’ll never be

life in Montreal, it’s all connected. I met the people

bored. It’s almost like dealing with a puzzle you’ll never

at McGill who changed my life and who changed its

be able to complete: when you think you’ve put all the

direction — for that, I am very grateful.”

pieces together, the puzzle expands and you need to fill in new gaps again.”

JOHN J. LENNARD BCL/LLB’11

“It’s all about the intellectual challenge — you need to understand rules, language, context, and policy.” 20

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

The appeal of McGill Law by Philip Fine

This past year, three McGill Law alumni were appointed to the courts of appeal of Quebec and Ontario. Their common thread: all three justices also taught at the Faculty of Law throughout their illustrious careers. Read on to learn more about their unique paths to the appellate bench.

ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BCL’83, LLB’83 During her time as a professor at McGill’s Faculty of

of their gender, minority status, or for other reasons.

Law (1988-1998), Justice Alison Harvison Young would

“He was ahead of his time, and I was a happy benefi-

frequently hear a confession in her office: a student

ciary of that approach.” She shared her first course

would tell her they didn’t belong in law school. Yet

as a McGill professor with Macdonald, soon realizing

Harvison Young believed in these students, reassured

co-teaching with your dean increases those early jitters.

them, and watched them blossom in their careers.

She would go on to win the John W. Durnford Teaching

Harvison Young, appointed to Ontario’s Court of

Excellence Award in 1997. In 1998, Harvison Young

Appeal last fall, says her sensitivity to outsiders stems from having found herself on unfamiliar ground throughout her life. At eight, she moved to Ghana, and then back to Canada at 12, where her home country felt foreign. She entered law school with a literature

was appointed the first female dean of law at Queen’s University. After five years, she had to choose between moving up the administrative ladder or applying to the bench: “I missed the academic and intellectual engagement in law,” she says. Soon after, she was

background and a young child. Law school, she had

appointed to the Superior Court in Toronto.

thought, would be only made up by those wearing

Harvison Young credits McGill’s grounding in compar-

black patent leather shoes and pinstripe suits:

ative law for her and her fellow alumni’s approach to

“I resolved that I would give it a try, until Christmas.”

issues. “McGill’s emphasis was not on memorizing pro-

Her reservations were unfounded. “From day one

visions of the Civil Code. But what McGill Law students

I loved it,” she says. “I loved the people I was

got was the ability to think, to do, to solve problems.”

with and I loved my teachers.” The late Professor

Last fall, she once again found herself in new territory,

ROD MACDONALD had recognized her outsider

named to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. For the

status. “Rod thought it was the role of a teacher to

perpetual outsider who manages to adapt very well,

help students find their niche,” she says, noting that

there’s more than an outside chance she will succeed

he went out of his way to help those who lacked

in this new environment.

confidence or might be overlooked because

21

STEPHEN W. HAMILTON, BCL’84, LLB’84 Pour apprendre à connaître le juge Stephen Hamilton,

Or, le récit que fait le juge Hamilton du parcours l’ayant

il faut voir au-delà de ses traits d’esprit et de son humi-

mené à la Cour d’appel ne rend pas justice à ses réali-

lité. Et s’il parle enfin de lui-même, c’est surtout pour

sations. Diplômé de la Faculté de droit de McGill et

évoquer ses mentors.

récipiendaire de la médaille d’or Elizabeth Torrance, il a

Nommé en août 2018 à la Cour d’appel du Québec, il a

ensuite décroché un baccalauréat en droit à l’Université

été avocat en pratique privée, chargé de cours à McGill puis juge à la Cour supérieure. Lors de son assermentation comme juge à la Cour d’appel, il a lancé à la blague à ses nouveaux collègues que, puisqu’il ne siégera plus à ce dernier tribunal, ils auraient beaucoup moins d’appels à entendre. S’il a accédé à la magistrature en 2013, c’est non seulement parce qu’il a mené une brillante carrière d’avocat à Montréal pendant 26 ans, mais surtout, selon lui, parce que le juge YVES-MARIE

d’Oxford et œuvré à titre d’auxiliaire juridique à la Cour suprême auprès du juge Antonio Lamer. C’était en 1986 et 1987, à l’époque où l’on commençait à mettre la Charte à l’épreuve, surtout ses dispositions touchant la sécurité ainsi que les fouilles, perquisitions et saisies. Malgré des collègues plus conservateurs, le juge Lamer croyait en l’importance de trouver un consensus. En parlant des arrêts majoritaires, il disait souvent : « À moins d’avoir quatre amis, ce n’est que de

MORISSETTE – qui a été son professeur, mais aussi

la littérature », se souvient le juge Hamilton.

son collègue pendant les 14 années où il enseignait

Le juge Hamilton aime l’exercice intellectuel que

la procédure civile – lui a « donné un coup de pied au

suppose le droit, et remercie McGill de l’avoir amené

derrière ». Le juge Morissette est désormais juge sur-

à comprendre les lois plutôt qu’à les apprendre tout

numéraire, et le juge Hamilton lui a succédé à la Cour

simplement. Durant ses années comme avocat, il s’est

d’appel à titre de juge puîné.

acquitté de bien des mandats commerciaux, et une fois magistrat, il en a fait sa spécialité. Mais quand l’arrêt R. c. Jordan a été rendu en 2016, il a contribué à diminuer le nombre d’affaires en cours en entendant quelques procès criminels devant jury. « Un collègue m’a déjà dit qu’instruire une cause criminelle, c’est un peu comme conduire une Ferrari à grande vitesse. C’est exaltant. Mais la moindre erreur peut donner lieu à un grave dérapage. » Sa nomination à la Cour d’appel témoigne de sa capacité à éviter ce genre de situation. Et à propos de sa nomination, il n’a pas pu s’empêcher de blaguer : « J’ai dit à ma famille que comme crise de la cinquantaine, on avait vu pire ».

22

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

That influence fed his desire to give back, and law at McGill was where he began his pro bono work. Throughout his 23 years at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, where he became an esteemed partner, Jamal put in countless hours on issues ranging from the right of foreign-trained doctors to be recognized in Canada, to championing the concept of solicitor-client privilege. He represented the Canadian Civil Liberties Association as an intervener in the Supreme Court case of Multani v. Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys, which upheld a Montreal Sikh boy’s religious freedom to wear a ceremonial kirpan to school. As someone who has faced cultural misunderstandings himself, it was a case that spoke to him personally.

MAHMUD JAMAL, BCL’93, LLB’93 Having juggled multiple identities throughout his early life, Justice Mahmud Jamal says that law provided him with a centre of gravity.

Balanced with Jamal’s early years in commercial litigation in Toronto were day-long trips to Montreal to teach constitutional law at McGill during the 1999-2000 school year. While those Fridays were a bit draining, his time at McGill was an entry into the constitutional

Kenyan-born and raised in two religions, Jamal spent

sphere. “There is no better way to learn a subject than

his childhood in England, moved to Edmonton at 14,

by teaching it. And so it was a great learning opportu-

and studied economics at the University of Toronto.

nity,” he said.

“I didn’t really know where I fit, didn’t know where

The Court of Appeal is a familiar playing field for Jamal,

I lived,” he said. “I found a home in the law.”

as he has argued dozens of times before appellate

McGill’s bijuridical program mirrored Jamal’s reality.

courts. But before all those appeals and seminal cases,

“The idea that this was a comparative school appealed

McGill Law was an important touchstone for him:

to me because my whole life had been an exercise in

“Those were very formative years.”

comparing religions, ethnicities, countries. Comparing law seemed very natural.” Deconstruct Jamal’s career and you’ll find the Faculty of Law in most of the pieces en route to his appointment to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. He cites the late Professor H. PATRICK GLENN’s class on civil procedure for teaching him about the lawyer’s role as an ethical friend who advises dispassionately. His two years working on the McGill Law Journal stoked his intellectual curiosity: “It instilled a scholarly approach to the law and a discipline that translated very well into a professional life.”

The Faculty also extends its congratulations to the Hon. PATRICE ABRIOUX , LLB’80, and the Hon. GEORGE LOCKE , BCL’91, LLB’91, who were also named to appellate courts this year. Justice Abrioux was named to the British Columbia Court of Appeal in March 2019. Prior to his appointment, he had sat on the Supreme Court of British Columbia since 2011. Justice Locke was appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal in March 2019, having previously sat on the bench of the Court Matrial Appeal Court of Canada since 2015.

23

FEATURE

En vedette : Le Centre de développement professionnel par Sarah Huzarski

Un diplôme en droit de McGill, c’est une porte ouverte sur le monde. Pour préparer leur carrière, bon nombre d’étudiant.e.s et de jeunes diplômé.e.s se tournent vers le Centre de développement professionnel. Offrant des programmes novateurs et un service attentionné, le Centre démystifie la profession juridique et donne l’heure juste quant aux processus de recrutement et aux cheminements de carrière possibles. Au cours des prochaines années, il continuera d’élargir son offre.

24

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

SOPHIE ROY-LAFLEUR, BCL/LLB’11, directrice du Centre de développement professionnel depuis 2017, précise que « pour trouver l’emploi qui leur conviendra, nous encourageons les étudiant.e.s à recourir à l’introspection et au réseautage. Ceci leur permettra de mieux connaître leurs intérêts et leurs options, et de prendre des décisions plus éclairées. Notre équipe est là pour les aider à y arriver, que ce soit pendant leurs études ou après l’obtention de leur diplôme. »

Aider les étudiant.e.s à tisser des liens En plus d’aider les membres du corps étudiant à démarrer leur carrière au moyen des processus traditionnels de recrutement, le Centre les met en relation avec des diplômé.e.s. Ceci leur montre l’éventail de possibilités qui les attend par-delà les murs de la Faculté. Citons l’initiative How to Work Your Law Degree, qui a eu lieu pour la première fois l’an dernier et qui s’inspirait d’un événement similaire de la Faculté des arts. Des

Favoriser la réussite professionnelle des étudiant.e.s

diplômé.e.s de la Faculté de droit de McGill œuvrant dans divers domaines – entreprise, philanthropie,

Le Centre permet à la population étudiante de la Faculté d’explorer des possibilités de carrière au pays comme à l’étranger. L’an dernier, il tenait une Journée carrière mettant en vedette les employeurs américains. « Les États-Unis représentent notre troisième marché en importance », explique Me Roy-Lafleur. Il y a quelques années, beaucoup d’étudiant.e.s l’éliminaient d’emblée pour différentes raisons, souvent fondées sur des idées reçues. Cette Journée carrière a permis de

politique, intelligence artificielle et pratique individuelle, entre autres – figuraient parmi les invité.e.s. Dans le cadre de panels et de rencontres informelles, ils ont discuté de leurs réussites et des défis rencontrés durant leur parcours. Ce fut l’événement le plus couru de l’année. « Il a donné aux étudiant.e.s un aperçu des nombreuses portes qu’ouvre un diplôme en droit à McGill et a remis en perspective certaines idées reçues concernant les carrières en droit », explique Me Roy-Lafleur.

déboulonner les mythes sur ce marché et ses attentes

Le programme de mentorat entre étudiant.e.s et

et de renouveler l’enthousiasme auprès des étudiant.e.s

diplômé.e.s a également été élargi. S’il existe depuis

et des employeurs. Grâce aux efforts de l’équipe du

des années, il était auparavant la chasse gardée des étudi-

Centre, un plus grand nombre de cabinets américains

ant.e.s de deuxième année, mis à part quelques-un.e.s

se sont aussi déplacés à Montréal pour effectuer des

de troisième. Maintenant ouvert à tous les candidat.e.s

entrevues sur le campus.

au BCL/LLB, y compris ceux et celles de première année,

Le Centre organise en outre un voyage de recrutement estival à Toronto. Cette année, une initiative similaire

le programme a doublé de taille, élargissant ainsi les occasions de tisser des liens.

a aussi eu lieu à New York. Pendant deux jours, les participant.e.s ont pu rencontrer et se familiariser avec divers employeurs. Le marché d’Ottawa a quant à lui été mis à l’honneur lors d’une première Journée carrière consacrée aux employeurs de la région en novembre 2018. Selon Me Roy-Lafleur, de tels événements aident les étudiant.e.s à comprendre ce que recherchent les employeurs et les préparent aux processus de recrutement. « Ils savent à quoi s’attendre, et sont mieux préparés pour les entrevues. »

Un don généreux à l’appui de la prochaine génération Outre la refonte de ses programmes, le Centre est promis à de beaux lendemains, en grande partie grâce à un don de plus de 250 000 $ de la cohorte de 1993, un record pour un don de promotion (voir les dons de nos diplômés à la page 43). « Notre soutien permettra au Centre de développement professionnel d’offrir plus de consultations, d’ateliers et d’occasions aux étudiant.e.s de la Faculté de droit, ce qui les aidera à trouver d’intéressants débouchés partout dans le monde, explique la chef de promotion TINA HOBDAY, BCL’93, LLB’93. La concurrence règne plus que jamais dans notre profession,

L’équipe du Centre de développement professionnel, de gauche à droite: Melissa Caruana, Sophie Roy-Lafleur,

et l’enseignement en classe ne suffit plus à donner aux

Claudine Bordenave, et Staci Angelis.

remarquables étudiant.e.s de McGill les compétences, les connaissances et les occasions nécessaires pour tirer leur épingle du jeu. » « C’est un privilège pour notre équipe de faire partie du parcours des étudiant.e.s, ajoute Me Roy-Lafleur. Ce don dynamisera le Centre et ses initiatives, et il nous aidera à offrir à nos étudiant.e.s un service à la hauteur de leur remarquable potentiel. »

25

Today’s world is one of global uncertainty: Liberal democracies are under stress. Ethnic nationalism and populism are on the rise. Technology is developing faster than our ability to regulate it. Environmental issues abound. People, ideas, and goods cross borders more than ever before – although borders remain obstacles to many. Established in 1848 as Canada’s first law school, McGill’s Faculty of Law has continuously thrived at the forefront of complex issues by looking further than other law schools. We have the bilingual, pluralistic approach and global orientation to distinguish us from peers. We make a difference in our community, in Canada, and in the world at large.

Thanks to our accomplished alumni and generous supporters, McGill’s Faculty of Law is already Canada’s most global law faculty. But we aspire to go even further. We have the talent, the experience and the ambition to continue to push the boundaries of what a legal education can be and do.

What will it take to lead the way in addressing these global challenges?

To learn more, visit: giving.mcgill.ca/law

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Collation des grades du printemps 2019 par Lysanne Larose

Une fois de plus, nous avons joui d’un superbe

Après la remise des diplômes, c’est ANDRÉ MOREAU,

après-midi ensoleillé pour la cérémonie de collation

BCL/LLB’19, qui a prononcé le discours d’adieu,

des grades de la Faculté de droit le 30 mai 2019.

soulignant l’esprit de camaraderie et d’entraide de la

Cette année, le cortège des finissant.e.s est parti

promotion de 2019. Il a exprimé l’espoir que les amitiés

de la bibliothèque McLennan, car le point de départ

tissées à la Faculté continueront dans le monde

traditionnel, le pavillon Redpath, est fermé pour des

professionnel et a répété les mots d’accueil de l’ancien

rénovations. Le cortège des professeur.e.s était par

doyen Jutras à l’effet que « tout va bien se passer ».

ailleurs rejoint par des diplômé.e.s de la promotion

En effet, l’exceptionnelle cohorte de diplomé.e.s en

de 1969, venu.e.s vivre avec notre nouvelle promotion

a fait la preuve!

ce moment fort en émotions.

Le doyen ROBERT LECKEY a clos la cérémonie en

Au cours de la cérémonie, la principale SUZANNE

dressant un portrait des succès de la promotion de

FORTIER a souligné les succès de deux membres du

2019 et en prodiguant ses conseils pour l’avenir.

corps professoral en décernant le Prix d’excellence

La journée s’est terminée par une chaleureuse

en enseignement John W. Durnford à la professeure JOHANNE POIRIER et le Prix de la principale pour chercheurs exceptionnels émergents à la professeure MARIE MANIKIS. Cette année, le discours d’envoi a été prononcé par

réception au Cercle universitaire, où la promotion de 1969 a généreusement reçu la promotion de 2019. On pourra revivre la collation des grades tant en photos qu’en vidéo ici : https://mcgill.ca/x/ZgR

l’honorable IRWIN COTLER, PC, OC, OQ, BCL’64, LLD’19. Ce dernier a par ailleurs reçu son capuchon de docteur de droit honoris causa des mains de son ami et ancien camarade de classe GORDON ECHENBERG, BCL’64. Dans une allocution empreinte de passion, le professeur émérite Cotler a invité la promotion de 2019 à prendre le flambeau de la quête pour la justice au nom des personnes opprimées et emprisonnées partout dans le monde.

28

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

In Memoriam

ALUMNOTES

The ’50s & ’60s Futsum Abbay, LLM’02, DCL’13 Jonathan Curtis Barker, BCL’78, LLB’80

JEAN ANDRÉ ÉLIE, CM, BCL’65, a été nommé membre de l’Ordre du Canada en novembre 2018 pour ses contributions à

H.E. Marc Baudouin, BCL’49

la gouvernance dans les arts, notamment

Jean-Pierre Bessette, BCL’72

symphonique de Montréal, et pour

Jack B. Boidman, BCL’65

à titre de grand bâtisseur de l’Orchestre son esprit philanthropique au service de nombreuses causes.

Edward Paul Burns, LLB’74 Avrum Cohen, BCL’56 Mitzi Dobrin, CM, BCL’71

The ’70s Lors de la collation des grades de l’automne 2018, l’honorable KEN DRYDEN,

James Duggan, Ad. E., BCL’82

PC, OC, LLB’73, s’est vu décerner un

Martin H. Franklin, BCL’51

avocat, politicien, universitaire, dirigeant

Smaranda Ghibu, BCL’91, LLB’91 Maurice D. Godbout, QC, BCL’44

doctorat honoris causa en lettres. Auteur, sportif, membre du Temple de la renommée du hockey et philanthrope, il s’est imposé comme un véritable hommeorchestre canadien.

Joshua Martin Gold, BCL’98, LLB’98

ELAINE FELDMAN, BCL’77, LLB’78, was

The Hon. Benjamin J. Greenberg,

appointed to Canada’s Chapter 24 Roster

QC, BCL’57

(Trade and Environment) of experts for

Jack Greenstein, QC, BCL’55 Robert R. Hindle, BCL’80, LLB’81 Ari Joshua Levy, BCL’90, LLB’90 Hung Richard Ling, BCL’83, LLB’86 Pierre Paquet, BCL’80 R. James Plant, BCL’60

The Hon. JOSEPH NUSS, Ad. E., CM, QC, BCL’58, a senior counsel at Woods LLP, was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in honour of his contribution to justice and to the Jewish community of Montreal. Justice Nuss is a long-standing supporter of the René Cassin Lecture Series at the Faculty.

the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) this winter. These rosters constitute expert panels that examine various matters arising under CETA.

ERIC MALDOFF, CM, BCL’74, LLB’75, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation. A partner at Lapointe Rosenstein March-

JULIUS H. GREY, Ad. E., BCL’71, a senior

and Melançon, he is also Chair of the

partner at Grey Casgrain, published

Board of the Old Brewery Mission.

Capitalism and the Alternatives (McGill-

NORMAN STEINBERG, Ad. E., BCL’75,

Queen’s University Press, 2019), a book that seeks “to rehabilitate economic

président émérite de Norton Rose Fulbright, a quitté le cabinet où il œuvrait

Michel C. Pothier, BCL’59

equality as a fundamental social goal built

Georges A. Pouliot, QC, BCL’49

liberty, and even romanticism.”

Marvin Riback, QC, BCL’49

WILLIAM D. HART, BCL’77, LLB’78, was

le Comité consultatif de la Faculté

appointed Director and Chairman of the

de droit entre 2013 et 2017. Par ailleurs,

Judith Gail Shenker, BCL’78, LLB’79

Board of Directors of the two Canadian

il a été nommé président du conseil

subsidiaries of CM-CIC Investissement:

d’administration de la Fondation du

CIC Capital Canada and CIC Venture

Centre universitaire de santé McGill en

Capital. CM-CIC Investissement is the

septembre 2018.

Wyndham A. Strover, BCL’50 George Ollie Tokar, LLB’74

on universal values such as individualism,

private equity subsidiary of Crédit Mutuel Joseph Tomy, BCL’49 Donald Bruce Wilkie, BCL’60

Alliance Fédérale, one of the largest banking groups in France.

29

depuis 1976 pour rejoindre la firme de courtage d’assurances BFL Canada à titre de vice-président. M. Steinberg a présidé

ALUMNOTES

The ’80s

The Hon. ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BCL’83, LLB’83, was appointed to the

The Hon. PATRICE ABRIOUX, LLB’80,

Court of Appeal for Ontario in August

then of the Supreme Court of British

2018 (read our article on p. 21), after

Columbia, was appointed a justice of

having served on the province’s Superior

the British Columbia Court of Appeal in

Court of Justice since 2004.

March. Abrioux practised primarily in the field of civil litigation in Vancouver prior

LOUISE HOULE, LLM’81, a rejoint

to his appointment to the bench in 2011.

l’équipe de fiscalité de De Grandpré Chait

In December 2018, he was appointed

à titre d’avocate-conseil. Par ailleurs,

a deputy judge for the Supreme Court

elle a été reconnue par le Best Lawyers

of Yukon.

in Canada 2019.

GARY BELL, BCL’89, LLB’89, who

The Hon. NICHOLAS KASIRER, BCL’85,

teaches at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, was elected a titular member of the International Academy of Comparative Law. He teaches in comparative law (Comparative Legal Traditions, International and Comparative Law of Sale, Indonesian Law).

In April, NATASHA ELL SAUNDERS, BCL’98, LLB’98, was appointed Chief Legal Officer of TekSavvy Solutions Inc., Canada’s largest independent telecommunications company, after occupying other positions inside the company.

LLB’85, was named to the Supreme Court of Canada in September (read our article on p. 14). Justice Kasirer was appointed to the Court of Appeal of Quebec in 2009, rendering judgments in areas spanning private, criminal, and public law. PIERRE Y. LEFEBVRE, BCL’81, associé

FRANCISCO COUTO, BCL’88, LLB’88,

chez Langlois, était parmi les 73 nouveaux

a été élu premier conseiller au Conseil

Fellows du American College of Trial

2019-2020 du Barreau de Montréal. e

M Couto est Directeur régional au ministère de la Justice du Canada. Il était trésorier du Conseil du Barreau en 2018-2019. ÉRIC DUNBERRY, Ad. E., BCL’86, associé principal chez Norton Rose Fulbright à Montréal, s’est vu décerner la distinction honorifique d’Avocat émérite par le Barreau du Québec l’an dernier.

Lawyers intronisés le 2 mars dernier. The Hon. CLÉMENT GASCON, BCL’81,

Fondée en 1950, cette association regroupe

stepped down from the Supreme Court of

les meilleurs plaideurs d’Amérique

Canada in September. After being called

du nord.

to the Quebec Bar in 1982, Justice Gascon practised law for 21 years at Heenan Blaikie in Montreal, working primarily in civil and commercial litigation and in labour law. He also taught business law, labour law and construction law at McGill’s Faculty of Law, UQAM, and the

The Hon. JEFFREY EDWARDS, BCL’86,

Barreau du Québec. He was appointed

LLB’86, was appointed to the Superior

to the Quebec Superior Court in 2002,

Court of Quebec for the district of

then to the Quebec Court of Appeal in

Montreal in June. He previously sat at

2012, and finally to the Supreme Court of

the Court of Quebec, Civil Division,

Canada in 2014.

since January 2014.

The Hon. STEPHEN HAMILTON, BCL’84, LLB’84, was named to the Quebec Court of Appeal in August 2018 (read our article

HILLEL ROSEN, BCL’85, LLB’85, received

on p. 22). Justice Hamilton had been a

the James A. Robb Award, which celebrates

judge of the Superior Court of Quebec,

those who nobly give of their time and efforts

District of Montreal, since October 2013.

L’an dernier, CLAUDE MARSEILLE, Ad. E., BCL’86, LLB’86, associé au sein du groupe de Litige et règlement des différends de Blakes, s’est vu décerner la distinction honorifique d’Avocat émérite par le Barreau du Québec en reconnaissance de son parcours exceptionnel. The Hon. SHEILAH L. MARTIN, BCL’81, LLB’81, who is a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement from the Women in Law Leadership (WILL) Awards in November. The WILL Awards are presented annually to female members of the Alberta legal profession. DANY MELOUL, BCL’88, LLB’88, a été nommée directrice générale de la

to support the Faculty of Law in the pursuit

Télévision de Radio-Canada en août 2019.

of its academic endeavours.

Jusqu’à sa nomination à Radio-Canada, elle occupait le poste de vice-présidente, Programmation, Télévision de langue française chez Bell Média depuis octobre 2015.

30

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

WARREN J. NEWMAN, Ad. E., BCL’81, LLB’81, has been appointed to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. Newman is Senior General Counsel in the Constitutional, Administrative and International Law Section of the Department of Justice of Canada. The Hon. PETER (PANAGIOTIS) PAMEL, BCL’87, LLB‘87, a été nommé juge de la Cour fédérale et juge d’office de la Cour d’appel fédérale en mai 2019. En novembre 2018, FRÉDÉRIQUE SABOURIN, Ad. E., LLM’89, s’est vu décerner la distinction honorifique d’Avocate émérite par le Barreau du Québec. Me Sabourin est avocate au ministère de la Justice du Québec, à Québec.

The ’90s Dans son livre Le retour à la bière... et au hockey (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2018), la conseillère en leadership HELEN ANTONIOU, BCL’92, LLB’92, raconte comment son beau-père, Eric Molson, a transformé un conglomérat en déroute pour le ramener à son activité principale, soit la fabrication de la bière, et en faire un des plus grands brasseurs au monde. ISABELLE DAOUST, BCL’96, LLB’96, is the Corporate Secretary at the Department of National Defence, where she supports the Minister of National Defence, the Deputy Minister and the Chief of the Defence Staff on questions of governance and other key corporate

Former McGill Law dean STEPHEN

functions. Daoust’s husband, PAUL

TOOPE, OC, BCL’83, LLB’83, LLD’17,

MOEN, LLB’93, is a partner at Earnscliffe

received the degree of Doctor of

Strategy Group, a leading national public

Laws, honoris causa, from the Law

affairs firm, where he specializes in

Society of Ontario. Toope is the 346th

government affairs, public policy

Vice-Chancellor of the University of

and communications with a focus on

Cambridge.

international trade. DANIEL FRAJMAN, BCL’90, LLB’90, a partner at Spiegel Sohmer in Montreal, has completed a two-year term as Chair of the Montreal Branch of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP). He remains involved with STEP as a

Federal Court since April 2014, was appointed a judge of the Federal Court of Appeal in March. Prior to his judicial appointment, Justice Locke was an associate and then a partner in the IP group in the Montreal office of Norton Rose Fulbright (formerly Ogilvy Renault).

MARIE CHRISTINE KIROUACK, Ad. E., BCL’91, a reçu le Mérite du Barreau du Québec pour son apport significatif au développement et à l’avancement du droit en matière familiale et pour son travail de démystification des problèmes de santé mentale que peuvent vivre les avocats.

and estate technical committee and its

TASHA KHEIRIDDIN, BCL’93, LLB’93,

worldwide philanthropy law special

is a radio host for Global News Radio

interest committee.

640 Toronto. As a prominent political

CAROLENA GORDON, BCL’91, LLB’91,

columnist, she has produced, hosted, and

law firm Clyde & Co. She also sits on the firm’s North American board. Over her L’honorable MARIE-CHRISTINE

25-year career as a litigator, Gordon has

HIVON, BCL’96, LLB’96, a été

handled complex, large-scale insurance,

nommée juge de la Cour supérieure

construction and commercial disputes.

Montréal en juin 2019.

BCL’91, LLB’91, a judge of the

member of its Canadian national trust

was appointed Canadian chair of global

du Québec pour le district de

The Hon. GEORGE R. LOCKE,

appeared on radio and TV programs across the country, while also penning weekly columns for both the National Post and the online publication iPolitics.ca.

L’honorable CHRISTIAN IMMER, BCL’91,

MEARA CONWAY, BCL/LLB’13

LLB’91, a été nommé juge de la Cour

(Government/Non-profits/Associations),

supérieure du Québec pour le district

DEBORAH GREENBERG, BCL’99,

de Montréal au mois de mars.

LLB’99 (In-house Counsel), and DANIEL

The Hon. MAHMUD JAMAL, BCL’93,

DESJARDINS, LLM’83 (In-house Counsel),

LLB’93, was appointed to the Ontario

were named in Canadian Lawyer’s Top 25

Court of Appeal (read our article on p. 23)

Most Influential in August 2019.

in June.

31

ALUMNOTES HOWARD LEIBOVICH, BCL’94, LLB’94,

MARTIN F. SHEEHAN, Ad. E. BCL’90,

who was Director of the Crown Law

LLB’90, was appointed a judge of the

Office - Criminal at the Ministry of the

Superior Court for the district of

Attorney General in Toronto, was

Montreal in March. The Barreau du

appointed a judge of the Superior Court of

Québec awarded him the Advocatus

Justice of Ontario, and a judge ex officio

Emeritus distinction last year.

of the Court of Appeal for Ontario. BÉATRICE MAILLE, BCL’94, LLB’94, has been Director General, Legal Affairs, and Deputy Legal Adviser at Global Affairs Canada since fall 2018. CATHERINE MCKENZIE, BCL/LLB’99, a partner at Montreal firm IMK Advocates, has published a new thriller. A full-time lawyer, she has been attracting media attention for both her writing (the bestseller I’ll Never Tell is on Goodreads’ Hottest Books of Summer and Bloomberg’s Best Books of Summer lists) and for her legal work. This summer, McKenzie filed a challenge to Quebec’s

The ’00s DALE BARRETT, BCL/LLB’07, launched the Lawyers & Lattes Legal Café in Toronto’s bustling Yonge St. and Eglinton Ave. area to bring “more accessible and more affordable” legal services to the local

JOEL UNRUCH, BCL/LLB ‘03,

community.

has been named general counsel,

AUDREY BOCTOR, BCL/LLB’05,

secretary and chief compliance

associée chez IMK Avocats, a terminé son

officer at Accenture in Chicago.

mandat d’un an à titre de présidente de l’ABC-Québec en juin 2019. Elle continuera de siéger au conseil d’administration de l’ABC.

newly adopted Bill 21, a controversial law

MAUREEN T. DUFFY, LLM’05, DCL’13,

that bans many public servants in from

an Associate Professor at the University

wearing religious symbols at work.

of Calgary’s Faculty of Law, is the author

ALEXANDER PLESS, BCL’98, LLB’98, has been appointed Senior General Counsel at Canada’s Department of Justice, National Litigation Sector. He was also appointed Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Law.

of Detention of Terrorism Suspects: Political Discourse and Fragmented Practices (Hart, 2018), which received the 2019 Hart—SLSA Prize for Early Career Academics. NICOLE (BOROVAN) GINSBERG, LLM’06, was recently appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of

Two alumna in Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100, 2018 edition KARINA KESSERWAN, BCL/LLB’07, founder & partner of Kesserwan Arteau Inc., received a Mercedes-Benz Emerging

Canada, in the Montreal office. MOLLY JOECK, BCL/LLB’13, a doctoral student at the Peter A. Allard School of Law and a practicing lawyer, intervened last fall in Canada (Public Safety

JOSEPH HILLIER, BCL/LLB’08, is Director of Policy and Legal Affairs at the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario. JEFF KING, BCL/LLB’03, a Professor of Law at UCL Laws in the UK, was appointed Legal Adviser to the House of Lords Constitution Committee in August. The committee examines all Public Bills for constitutional implications and investigates broad constitutional issues. GUILLAUME LAVOIE, BCL/LLB’06, a partner at Lavery de Billy, was named a Young Influencer among the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2018 by Canadian Lawyer magazine. The Hon. ANNA LOPARCO, BCL/LLB’02,

Leaders award.

and Emergency Preparedness) v. Chhina.

JULIA HANIGSBERG, BCL’91, LLB’91,

The landmark case is about the right of

President and CEO of Holland Bloorview

immigration detainees to challenge the

BENJAMIN PERRIN, LLM’07, was

Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, received a

lawfulness of their detention by way of

promoted to full Professor at the Peter A.

PwC Public Sectors award.

habeas corpus.

Allard School of Law at the University

before the Supreme Court of Canada.

was appointed a judge of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.

of British Columbia. His latest book is Victim Law: The Law of Victims of Crime in Canada (Thomson Reuters, 2017).

32

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

YONATAN PETEL, BCL/LLB’08,

PASCALE CORNUT ST-PIERRE, BCL/

a partner at McMillan’s Montreal office,

LLB’13, professeure adjointe à l’Univer-

L’automne dernier, SOPHIE TREMBLAY,

was a winner of the 2018 edition of the

sité d’Ottawa (section de droit civil),

BCL/LLB’10 (Prix Pro bono / Implication

40 Under 40 Awards from the Commercial

a reçu le Prix Jean Carbonnier de la

sociale), LAURENCE BICH-CARRIÈRE,

Finance Association (now the Secured

recherche sur le droit et la justice 2018

BCL/LLB’08 (Prix Litige civil et commer-

Finance Network).

et le Prix solennel de la Chancellerie

cial), ALEXANDRE BIEN-AIMÉ, BCL/

Avec ses co-auteurs, ERIC POIRIER,

pour sa thèse « Les swaps ou l’innova-

LLB’10 (Prix Droit criminel et pénal),

tion financière aux mains des juristes :

ROBERTA HARTHEL, BCL/LLB’10 et

Contribution à l’étude socio-juridique

SOPHIE GAILLARD, BCL/LLB’12,

de la financiarisation », soutenue à

étaient parmi les personnes en lice pour

l’École de droit de Sciences Po en

la distinction « Les Leaders de demain

M. Poirier rédige actuellement sa thèse

décembre 2017.

2018 » du Jeune Barreau de Montréal.

de doctorat, qui explore comment une

KATARINA DANIELS, BCL/LLB’15,

nouvelle alliance entre le Québec et les

returned to McGill in January as Liaison

francophones hors Québec peut renforcer

Librarian of the Nahum Gelber Law

BCL/LLB’09, a reçu le titre de Patriote de l’année 2018-2019 de la Société SaintJean-Baptiste pour son ouvrage Le droit linguistique au Québec (LexisNexis, 2017).

The Honourable ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Ontario Superior CourtBCL/LLB’10, of Justice, was CHRISTELLE GEDEON, appointed to the Court of Appeal d’Alphria, a remporté le Prix Leaderfor de

la francophonie canadienne. Il est mem-

Library. Daniels also holds a Master’s

bre du Conseil supérieur de la langue

in Library and Information Studies and

française.

an Honours BA. You can follow her on

JESS SALOMON, BCL/LLB’04, made her

Twitter, @katarinadaniels.

comedic debut on the Tonight Show with

Campaign for Cannabis Amnesty

Jimmy Fallon in April.

founder ANNAMARIA ENENAJOR,

University from 1988-1998, teaching in the CHRISTINE JUTRAS, Ad. E., LLM’16, areas of public, private and family law. s’est vu décerner la distinction honori-

MEGAN STEPHENS, BCL/LLB’02, joined

BCL/LLB’12, was named one of Chat-

fique d’Avocat émérite par le Barreau du

elaine magazine’s 2018 Women of the

Québec l’an dernier. En juin, elle a obtenu

Fund (LEAF) as Executive Director &

Year. (Read our interview on p. 19)

le Prix Jules-Deschênes 2019, remis par

General Counsel in June. Stephens will

JUSTIN FISCH, BCL/LLB’16, was

lead LEAF as it works to advance the

among the lawyers who filed an amicus

equality rights of women and girls through

brief on behalf of the Consumer Federa-

AMANDA GHAHREMANI, BCL/LLB’15,

litigation, law reform, and public education

tion of America, challenging the Trump

the former Legal Director of the

using the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

administration’s decision to roll back

Canadian Centre for International

vehicle clean air standards, affecting fuel

Justice, was one of the co-authors of the

efficiency of cars throughout the U.S.,

legal analysis on genocide, a supplemen-

and as a result, Canada.

tary report destined for the National

the Women’s Legal Education and Action

Deux diplômé.e.s ont rejoint le collectif Delegatus en juin 2019. Il s’agit de MARIE GAREL, BCL/LLB’10, avocate en droit du travail et de SÉBASTIEN GIGNAC, BCL’89,

En mai, ALEXANDRE FOREST, BCL/LLB’10, est devenu, à 32 ans, le plus jeune bâtonnier du Barreau de

Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a demain dans le cadre des Canadian member of theAwards Faculty (CGCA of Law of McGill General Counsel awards).

l’Association du Barreau Canadien (ABC), section Québec.

Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls. ROSEL KIM, BCL/LLB’15, is among a

Montréal. M Forest fait partie de

group of lawyers who have spearheaded

l’équipe montréalaise de Gowling WLG,

a pilot project to establish a Korean Legal

où il pratique au sein des groupes de

Clinic based in Toronto that aims to pro-

réorganisation, faillite et insolvabilité et

vide low-cost legal services to the Korean

The ’10s

de litige commercial.

community, create Korean-language legal

BRIAN BIRD, DCL’19, joined the James

BRIAN GALLANT, LLM’11, past premier

LLB’89, avocat en droit commercial.

Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University as a postdoctoral research fellow in September. He recently defended his thesis, “The Forgotten Fundamental:

e

of New Brunswick, continues to serve as MLA for Shediac Bay-Dieppe and serves

literature, and collect data on the legal needs and issues of the Korean-Canadian community.

as a special adviser on innovation,

MOLLY KRISHTALKA, BCL/LLB’15,

cyber security, and law in the Office of

who was previously working as a

the President at Ryerson University.

litigation associate in Dentons Canada’s Montreal office, joined CBC/Radio-

Freedom of Conscience in Canada”, which

Canada in Montreal as legal counsel.

was written under the supervision of Dean Robert Leckey.

33

ALUMNOTES ANDRÉ MOREAU, BCL/LLB’19,

VALÉRIE OLIVIER, BCL/LLB’18,

of nonfiction blog posts published on the

received a Gretta Chambers Student

ancienne présidente de l’Association

CBC Montreal website and makes guest

Leadership Award from the McGill

des étudiant.e.s en droit de la Faculté,

appearances on CBC Radio and CBC TV.

Alumni Association.

a été recrutée comme avocate dans le

FRANCESCA TADDEO, BCL/LLB’14,

cabinet montréalais de BLG, au sein

a litigation associate at Norton Rose

de l’équipe de droit corporatif. ALEXANDRE BIEN-AIMÉ, BCL/LLB’10, received the Charles D. Gonthier Outstanding Young Alumni Award. This award recognizes

Fulbright, won the Young Montreal Bar’s

PERRI RAVON, BCL/LLB’11, a récem-

2019 English Oratory Competition for

ment inauguré les bureaux montréalais

her speech on the subject “A white lie

de Juristes Power, après avoir participé

or a dark truth?”.

the contribution of an alum who has gradu-

à la fondation du même cabinet à Ottawa.

ated within the past decade and has set

RAPHAEL SZAJNFARBER, BCL/

at the Court of Appeal for Ontario in

an example for aspiring jurists through

LLB’12, became President of Ottawa-

2016-2017, after which he moved back

professional achievement, community

based Quintet Consulting in November

home to Nova Scotia and began practic-

service or commitment to the Faculty of Law.

2018. Quintet is a Canadian-owned

ing at Pink Larkin. His practice is focused

company that delivers conflict

on labour and employment law, as well as

management services and conducts

administrative, constitutional and civil

administrative investigations for public-

litigation.

NGOZI OKIDEGBE, BCL/LLB’15,

DANIEL WILBAND, BCL/LLB’15, clerked

has been appointed as a holder of the

and private-sector clients.

Harold A. Stevens Visiting Assistant

EMIRA TUFO, BCL/LLB’12, was named

est l’autrice de La fabrique du viol, publié

Professorship for the 2019-2021 term at

the 2019 CBC/Quebec Writers’ Fed-

par Leméac ce printemps.

Cardozo School of Law in New York City.

eration writer-in-residence last fall.

This Professorship is only awarded

Writers-in-residence produce a series

SUZANNE ZACCOUR, BCL/LLB’16,

to one person every two years.

Gardez le contact avec votre Faculté sur les réseaux sociaux! Stay connected with the vibrant community of McGill Law. Like us at:

bit.ly/LawMcGill

@LawMcGill

Follow us at:

Follow us at:

@LawMcGill @DeanLeckey

@LawMcGill Tag your photos with #McGillLaw

34

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Alumni Cocktail in NYC photos by David Beyda

In November 2018, Dean Robert Leckey travelled to Manhattan for an alumni reception graciously held in the offices of Hightower. Hosted by alums Jordan Waxman and Richard Aftanas, the reception drew graduates from many classes. (above) Jérôme Martineau McEniry, BCL/LLB’18, Dilshad Marolia, BCL’02, LLB’02, Kim Ton-That, BCL/LLB’17, Adam Plotkin, BCL/LLB’13, and Dean Robert Leckey.

(above) Priya Morley, BCL/LLB’14, Michaël Lessard, BCL/LLB’15, Dean Robert Leckey, and Ngozi Okidegbe, BCL/LLB’15. (above) Jeff Roberts, BCL/LLB’05, Julia Gray, BCL/LLB’04, and Aaron Chase, BCL/LLB’05.

(above) Joshua Fireman, BCL’94, LLB’94, Mark Chapman, BCL’95, LLB’95, Richard Aftanas, LLB’94, Clair Fitzgerald, BCL’95, LLB’95, and Lisa Shemie, BCL’94, LLB’94. (above) Kevin MacLeod, BCL/LLB’03, and Jessie Jamar, BCL’80, LLB’81. (right) Dean Robert Leckey in company of the two hosts of the NYC alumni Cocktail, Jordan Waxman, LLB’91, BCL’92, and Richard Aftanas, LLB’94.

35

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Toronto Alumni Cocktail photos by Taurus Multimedia

(above) Pierre Soulard, BCL’94, LLB’94, Sonia Keshwar, BCL’96, LLB’96, and Jane Caskey, LLB’94. (left) Christopher Naudie, BCL’94, LLB’94, Greg David, BCL’93, LLB’93, and Warren Cooney, BCL’93, LLB’93. (below) Jessica Labranche, BCL/LLB’12, Sophie Roy-Lafleur, BCL/LLB’11, and Susannah Dainow, BCL/LLB’12.

In November 2018, the Faculty of Law held its annual Toronto Law Alumni Cocktail, graciously hosted by Thomson Reuters. Dozens of alumni reconnected over drinks and caught up on the latest news of the Faculty with Dean Robert Leckey. Neil Sternthal, LLB’95, and Ewa Krajewska addressed the 150 or so guests.

(right) Shawn McReynolds, LLB’82, Elaine Kierans, BCL’82, LLB’82, Stephen Halperin, BCL’75, LLB’78, Matthew Rosen, BCL/LLB’13, and Chad Bass-Meldrum, BCL/LLB’13. (below) Nazampal Jaswal, BCL/LLB’18, Naiara Toker, BCL/LLB’18, Alizeh Ladak, BCL/LLB’18, and Chantelle Dallas, BCL/LLB’18.

(below left) Awanish Sinha, LLB’99, and Eric Gilman, BCL’02, LLB’02. (below right) Julia E. Hanigsberg BCL’91, LLB’91, and Ewa Krajewska, BCL/LLB’08.

36

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Cocktail des jeunes diplômé.e.s de Montréal photos par Nicolas Morin

Belle soirée en février 2019 en compagnie des invités spéciaux, John Lennard, Kendra Hefti et Alex Shee, trois étoiles montantes dans leurs domaines respectifs!

The Honourable ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a member of the Faculty of Law of McGill (en haut) Jack Fattal, BCL/LLB’10, University from 1988-1998, teaching in the avec Eric Van BCL/LLB’09. areas ofEyken, public, private and family law. (à gauche) Nos invités spéciaux John Lennard, BCL/LLB’11, Kendra Hefti, BCL/LLB’16, et Alex Shee, BCL/LLB’11.

(à droite) Aleksei Ponomarev, BCL/LLB’18, Rebecca Jones, BCL/LLB’19, Sara Pierre, BCL/LLB’19, et Romita Sur, BCL/LLB’18. (en bas) Katarina Daniels, BCL/LLB’15, Frank Arsenault, BCL/LLB’15, Ray Grafton, BCL/LLB’17, et John Simpson, BCL/LLB’16.

37

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

London Alumni Cocktail photos by David Woolfall

(above) Alexsandra Puscinska, LLM’17, and Tyson Neil, BCL/LLB’04. (left) Class of 2012 classmates Youri Tessier-Stall, Carrie Anne Finlay, and Lauren Nicole Pagé caught up with each other.

Many thanks to the 30 or so London alumni who joined Dean Robert Leckey for an intimate gathering in the offices of McCarthy Tétrault in March 2019 with host Chris Langdon.

(above) Matthew Squire, BCL/LLB’19, David Lucian Short, LLM’96, Xavier Phaneuf-Jolicoeur, BCL/LLB’13, Ariane Simard, BCL/LLB’15, and Daniel Judd, LLM’17. (below) Sapfo Constantatos, BCL’95, LLB’95, and Christopher Langdon, BCL’97, LLB’97.

(above) Parul Shah, BCL/LLB’07, and Rodney Birrell, BCL’78, LLB’79.

38

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Celebrating achievement and support photos by Nicolas Morin

In March 2019, the Faculty hosted its annual Celebration of Student Achievement and Donor Support, where students who have received scholarships and prizes have the opportunity to meet, greet and personally thank their benefactors for their precious support. Over 90 guests gathered in the foyer of Old Chancellor Day Hall, including faculty members, undergraduate and graduate students, distinguished donors and alumni, to hear our special guests, the Hon. Morris Fish and Neil Weschler. (above) Neil Wechsler, BCL’92, LLB’92, and Zoë Freedman (Nathan Schipper Internship Award). (below) Annelise Harnanan (National Programme Entrance Scholarship), Kayla Míguez (Chief Justice R.A.E. Greenshields Memorial Scholarship), and Elise Malenfant (125th Anniversary National Programme Entrance Scholarship).

(above) Kirstie Russell (Samuel Haberkorn Memorial Entrance Scholarship), Sayre Potter (Jordan H. Waxman Entrance Scholarship), Martine Kneifel (125th Anniversary National Programme Entrance Scholarship), and David How (Wainwright Entrance Scholarship).

(left) Kerry Ann Marcotte (Hon. Mr. Justice Morris J. Fish Internship Award; Lindsay A. Cameron & Gail Cameron Award; Michael Novak & Kathleen Weil Human Rights Internship Award) with the Hon. Morris J. Fish, BCL’62, LLD’01. (above) Tiran Rahimian Bajgiran (John Claxton Scholarship; Nancy Park Memorial Prize; Oppenheimer Scholarship in International Law; Michael Novak and Kathleen Weil Human Rights Internship Award) and Ted Claxton (BCL’82).

39

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Cocktail des diplômé.e.s de Montréal photos par Nicolas Morin

The Honourable ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a member of the Faculty Law of McGill (en haut) Jill Hugessen, BCL’85,of LLB’85, University from 1988-1998, teaching in the et Ted Claxton, BCL’82, semblaient fort contents deof se public, retrouver. areas private and family law. (en haut) Trevor McCann, BCL’97, LLB’97, le doyen Robert Leckey et la professeure Jaye Ellis, BCL’92, LLB’92, DCL’01. (en bas) L’événement se tenait dans l’atrium.

Le 10 avril 2019, 150 diplômés et diplômées de la région de Montréal, des promotions de 1947 à 2019, nous ont rejoint dans le pavillon Chancellor-Day pour la seconde édition d’un cocktail annuel dont la popularité ne se dément pas!

(en haut) Richard Pound, CC, OQ, QC, OLY, BCL’67, LLD’09, était également des nôtres. (à gauche) Julius Grey, BCL’71, et la juge Carol Cohen, BCL’82, s’entretiennent avec Katrin Nakashima, BCL’81, LLB’81.

40

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Toronto Young Alumni Cocktail photos by Taurus Multimedia

In June 2019, over 90 young alumni and current students working in the GTA joined us in the Toronto offices of Thomson Reuters for a most congenial evening with special guests Rosel Kim and Ewa Krajewska.

The Honourable ALISON HARVISON YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a (above) Rebecca member ofKaeser-Reiss, the FacultyBCL/LLB’19, of Law of McGill ChrisUniversity Laliberté, BCL/LLB’17, from 1988-1998, teaching in the and Zofia Rogoweska, BCL/LLB’19.

areas of public, private and family law.

(left) Heather Whiteside, BCL/LLB’19, BCL/LLB candidate Andrew Rintoul, Dean Robert Leckey, and Fahad Diwan, BCL/LLB’17.

(above) Matthew Chung, BCL/LLB’17, Colleen Morawetz, BCL/LLB’18, Sajeda Hedaraly, BCL/LLB’18, BCL/LLB candidates Ouvedi Rama Naiken and Fatima Anjum, and Stéfanie Cardarelli, BCL/LLB’17.

(above) Rosel Kim, BCL/LLB’15, Ti-Anna Wang, BCL/LLB’18, and BCL/LLB candidate Seheong Jeong. (right) Fraser Dickson, BCL/LLB’16, Claire Gowdy, BCL/LLB’13, Pierre Lermusieaux, BCL/LLB’14, David Rappaport, BCL/LLB’16, and Brian Sherman, BCL/LLB’16.

41

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

2018 Homecoming Banquet photos by Nicolas Morin

John Lennard, BCL/LLB’11, Angelo Nikolakakis, BCL’93, LLB’93, The Honourable ALISON HARVISON and Greg David, BCL’93, LLB’93.

YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was appointed to the Court of Appeal for Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a member of the Faculty of Law of McGill University from 1988-1998, teaching in the areas of public, private and family law.

(clockwise from bottom left) Mindy Paskell-Mede, BCL’81, LLB’81, Riccardo Trecroce, BCL’81,

Almost 400 law alumni took part in the second edition of the Homecoming Law Alumni Banquet, with special guest

LLB’81, Aidan O’Neill, BCL’81, LLB’81, Michael Nelson, BCL’82, LLB’82, Warren Newman,

the Hon. Ken Dryden, PC, OC, LLB’73. The event, which took

BCL’81, LLB’81, Algis Danaitis, BCL’80, LLB’81,

place at the InterContinental Montreal, gathered all classes

Cliff Rand, LLB’81, and the Hon. Sheilah Martin,

under the same roof. It was a wonderful opportunity to

BCL’81, LLB’81.

reconnect with old friends and network with other alumni. Thank you all for coming!

We were honoured to welcome the Hon. Ken Dryden, PC, OC, LLB’73, as our special guest.

(at right clockwise from bottom) Marie-Alice Remarais, BCL/LLB’09, Claude Lévesque, BCL/LLB’08, Irene Sarasua, MSc’06, Corrinne Hector, Alexandre Bien-Aimé, BCL/LLB’10, Simon Seida, BCL/LLB’08, François Beaudry, BCL/LLB’08, Hans Black, BCL/LLB’07, Julie Brisson, BCL/LLB’08, Catherine Simard, BCL/LLB’08, Nicolas Brochu, BCL/LLB’08, and Caolan Moore, BCL/LLB’08. Looking good, class of 1998! Michael Glazer, Jamie Levine, Martin Glass, and Ariel Deckelbaum were among the alums marking the 20th anniversary of their convocation.

42

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Annual Giving – Class Success Stories

Do you want to... ...help make the Law Faculty a better place? ...create closer ties between alumni and the Faculty?

Get in touch with the Faculty’s Development team to find out more about opportunities to get involved: HEATHER L. M. POWERS Director of Development heather.powers@mcgill.ca

Class of ’93 Last year, the Class of 1993 committed to raising funds in support of the Career Development Office. Reunion Committee Co-Chairs TINA HOBDAY and WARREN COONEY and Faculty Advisory Board Chairman GREG DAVID helped to drive the success of the Committee, which raised over $250,000 — the largest class gift in the history of the Faculty of Law. “In a world where rapid change is the constant, and ‘traditional’ uses for a legal education are to be determined, support for the CDO seemed the logical choice amongst many worthy endeavours,” Cooney notes. Hobday echoes his comments: “We graduated during the major recession of the 1990s, so it was difficult for some to land on their feet. A CDO would have been helpful for many.” In addition to the Class of ’93’s substantial contribution to the CDO, they held a successful reunion last year in Montreal, with more than 50 classmates in attendance for a weekend of fun.

Class of ’98 The “Pit”, in the basement of New Chancellor Day Hall, has long been a second home to many law students. DOMINIQUE LAPIERRE and DAVID MA, Reunion Committee Co-Chairs, as well as STEPHEN KELLY, a member of the Faculty’s Fundraising Committee, were instrumental in helping the Reunion Committee achieve their goal. The generous Class Gift of over $100,000, which was made in memory of their classmate JOHN MURRAY,

How did your class do?

will play an important part in funding the Pit’s future renovations, allowing it to serve the next

If you are a member of the Class of 1950, you are loyal to

generation of McGill Law students.

McGill Law with a 5-year average participation rate of 40%! The Class of 1956 had the highest participation rate of any of the classes in the last year. The Class of 1998 was the most improved with an increase of 14% over their 5-year average. To see your class’s Annual Giving participation, please visit: mcgill.ca/x/Zsi

43

The Chancellor Day Circle Named in honour of Charles Dewey Day, first chancellor of McGill University and, as one of the codifiers, a central figure in the civil law of Quebec, the Chancellor Day Circle was founded in 2017 to acknowledge the Faculty’s most significant donors. Admission to the Circle is bestowed on donors who have given $100,000 or more to the Faculty of Law. La Faculté de droit remercie les membres du Cercle Chancellor-Day pour leur soutien inestimable : A Jean de Grandpré, CC

Fasken

Nahum Gelber, QC

Alex Kam-Wah Woo

Fondation J A DeSève

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

The Amiel Foundation

Gregory J. David

Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Anna Yang & Joseph Schull

Hillel Rosen & Liane Feldman

Penny & Gordon Echenberg

Ariel & Catherine Deckelbaum

Ian C. Pilarczyk

Peter D. Nesgos

Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation

IMK LLP/S.E.N.C.R.L.

Philippe Lette

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Isabelle Marcoux

Québecor inc

The Blema & Arnold Steinberg Foundation

James A. Robb, QC, Ad.E.

Richard Aftanas

BMO Financial Group

James A. Woods

Richard Bogoroch

The Boeing Company

The Hon. James C K-Hugessen, CM

Rio Tinto

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Jordan & Caren Waxman

Robert L. Katz & Christina H. Otto

The Chawkers Foundation

Li Ka-Shing (Canada) Foundation

Robert L. Raich & Marlene Raich

Christopher Hoffmann & Joan Eakin

The Hon. L. Yves Fortier PC, CC, OQ, QC

Robert Raizenne

Clive & Barbara Allen & Family

Roderick A. Macdonald & Shelley Freeman

Colin Stephen Baxter & Rachel Ralston Baxter

Marcel J. Arsenault & Cynda Collins-Arsenault

David Johnston

Marlene & Joel King

Scott Henderson

David P. O’Brien, OC

Masao Sekiguchi

Sophie Nappert

David W. Binet

McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Stephen Allan Scott

Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP

The McConnell Foundation

Stephen Halperin & Andrea Morris Halperin

Donald E. Meehan

McMillan S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l./LLP

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Donner Canadian Foundation

Mitch Garber & Anne-Marie Boucher

Susan Wells Tunnell & David Tunnell

The Hon. E Leo Kolber, OC

Mitzi and Mel Dobrin Family

William Friedman

44

Roy L. Heenan, OC

FOCU S LAW / FALL 2 01 9 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Alumni Events in 2019-2020

DATE LOCATION

EVENT

September 11, 2019 September 28, 2019 October 30, 2019 November 13, 2019 March 31, 2019 April 15, 2020

Law Alumni Awards Reception Homecoming Coffeehouse at Hightower Alumni Cocktail at Thomson Reuters Student Awards Reception Law Alumni Cocktail

Montreal Montreal New York Toronto Montreal Montreal

For more information, please contact our alumni relations team at alumnioffice.law@mcgill.ca. New events are organized throughout the year. Follow us on social media for the latest updates! @LawMcGill

@LawMcGill

Homecoming Save the dates! 2020: September 24 to 26 2021: September 30 to October 2 2022: September 29 to October 1 2023: October 12 to 14 2024: September 26 to 28

How did you spend your time at McGill Law outside the classroom? Peut-être avez-vous consacré votre temps au Programme L.E.X., ou vous avez fait un stage dans une organisation internationale de défense des droits de la personne. Maybe you were a mooting champion, or edited a student-run journal. Toutes ces opportunités sont rendues possibles grâce au soutien de notre communauté de diplômé.e.s.

Canada Post Corporation Publications Mail Agreement 40613662

If an extracurricular experience helped to enrich your time at McGill Law, please consider giving back. Each and every gift makes a life-changing difference for McGill’s Law students who will become the legal leaders of tomorrow.