Focus Law/Droit - 2021-2022

F[O]CUS

droit law

À l’avant-garde Inspiring legal leadership du droit for global challenges

2021-2022

In this issue

11

3

EN VEDETTE 6

À LA FACULTÉ

Plaider pour l’excellence

12 A fight for justice 14 Three alumni breaking ground

in the tech world 16

Alumni leadership in senior roles unique et solidaire

droit law

Cover illustration by Johan Papin

3

Academic renewal: Presenting four new Faculty members

8

A look at McGill Law Focus Week

9

Meet Kimberly Lee-Louis, Assistant Dean (Inclusion – Black & Indigenous Flourishing) McGill Law in the time of COVID-19

24 Leading in law across time: McGill enters its third century 30

Les Pavillons Chancellor-Day prennent du beau

11

Leading a push for progress in policing

26

Le laboratoire du droit transsystémique

32

Collation des grades virtuelle pour la promotion du bicentenaire

33

Highlighting our McGill Alumni Association winners

34

A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion at McGill Law

35

Remembering Professor Emeritus William Foster

36

Alumnotes

45

Chancellor Day Circle

RÉDACTRICE EN CHEF

CONTRIBUTORS

PROOFREADERS

Focus Law / Droit est

Claire Loewen

Suzanne Bowness

Serge Lamarre

publié par l’équipe des

Julia Dyck

Angelo Mandato

communications de la

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD

2021-2022

Nouvelles de la faculté

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Mahmud Jamal’s journey to the Supreme Court of Canada

F[O]CUS

2

18

22 Aperçu d’une année universitaire

28

28

18

Lysanne Larose

Lysanne Larose

Jean-Benoît Nadeau

DESIGN ET MISE EN PAGE

Robert Leckey

Johan Papin

Steven McClenaghan

Brian Peebles Heather Powers

PHOTOGRAPHES Owen Egan Lysanne Larose

McGill Graphic Design

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

LE MOT DU DOYEN

Dean’s Word OWEN EGAN

by Dean Robert Leckey @DeanLeckey As I reflect on the past academic year and look ahead

du racisme anti-asiatique, de l’antisémitisme et de

to 2021–22, three words come to mind.

l’islamophobie, la Faculté fait des progrès. L’ajout

I feel gratitude to our professors and staff for their

du cours de traditions juridiques autochtones au

extraordinary efforts, working from home, to run the Faculty of Law during an academic year under pandemic conditions. I’m grateful to our students for their general understanding, tolerance, and good

cursus de la première année ainsi que l’embauche d’une doyenne adjointe (équité — épanouissement des Noir.e.s et des Autochtones) sont des avancées importantes. Or, il reste du travail à faire, et nous

humour as we advanced tentatively on what was,

continuons d’apprendre ensemble.

for most of us, the new terrain of remote teaching

I feel optimism as we rediscover our collective

and learning. And I’m deeply appreciative of our loyal

academic life on campus. I believe we’ll keep some new

alumni community for your generous expressions

technological tools in our kits and act on a deepened

of support — be it financial, as by contributing to our

appreciation for the opportunity of being together.

record-breaking #McGill24 day of giving, or moral,

Unprecedentedly, we essentially welcomed two

including those of you who took up our invitation in

cohorts to Chancellor Day Hall — incoming students

winter 2021 to share advice and encouragement with

and those who completed a first year on Zoom.

students. I’m grateful, too, that many alumni took up

Moreover, as I see the local and global challenges

opportunities for virtual engagement with us and

confronting us, I’m more convinced than ever of the

with one another, fortifying our community’s bonds.

distinctive strengths and value of McGill’s legal

C’est avec détermination que mes collègues et la

education. We equip our students to address problems

communauté étudiante de la Faculté poursuivent leurs

that cross many boundaries and involve rules from

efforts pour l’amélioration de l’accès à la justice. Ces

many sources — and to deal with uncertainty.

efforts comprennent l’engagement de la faculté envers

C’est donc avec gratitude, détermination et optimisme

les études et l’éducation autochtones et la lutte contre

que nous ferons face aux défis que le futur nous

le racisme anti-Noir. Bien qu’affectant tout le monde,

réservera. J’ai hâte d’en discuter avec vous, que ce

les coûts humains et économiques de la pandémie

soit au Pavillon Chancellor-Day ou ailleurs.

ont aggravé les inégalités, notamment dues à la race, au genre, à l’appartenance autochtone, au statut d’immigration et à la classe sociale. Concrètement, un risque accru au quotidien s’imposait à l’entourage des

Robert Leckey

membres de la communauté étudiante et du personnel

Dean and Samuel Gale Professor of Law

issus de certains groupes. Tout en reconnaissant cette réalité et la présence continue de la violence genrée,

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NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Faculty News Professor Daniel Weinstock began

Rankings

a three-year term as Associate Dean

McGill Law was ranked the 25th best law school worldwide in the 2021 World University Rankings by Subject published by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS).

(Research) on 1 September 2021. He succeeds Professor Allison Christians, H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation, who completed a four-year

Monographies et rapports • Le professeur Jonas-Sébastien Beaudry: The Disabled Contract: Severe Intellectual Disability, Justice and Morality (Cambridge University Press, 2021).

• La professeure Adelle Blackett: Everyday Transgressions: Domestic Workers’ Transnational Challenge to International Labor Law (Cornell University Press, 2019). Gagnant du Prix du livre savant de 2020 du Conseil canadien de droit international.

• Le professeur Ignacio Cofone: Policy Proposals for PIPEDA Reform to Address Artificial Intelligence.

Report for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

• Le professeur Omar Farahat: The Foundation of Norms in Islamic Jurisprudence and Theology (Cambridge University Press, 2019).

• Le professeur René Provost: Rebel Courts: The Administration of Justice by Armed Insurgents (Oxford University Press, 2021).

• Le professeur Lionel Smith:

La professeure Adelle Blackett, Ad E,

term in the role.

MSRC, a été nommée présidente du

Le professeur Lionel Smith a été recon-

nouveau Groupe de travail sur la révision de la Loi sur l’équité en matière d’emploi du Canada par la ministre du Travail en juillet 2021.

Professors Helge Dedek and Geneviève

pour un nouveau mandat de sept ans à partir du 1er mai 2021.

of the International Academy of

Recrutement, nominations et promotions

Comparative Law (IACL). Head librarian

Associate Professor Priya Gupta,

Daniel Boyer, Ad E, and professors

Assistant Professor Joshua Nichols and

Allison Christians, Alicia Hinarejos

Full Professor Darren Rosenblum joined

and Marie Mainikis were elected as

the Faculty in August. Sarah Riley Case,

associate members.

LLM’13, joined us as a Boulton Junior

Lors de la cérémonie de Collation des

Fellow and will transition to Assistant

grades du printemps 2021, le professeur

Professor in 2022-2023. Meet them

Fabien Gélinas, Ad E, a reçu le Prix

on page 3.

David Thomson pour la supervision et

Helge Dedek et Yaëll Emerich ont été

l’enseignement aux cycles supérieurs de

promus au rang de professeur titulaire.

l’Université McGill. À la même occasion,

Jonas-Sébastien Beaudry et Sébastien

le professeur Helge Dedek s’est vu

Jodoin ont accédé au poste de professeur

décerner le Prix John W. Durnford

associé.

Saumier were elected titular members

d’excellence en enseignement par l’Association des étudiant.e.s en droit.

Kimberly Lee-Louis, BCL/LLB’13, joined the Faculty in May 2021 as the inaugural

Professor Frédéric Mégret and Professor

Assistant Dean (Inclusion – Black &

Nandini Ramanujam were named

Indigenous Flourishing). Read more on

co-directors of the Centre for Human

page 10.

Rights and Legal Pluralism (CHRLP) in

Waters’ Law of Trusts in Canada,

February 2021 for a three-year mandate,

5th edition. (Carswell, 2021)

replacing Professor François Crépeau, Hans & Tamar Oppenheimer Chair

Le professeur Sébastien Jodoin, titulaire

duit à la chaire Sir William C. Macdonald

in Public International Law.

Brittany Williams, BCL/LLB’19, took on the role of Acting Assistant Dean (Admissions & Recruitment) in December 2020, replacing Andra Syvänen, BCL/ LLB’14, during her leave.

de la Chaire de recherche du Canada sur les droits de la personne, la santé et

Le professeur Robert Leckey, BCL/

l’environnement, a lancé le projet

LLB’02 et titulaire de la Chaire Samuel

Disability-Inclusive Climate Action Research

Gale, a été reconduit dans ses fonctions

Program (disabilityinclusiveclimate.org).

de doyen. Son second mandat de cinq ans

La professeure Nandini Ramanujam

a pris effet le 1er juillet 2021.

Professor Rosalie Jukier agreed to continue serving in her role as Associate Dean (Academic) for an additional year until August 2022.

servira à titre de coinvestigatrice dans le cadre du programme.

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FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Academic Renewal: Meet four new faculty members Nous vous présentons fièrement les quatre nouveaux membres de notre corps professoral.

PRIYA GUPTA joined the Faculty as an associate professor in August after completing a year-long term as a Senior Wainwright Fellow.

She conducts research in financial capitalism and cities, property law, and race. Gupta joined McGill from Southwestern Law School.

She holds a PhD in law from the London School of Economics.

What fascinates you about property, public

Quels sont vos objectifs dans votre nouveau rôle?

international law, and critical race theory?

Je suis très impatiente de faire la connaissance du

Throughout my academic career, I have pursued

corps étudiant et de travailler ensemble sur des projets

research in property, race, urban governance, and

de recherche et de plaidoirie. J’ai lancé un groupe

international law & development with the idea that

de lecture sur le droit et la race cette année et je suis

I could — as a legal scholar — contribute to literature

ravie de continuer avec ce groupe dans les années

that exposes how law and governance often perpetuate

à venir. Je suis également très enthousiaste à l’idée

inequality despite frequent attempts to achieve the

de vivre à Montréal et d’explorer son architecture,

opposite. This motivation has informed my research

sa musique, ses librairies et ses restaurants à mesure

in different ways: to study different jurisdictions,

que la pandémie s’atténuera.

to integrate political-economic and historical contexts into legal analysis, and to pay attention to the role of courts and municipal governance bodies in justifying certain patterns of distribution. I have explored these themes in a number of jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and India, as well as transnationally.

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NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

JOSHUA NICHOLS joined the Faculty as an assistant professor in August. An expert on the constitutional relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples, he will contribute to the Faculty’s commitment to expand the place of Indigenous legal traditions in its curriculum.

He holds a PhD in law from the University of Victoria and a PhD in philosophy from the University of Toronto.

What excites you most about joining

Comment avez-vous développé votre champ

McGill Law?

d’intérêt académique?

I am joining a truly innovative and interdisciplinary

Ma carrière universitaire et mes intérêts en recherche

community of scholars who focus on developing a

ont été, en grande partie, façonnés par mon expérience

deeper appreciation of the critical implications of

en tant qu’Anishinabé/Métis aux racines mixtes.

legal pluralism and transsystemic law. McGill Law has

J’ai grandi à Peace River, une petite communauté riche

taken a leading role in Indigenous and Aboriginal legal

en ressources située au nord-est de la Colombie-

scholarship. Many questions in this area of scholarship

Britannique; c’est pourquoi les projets d’exploitations

are leading to a re-examination of the histories of legal

de ressources à grande échelle me préoccupent. Les gens

concepts that can be so familiar that they seem to exist

qui vivent à proximité de ces projets sont confrontés

outside of history. McGill’s pluralist and transsystemic

à de sérieux défis sociaux et environnementaux;

approach truly nurtures cutting-edge scholarship on

à mesure que ces industries continueront de croître et

Indigenous political and legal issues.

de s’étendre, le système juridique devra chercher à résoudre ces problèmes.

SARAH RILEY CASE, LLM’13, began a one-year term as Boulton Junior Fellow in August and will transition to assistant professor in August 2022. Riley Case completed an SJD at the University of Toronto where she was a Trudeau Foundation doctoral student. She aims to develop research connected to history, repair, justice, race, legal theories, the natural world, law reform, art, and international and domestic law.

D’où émane votre intérêt pour la théorie critique de la race et le droit international?

de rechercher l’autodétermination par le droit.

Mon intérêt pour la théorie critique de la race et

Ma famille est originaire des Caraïbes, où les intimités

le droit international découle de l’héritage de ce passé

de la racialisation, du droit international et de la lutte

qui se poursuit, non seulement dans les Caraïbes

anticoloniale sont très claires. Le droit international

mais au Canada, un État colonial de peuplement, où

était complice de la traite transatlantique des esclaves

la dépossession des peuples autochtones, l’esclavage,

qui a façonné ma famille et le monde. Les activistes

le travail sous contrat et d’autres injustices sont devenus

anticoloniaux ont également cherché et continuent

les fondements pour l’oppression raciale d’aujourd’hui.

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L’enseignement de la théorie critique de la race et

a Third World perspective. I am also developing new

du droit international me permet d’explorer, avec

projects that address Black histories and futures in

les étudiant.e.s, les pratiques juridiques qui ont produit

Canada. I am particularly interested in understanding

cette oppression, sous le voile de la neutralité de l’État.

how Black communities from the 19th century onward

Cela nous permet aussi d’imaginer un tout autre état

have sought representation under Canadian law,

de choses.

while also refusing this law in a self-assured way. This, in turn, raises questions about ties to the land (places and resources in the natural world) and solidarity

Which legal questions are you currently

with Indigenous peoples.

interested in?

My research crosses domestic and international frames, the natural world and social theory, life and law.

I am currently finishing a revisionist history of how international law on climate change came to be from

DARREN ROSENBLUM joined the Faculty as a full professor in August.

Their scholarship focuses on corporate governance on diversity initiatives and remedies for gender inequality. In 2018, they were a Senior Wainwright Fellow at the Faculty. They hold a JD from the University of Pennsylvania Law School and a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University.

What led you to consider corporate governance

Y a-t-il des objectifs particuliers

through the lens of diversity initiatives and

que vous cherchez à atteindre en vous

remedies for sex inequality?

joignant à McGill?

I started my research career writing the first legal

Mon objectif est d’intégrer mes travaux et mes intérêts

analysis of queer theory and continued with work on

à ceux de la Faculté. Ma recherche a toujours eu une

LGBT rights questions. When I became a full-time

dimension transsystémique et comparative. J’escompte

professor, I began to focus on gender equality because,

donc enrichir ma recherche et celle d’autres universi-

even in 2004, it seemed to me these issues would

taires dans des domaines connexes, y compris en dehors

remain knotty beyond questions of lesbian and gay

de l’université au sens large. Récemment, j’ai publié

equality. In the past few decades, the corporate

mes travaux en français et j’ai hâte d’approfondir

sector has amassed wealth unknown in the history of

mes engagements d’expression orale et d’écriture

humanity. How we choose to regulate firms — including

francophone. Enfin, j’ai très hâte d’entrer en contact

their treatment of underrepresented groups — figures

avec les diplômé.e.s et les étudiant.e.s de la Faculté

among the most challenging policy debates of our time.

de droit de McGill.

Forthe past twelve years, I’ve been focusing on quotas in corporate governance. These quotas until recently focused on including women on corporate boards, but we are seeing the focus shift to underrepresented racialized groups and LGBT people.

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NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Plaider pour

L’EXCELLENCE par Jean-Benoît Nadeau

Les concours de plaidoirie sont une formidable occasion d’apprendre pour les étudiants — et pour leurs entraîneurs.

Rencontre avec quatre membres de notre communauté diplômée qui ont accepté de jouer ce rôle — pour s’impliquer et se ressourcer!

Marc James Tacheji, BCL/LLB’12 UNE OCCASION À NE PAS MANQUER Marc James Tacheji a assumé le rôle d’entraîneur au Concours Pierre-Basile-Mignault pour deux raisons : « Pour le plaisir d’enseigner, déclare-t-il, et parce que ma participation à ce concours comme étudiant fut une expérience inoubliable ». « Comme entraîneur, on apprend beaucoup. Les jeunes sont incroyablement créatifs devant un problème.

Mina Chamsi, BCL/LLB’12 LA RICHESSE DE LA RÉFLEXION Mina Chamsi est toujours épatée par le niveau d’implication des participants au Concours JuliusAlexander-Isaac. « Pour rédiger leur mémoire, ils sacrifient presque toutes leurs vacances des Fêtes », raconte l’avocate au gouvernement ontarien, qui agit comme entraîneuse depuis 2017.

Ça se voit au concours lui-même, où chaque équipe aborde la question d’une manière différente ».

L’avocat au cabinet Fasken à Montréal encourage les étudiants à participer à ce genre de concours. D’abord parce que c’est un « principe de réalité » pour ceux et celles qui travaillent fort dans leurs livres pour réussir aux examens. « Et aussi parce qu’on ne peut pas surestimer l’importance de l’apport des praticiens auxquels ils seront exposés ».

Ce concours, qui porte sur des questions de droits de la personne, est dans l’air du temps. « Ceux qui ont préconisé les droits humains ont quand même conçu un droit qui leur ressemblait. Il faut le repenser pour l’appliquer à des personnes de la minorité. C’est ce qui fait la valeur de ce tribunal-école. Le simple fait d’avoir ces conversations avec les étudiants est un enrichissement », dit l’avocate qui entretient les relations bien après le concours.

Il donne en exemple son équipe, qui a pu profiter de la gentillesse du juge Enrico Forlini, qui l‘a invitée à s’exercer au palais de justice, mais aussi des juges Marie-Josée Hogue de la Cour d’appel et Bernard Synnott de la Cour supérieure du Québec, et du plaideur émérite Marc-André Fabien. « Ce sont des pointures qui donnent du temps : ça fait une très grosse différence dans une formation ».

Comme elle vit à Toronto, le côté virtuel imposé par les mesures sanitaires l’a assez peu embêtée puis-

Marc James Tacheji était coentraîneur au concours de

qu’elle travaillait déjà à distance avec les participants

plaidoirie Pierre-Basile-Mignault avec Michael Shortt,

de McGill. « De toute façon, le processus juridique

BCL/LLB’13, et Camille Duguay. Leur équipe (Victor

bouge dans cette direction pour des raisons pratiques.

Fahey, Lara Itani, Félix-Antoine Pelletier, Pouyan

Il est intéressant de voir le droit se moderniser. »

Zabihian) s’est classée au 2e rang pour le mémoire, 2e meilleur tandem (Félix-Antoine Pelletier, Pouyan Zabihian) et meilleur plaideur (Félix-Antoine Pelletier).

Mina Chamsi était entraîneuse de l’équipe de McGill au Concours Julius-Alexander-Isaac. Les membres de l’équipe étaient Theresa James, Olivia Huynh, Tareq Shahwan, Olivia Ma et Vincent Yagayandi.

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FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RSITY

Catherine Mathieu (doctorante) TISSER DES LIENS Maintenant professeure de droit administratif à l’UQÀM depuis juin, Catherine Mathieu s’ennuiera de ses quatre années comme entraîneuse de l’équipe de McGill au Concours Laskin. « On suit les participants de septembre jusqu’au concours en mars », raconte l’ex-avocate au cabinet Woods, qui trouve très gratifiant de voir évoluer les

Fortunat Nadima Nadima, BCL/LLB’17 LA FIERTÉ DE L’ENTRAÎNEUR

étudiants. « Entre l’ébauche du mémoire et sa version finale, l’amélioration est phénoménale. La courbe

Quand on lui a proposé de devenir entraîneur pour

d’apprentissage est très abrupte ».

le Concours Harold G. Fox, Fortunat Nadima Nadima

Elle explique qu’elle suit la carrière de ceux qu’elle a entraînés. « Il s’agit d’étudiants exceptionnels, prêts à fournir un gros effort en dehors de leur zone de

a sauté sur l’occasion. « Quand j’étais étudiant, ma participation à un tel concours avait été l’une de mes expériences les plus marquantes à la Faculté ».

confort. On les a guidés dans la rédaction du mémoire,

L’avocat de chez Norton Rose Fulbright est très fier

dans la préparation de la plaidoirie, dans les entraîne-

des quatre étudiants « motivés et brillants » qu’il a

ments avec des avocats et des juges, dans la gestion

entraînés pendant six mois. « On les guide pour les

du stress. Ça crée des liens forts. »

aider à trouver un style efficace de rédaction et de plai-

Elle admet toutefois que la version virtuelle du concours en 2021 l’a laissée un peu sur sa faim, car il y manquait les éléments qui se rattachent à une

doirie. Mais comme les questions de fond du concours traitent de problèmes qui ne sont pas encore réglés, on apprend en même temps qu’eux ».

compétition en présentiel. « C’est plaisant d’aller

Cette année, les concours se passaient en mode virtuel,

à Toronto ou à Winnipeg, d’être reçu par la faculté

ce qui affectait la capacité des étudiants de « lire »

hôtesse. Mais mieux vaut le faire en virtuel que de ne

l’auditoire, selon l’entraîneur. « Il y a le défi technique et

pas avoir de concours du tout ».

celui de l’isolement, mais d’un autre côté, ça représente la direction que le droit va prendre. Donc, si on peut affronter maintenant ce type d’audience, ça ne peut

Catherine Mathieu était coentraîneuse avec Marie-

qu’aider ».

Pierre Cloutier, BCL/LLB’13, au Concours Laskin.

Fortunat Nadima Nadima espère bien répéter

Leur équipe (Marie-Denise Vane, Catalina Karam, Elise Malenfant et Nathaniel Reilly) est arrivée 1re au classement général, meilleure équipe appelante et meilleures finalistes (Marie-Denise Vane, Elise Malenfant); meilleure équipe intimée et 2e meilleurs

l’exercice, d’autant que cela peut servir au recrutement de candidats. « Avec les années, on s’éloigne un peu de la Faculté. Les concours permettent de renouer des liens ».

finalistes (Nathaniel Reilly, Catalina Karam); meilleur plaideur individuel (Nathaniel Reilly); 2e meilleure

Fortunat Nadima Nadima était coentraîneur avec

plaideuse individuelle (Elise Malenfant); 3 meilleure

Claudette van Zyl, BCL/LLB’16, et Sofia Lopez-Bancalari

plaideuse individuelle (Marie-Denise Vane); et

au Concours Harold G. Fox. Leur équipe (Alice Wang,

finalement 2 place pour les mémoires.

Zachary Bensemana, Michelle Pucci, Yasmine Shadman)

e

e

s’est classée deuxième pour la coupe Harold G.Fox. Alice Wang a remporté le prix Donald F. Sim du meilleur plaideur à l’oral. Michelle Pucci et Alice Wang ont reçu le prix Gordon F. Henderson qui récompense la meilleure rédaction de factum.

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NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Focus on success

by Suzanne Bowness

Focus Week allows students to take crash courses on new topics and dive deeply into others through instruction from experts in their fields.

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For Sidney Black-Rotchin (1), a BCL/JD student in

“I figured it would be handy to pick one that would

her final semester, the chance to be immersed in the

overlap with the content of my paper, which focused on

world of self-represented litigants not only allowed her

the harmful psychological impacts of engaging with the

to explore an area of interest, but helped sharpen

civil justice system in Canada, and how litigation stress

her thinking for a term essay she was writing.

can act as a barrier to access to justice. The Focus Week

The opportunity presented itself during Focus Week,

course ended up really being helpful. I cited a lot of

a program launched by the Faculty in 2017 that offers optional, week-long intensive courses on subjects ranging from entrepreneurship to policy analysis to technology. In October and February, regular upperyear classes are suspended for a week. Focus Weeks are sponsored by the McCarthy Tétrault Fund for Innovative Legal Education.

This year marked Black-Rotchin’s third time taking advantage of the mid-semester offerings. She had

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the cases,” says Black-Rotchin.

previously taken Focus Week workshops on migration and negotiation skills, the former to sample an international law topic, and the latter for hard skills development.

“It’s an opportunity to sample an interesting topic that I’m unsure about — I can try it before committing a semester to studying it,” she says.

In the workshop on self-represented litigants, which is so popular it has been offered multiple years running,

Professor Rosalie Jukier (2), Associate Dean (Academic), BCL’83, LLB’83, is a key organizer of Focus Week. She says the program originated as a way to offer learning about topics that were not covered elsewhere in the program. Today, five workshops are offered per session, with 20 to 25 students in each. Students are graded on a pass/fail basis.

“It’s a short-term investment, and a real opportunity to gain a different perspective, to learn from alumni or community members in the field. It’s very positively received by students. Our Focus Week courses are full every term,” Jukier says.

The Faculty began offering a summer version of Focus Week in 2020, when the pandemic cancelled many students’ internships and other opportunities.

Black-Rotchin learned from practitioners who were passionate and knowledgeable.

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FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Connecting with students Interest in Focus Week has grown within the alumni and wider legal community, Jukier says. More and more instructors are eager to connect with students by offering a workshop.

One such instructor is Sonia Struthers (3), BCL’87, LLB’87, a partner with McCarthy Tétrault, who taught a Focus Week course in October 2018 and again in 2020. She teamed up with McCarthy colleagues and guest presenters from the business community to teach “Anatomy of the Deal,” which centres around mergers and acquisitions.

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5

Struthers says being an instructor allows her to pass along knowledge and skills which are helpful to beginning lawyers. These include business evaluation

Karen Dunn Skinner, BCL’93, LLB’93, and

methods, project management, and team client service,

David Skinner (5), BCL’91, LLB’91, are partners in

all skills she wishes she’d had earlier in her career.

life as well as in their consultancy Gimbal Lean

It also allows her to fulfil her own interest in teaching,

Practice Management Advisors. They met at McGill

and to get to know soon-to-be lawyers.

and now co-teach a Focus Week course, “Thinking

“A full course is a big commitment, so this is the perfect

They first taught their Focus Week course in February

format,” Struthers says.

For Dessislav Dobrev (4), a senior legal counsel for the World Bank Group, teaching a recent Focus Week course afforded the opportunity to fulfil a passion for academia and pass along his knowledge on artificial intelligence (AI). Dobrev’s Focus Week curriculum

4

like an innovator.”

2020 and did so again remotely in 2021. In addition to sharing ideas on topics such as innovation, productivity, project management and process improvement, they like to show students that there are many paths to explore with their law degrees.

focused on deep discussions about the benefits and

“We like to share an alternative path. Many go to law

challenges of this emerging technology.

school to practise law, but there are a ton of interesting

“The course is intended to equip students with the tools necessary to be prepared for the incoming AI wave,”

things that you can do in law in addition to practice,” says David Skinner.

says Dobrev, noting that he believes AI will bring about

Karen Skinner adds that their course also prepares

profound change on the practice and regulation of law.

young lawyers by showing them a mix of hard and soft skills that are helpful when starting out.

Indeed, Black-Rotchin agrees that one of the best benefits of Focus Week is that the courses use different approaches from traditional ones.

“I find the way we’re evaluated is always different, and the courses allow for quite a bit of exploration and reflection,” she says.

9

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Bridging the gap: Kimberly Lee-Louis As the inaugural Assistant Dean (Inclusion – Black & Indigenous Flourishing), Kimberly Lee-Louis, BCL/LLB’13, will play a leadership role in the Faculty’s collective efforts towards recruiting and supporting Black and Indigenous law students.

With a background that combines education, public interest and social services, Lee-Louis will collaborate with students, professors and administrative staff to implement McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism, and its Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Plan 2020–2025 within the Faculty and its surrounding communities.

How does it feel to be the first person to occupy

Comment votre expérience dans les domaines

this role, and what do you hope to bring to it?

de l’éducation, du droit, de la santé, entre autres,

I am elated! I am excited about the work and the

vous sera-t-elle utile dans ce rôle ?

chance to engage with students, faculty and staff to

Grâce à mon expérience, je suis en mesure de

come up with a collaborative strategy as to how we

travailler étroitement avec les personnes concernées

can have a more inclusive environment and education

et d’aborder les problèmes à partir d’une perspective

at McGill Law. As a graduate of the Faculty, it feels

intersectionnelle. Quand on parle d’éducation inclusive

like coming home. I bring with me the same objectives

et d’appartenance au sein de la Faculté, il est utile de

I had going into law school as a multiethnic,

comprendre la multiplicité des expériences qu’y vivent

multilingual woman.

différentes personnes. Il est important d’examiner

I wanted to be able to understand the system to be

ces problèmes à travers leur prisme et leur vision

able to help myself and others navigate it better. I am

du monde.

aware of the issues in Montreal when it comes to

Why do you think this new position is

racialized communities, Indigenous communities and

an important one?

Inuit communities, and of the barriers to accessing information and resources.

Even though the position is new, the concerns are longstanding. It’s timely that the position was created

I am interested in combining what we learn in

given the broader socio-political climate. Especially in

academic settings and the reality on the ground

this generation of students, there’s a greater awareness.

in a practical way for people who need it.

They are vocalizing their concerns directly to the institutions and bringing them to the forefront.

10

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Leading a push for progress in policing

by Claire Loewen

Alain Babineau, BCL/JD’20, discusses his new role with the City of Montreal, and how listening and conflict resolution are key to law enforcement reform.

Alain Babineau has had a unique career, the latest

“Law school gives you a different, analytical way of

chapter of which has brought him to the City of

looking at things, where you consider all sides,” says

Montreal, where he serves as an advisor and expert

Babineau. “That’s one of the things we’re not always

on racial and social profiling.

very good at as people, including as law enforcement

A former police officer with decades of experience,

officers.”

Babineau holds degrees and certificates in criminology,

Teaching officers to weigh all sides of a situation

legal studies, conflict resolution, police management

in a nuanced manner is key to preventing racial

and, most recently, BCL/JD diplomas from McGill Law.

profiling, Babineau believes. That is why he is inter-

After 27 years with the RCMP, Babineau began working

ested in implementing the Insight Policing method,

with the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations in 2016, where he advocated for victims of racial and social profiling by police.

a conflict resolution-based communication skillset that aims to prevent escalation. It helps police officers get to the root of challenging interactions and to understand the people they are engaging with.

In his work with the City, Babineau will assist public safety agencies, such as the police and public transportation, in implementing recommendations from a report on systemic racism and discrimination published by Montreal’s public consultation office last year. The report detailed racism and discrimination

“We don’t do much of that in policing. We don’t really take the time to find out why people are feeling a particular way in a given situation, or why they’re behaving a certain way,” Babineau explains. “That creates problems and leads to situations of conflict

across municipal institutions, including in public

that don’t need to happen.”

safety agencies.

This behaviour can cause incidents to degenerate

This means Babineau will be diving head-first into

into horrific scenarios, he adds.

a polarizing debate on the role of public security

When it comes to combatting racial profiling,

agencies in la métropole.

Babineau is more interested in changing legislation

“Over the last four years, I’ve been hearing from the

than practising law. To him, this means garnering

community about racial profiling, which is a very

enough public and political support to effect change.

important piece,” says Babineau. “The missing voice

It can take years for complaints and lawsuits to move

here is that of law enforcement officers.”

through the justice system. Even then, justice is not

As a Black man, Babineau has had direct experience

guaranteed. For Babineau, the fact that Derek Chauvin’s

with racial profiling. He admits to having both practised it and been a victim of it. Now, his job is

trial for the murder of George Floyd occurred just one year after the incident was a rarity and is one example

to prevent it from the ground up.

of how public support is an important agent of change.

Through conflict resolution training, Babineau

“We need sustainable changes. You can sanction

developed the ability to mediate difficult situations.

At McGill Law, he pushed this skill further, learning to analyze situations from multiple perspectives.

11

misbehaviour, but you can’t legislate goodwill,” he concludes. “It has to come from a change in the culture; a change in the mindset.”

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

A FIGHT FOR JUSTICE

by Claire Loewen

Members of the McGill Law community step up for trans, non-binary and intersex Quebecers

12

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

1

On a cold day in late January, tears were shed when the Superior

After working on the case alongside McGill Law alumni —

Court delivered its judgment in Centre for Gender Advocacy v

including Boctor co-plaintiff Samuel Singer (2), BCL/LLB’09,

Attorney General of Quebec. The court declared six provisions

LLM’11, a law professor at the University of Ottawa — Tourki

of the province’s Civil Code unconstitutional for violating

was herself inspired to study law. She enrolled in the first year

the equality rights of trans non-citizens, trans youth, intersex

of the BCL/JD program the next year.

people, trans parents and non-binary people in Quebec.

“I attended the trial and developed a passion for the legal

It was a long-awaited and hard-fought victory for trans,

work,” Tourki said. “Audrey and Sam were very supportive.

non-binary and intersex people, and those advocating for

The fact that Sam and other advocates have studied law

their fundamental rights.

has paved the way for others, like me.”

Indeed, D Tourki, a former advocate and public educator at the

“The victories in this decision are the result of decades of

Centre for Gender Advocacy, spent years fighting for the rights

advocacy work by community members,” said Professor

of trans people in Quebec. She coordinated research projects,

Singer, a long-time advocate for trans rights. “We are grate-

organized marches, published articles and spearheaded the

ful to our trans, non-binary, and intersex supporters and

lawsuit, with the

advocates, our allies, our lawyers, and our friends for their

Centre for Gender Advocacy as the lead plaintiff, alongside

dedication to fighting for our rights.”

four co-plaintiffs. Tourki’s activism focused on trans non-

In June, Singer received the Canadian Law and Society

citizens and migrants.

Association (CLSA) Article Prize for his paper “Trans Rights

Notably, no fewer than nine of the lawyers involved in the

Are Not Just Human Rights: Legal Strategies for Trans Justice,”

case were McGill Law alumni, a testament to the faculty’s

which argues that human rights law is only one of many legal

longstanding commitment to social justice and sensitivity to

tools necessary to address the legal challenges facing trans

law’s effects on marginalized people.

people. The article appeared in a special issue of the Canadian

Among these alumni were lead counsel for the Centre for

Journal of Law and Society on the theme, “On the Margins of Trans Legal Change,” funded by a Social Sciences and

Gender Advocacy and the individual plaintiffs, Audrey Boctor (1),

Humanities Research Council connection grant secured

BCL/LLB’05, of IMK LLP; Michael Lubetsky, BCL/LLB’09,

by Dean Robert Leckey, with Singer as co-applicant.

Joseph-Anaël Lemieux, BCL/LLB’16, and Faiz Lalani, BCL/

The special issue includes an introduction co-authored by

LLB’14, of Davies Ward Philips & Vineberg (for intervener

Leckey, an article co-authored by Tourki, and an article

Egale Canada Human Rights Trust); Geeta Narang, BCL’00 (now a Superior Court judge), and Julien Delangie, BCL/

by Florence Ashley, BCL/LLB’17, LLM’20.

LLB’16, then of Narang & Associés (for intervener Coalition

“Trans, non-binary, and intersex communities have been

of LGBT + Families); along with Michel Bélanger-Roy, BCL/

fighting for equality for such a long time, and this case is really

LLB’17, and Jérémy Boulanger-Bonnelly, BCL/LLB’15, of

part of that — though it is by no means the end,” Boctor said,

Norton Rose Fulbright (for intervener Gender Creative Kids).

adding that she felt fortunate to work with the Centre for

While the litigation was substantially successful, the judge

Gender Advocacy, the individual plaintiffs, experts, fact

rejected two claims, regarding parents’ ability to block a

witnesses, interveners and their counsel.

change of name application by a trans youth aged 14-17

“There was so much expertise and experience to draw upon

and the requirement to always designate the male or female

and everyone worked incredibly hard. The courage of the

sex in birth registration. The challengers and defending

witnesses and the presence of so many community members

government have appealed aspects of the judgment.

in the courtroom every day was also incredibly motivating.

Tourki recalls a bittersweet feeling when the decision was

I am very proud of what we all accomplished together.”

rendered. “It was a very happy moment, but after a few days, you start to realize that you had to go to court to correct documents that recognize people’s identities. This should have been done a long time ago,” Tourki said. “Many people were stripped of basic rights for too many years.”

13

2

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Three alumni breaking ground in the tech world

by Julia Dyck

A McGill Law degree is a valuable asset for a wide range of career paths. Focus Law / Droit spoke with three innovative alumni who are using their legal education to embark on innovative professional endeavours.

After five years of working in management consulting

He always thought that a legal education would be an

for McKinsey & Company, Eytan Bensoussan, BCL/

advantage in the business world. The rigorous thinking

LLB’10, MBA’10, realized it was time to begin his own

and ability to assess large amounts of information that

business journey. He cofounded North One, a financial

are fundamental to a legal education has been extreme-

technology company offering a fast deposit account

ly valuable to his endeavours in the tech sector. During

built for small businesses, start-ups and freelancers

his time at Chancellor Day Hall, he took the time to

across America.

get to know his professors, including Rod Macdonald,

Bensoussan wrote the bar exam but never practised

Tina Piper and Helena Lamed, and says their ongoing

law, although his legal education and experience in the field helped him build his innovative career. “My time

support has encouraged him to continue forging his path outside the practice of law.

at McKinsey exposed me to these massive shifts in technology that were changing the way that banking was being developed and consumed around the world.”

14

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Yuan Stevens, BCL/LLB’18, works as Policy Lead on Technology, Cybersecurity & Democracy at the Ryerson Leadership Lab, a fitting outlet for the unique and specialized knowledge she honed during her time at McGill Law. With music and education degrees in hand, Stevens

by the RCMP, relying on her analytical and boundary-

chose to study law in order to expand her career

crossing skills to shed light on the ways tech companies

potential, although she wasn’t planning on becoming

and law enforcement are taking advantage of weak

a lawyer. Stevens knew she was interested in the

legal regimes in Canada.

intersection between technology and law, and sensed a need for more expertise in this domain.

“Canada needs more people with legal and tech knowhow, especially from the communities who stand to be

Stevens recognizes the importance of her transsys-

the most affected by the harms resulting from the use

temic education when working on issues that are

of technology, including people of colour, queer people,

not constrained by jurisdiction, such as the internet.

disabled people, etc.” Stevens said. “There’s a need

Among her recent accomplishments, she notes her

for people with that expertise and I hope that McGill

work on facial recognition technology and its use

Law is a place that develops those leaders.”

Less than one year ago, mid pandemic, Saam Mashhad,

Various writing projects and entrepreneurship classes

BCL/LLB’17, left his job in commercial litigation

at McGill supported the development of Mashhad’s

at Norton Rose Fulbright to cofound EvenUp. The

bold ideas, and gave him the technical knowledge that

start-up is building technology that determines the

has been crucial in the fast-paced environments of both

potential value of personal injury lawsuits. EvenUp

law and business. His education also allowed him to

uses this information to provide low-cost litigation

“think in a structured way about inherently uncertain

financing for plaintiffs and deploys it in software that

problems with uncertain solutions, and develop some

helps lawyers build automated demand packages for

comfort around this uncertainty.”

personal injury claims.

Mashhad is grateful for and proud of his engagements on different files during his time working a firm. While he notes that taking the leap towards entrepreneurship was not easy, he is thrilled to be building his own successful business, securing venture capital and hiring his own team. He’s excited about the future of legal technology, seeing significant opportunities for tech in the hands of lawyers and its potential to have a direct and positive impact on the general public and in people’s everyday lives.

15

FEATURE

ALUMNI LEADERSHIP IN SENIOR ROLES

by Suzanne Bowness

Celebrating two alumni who have found success across sectors

While Sonia Keshwar, BCL’96, LLB’96, and Gordon Cruess, BCL/LLB’07, may hold positions in different roles, industries, and even countries, both leaders share a path that led them to success in roles spanning business, finance, operations and law. Another commonality?

Both still use daily the tools they began developing during their time at McGill Law. Keshwar is Vice-President of Special Initiatives, Compliance and Ethics for OMERS, the $105 billion pension plan that invests in Canada and globally on behalf of more than half a million municipal employees in Ontario. Cruess is Senior Vice-President and Associate General Counsel for General Atlantic, a global growth equity investor in New York. They spoke to Focus Law / Droit about the challenges and triumphs of their wide-ranging careers.

After graduating, Keshwar worked in private practice at McMillan and Torys in Toronto before

SONIA KESHWAR

changing lanes and becoming General Counsel of a publicly traded start-up. “The strong technical, client relationship and deal management skills I learned from the terrific lawyers and clients I worked with in private practice served me well in subsequent roles,” she said. “In my later years at Torys, I was doing a lot of deals for a financial services client working in tandem with the business from the earliest stages of the deals, and became interested in an in-house position with a significant business component.”

Operating at the intersection of law and business

Joining the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Keshwar used

Keshwar did not know where her career would

her legal training in a series of legal and operational

ultimately lead, but attending law school was always

roles, which included managing the investment

her plan. At Chancellor Day Hall, Keshwar broadened

dealer dispute resolution program, overseeing the

her understanding of what she could do with a legal

launch and operation of stock exchanges and

education through extracurriculars and part-time

marketplaces, assessing dealer business plans

work. “I liked all my courses, but I particularly enjoyed

and transactions, leading regulatory consultations,

the opportunities to participate in the Jessup moot,

and assuming operational leadership of a new

lead the International Law Society, and work part-time

regulatory function. “These were roles that I

in an international trade law boutique,”

never would have expected or even known were

she recalled.

possibilities as a student,” said Keshwar.

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FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Keshwar’s position at OMERS brings together her

After several years practising in mergers and acquisi-

interest and experience in business, operations, public

tions, first at Cravath and then at Paul, Weiss, Cruess

policy, law, and regulation. “There are endless interest-

made the move to General Atlantic in 2015. The work

ing issues, deals, projects and opportunities to stretch,

he does in-house is broader and more strategic,

learn and grow, and to lead and support others,” said

and involves more moving pieces than the discrete

Keshwar. “Our work ultimately benefits municipal

elements of transactions that he handled at a firm,

employees from across the province — fire fighters,

noted Cruess.

paramedics, public health and children’s aid workers

“At a firm, M&A lawyers focus on transaction diligence

and others who spend their careers in public service.

The sense of purpose is shared across OMERS.”

and execution. In-house, you are living with your portfolio companies through the investment’s full life

The legal skills Keshwar started developing at McGill

cycle. As investors who are generally in a minority

remain useful in her current position. “My legal

position, backing companies that are growing quickly,

background helps me address our business and opera-

promoting alignment and addressing key risks is core

tional challenges and has proved a strong foundation

to what we do. I work with our deal teams to come up

for multi-disciplinary roles. This broad perspective

with the appropriate diligence plan, and to negotiate

influences my talent management, mentorship and

structure, rights, governance and exit provisions with

sponsorship activities. I look forward to continued

the portfolio companies and law firms involved. After

learning and growth, and to supporting the next

we invest, I frequently work with portfolio companies

cohort in achieving their potential.”

directly on all manner of issues and am typically very involved in exit planning and execution when that time comes,” said Cruess.

The work is fast-paced in a corporate environment, he said. “Our business is growing dramatically and the

GORDON CRUESS

pace of our investment has increased, particularly as COVID-19 has reinforced the importance of our core themes like digitization. We invest in leading growth companies around the world, and have to be very flexible and creative,” he said. A big difference between working at a law firm and working in-house is the time it takes to fully understand the business you work for and the businesses you are investing in, and educating colleagues about their legal options and risks, Cruess added.

Thinking outside the box

Working in New York with graduates from top law

Cruess found his calling in a first-year contracts class

quality of education and opportunities afforded by

taught by Professor Rosalie Jukier, BCL’83, LLB’83.

“She made contracts incredibly exciting,” he recalled.

“It didn’t take long to figure out that private contracts were the most interesting and challenging area of practice for me. They’re like very complicated puzzles, and it’s fun to put them together.” Cruess also spent a semester at Sciences Po in Paris and credits McGill Law’s international perspective with awakening him to the possibility of launching his legal career in New York.

17

and business schools, Cruess has reflected on the McGill Law. “People who excel at McGill can compete with anybody. It’s a rigorous, challenging environment, and the quality of people McGill attracts is worldclass. I think we’re taught to think outside of the box and creatively, given the nature of the transsystemic program,” said Cruess.

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

McGill Law in the time of

COVID-19 18

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

For the first time, the Faculty of Law carried out the majority of the 2020–2021 academic year away from McGill’s campus. As the pandemic pushed everything from classes to events to extracurriculars online, students, professors, and staff came together remotely to ensure the Faculty’s vibrant intellectual life continued during a most uncommon year. Through creativity, hard work, empathy, and the magic of Zoom, the McGill Law community proved up to the challenge.

Défis et réconforts L’adaptabilité et l’ingéniosité ont été à l’ordre du jour

L’Association des étudiant.e.s de cycles supérieurs en

tout au long d’une année inusitée.

droit (GLSA), présidée par Atagün Mert Kejanlıoglu (2),

Les défis se sont présentés même avant la semaine d’orientation à l’automne, a déclaré Beatrice Courchesne-Mackie (1), présidente de l’Association des étudiant.e.s en droit de premier cycle (AÉD) en ’20-’21. Afin de faciliter l’engagement et l’interaction au sein de la nouvelle cohorte, l’AÉD a su créer un groupe Facebook dédié dès la fin de l’été pour partager

a été confrontée à des défis similaires. Le taux de participation aux activités virtuelles était souvent faible, peut-être un symptôme de la fatigue numérique, et la création d’un sentiment de communauté s’est également avérée difficile, notamment pour les étudiants internationaux, qui constituent une grande partie des cohortes LLM et DCL. Cependant, la tenue d’évènements sur Zoom a permis

des ressources, informations et mèmes.

L’adaptation virtuelle s’est poursuivie au cours du semestre, avec des évènements phares tels que les soirées Coffeehouse et les Mardis Mokas livrés de façon hebdomadaire et dans des circonstances nettement moins susceptibles de provoquer des plaintes de bruit.

Au-delà de ses classiques, l’AÉD a organisé des soirées Trivia, des évènements d’artisanat et des cours d’exercice aux deux semaines sur Zoom. Avant

à la GLSA d’organiser un panel sur les opportunités de carrière avec des personnes détentrices d’un DCL œuvrant hors Québec. Son colloque annuel, organisé sous le thème « Le droit et la ville », a permis à un nombre record de 80 personnes sur cinq continents de présenter leurs recherches au cours de deux jours!

Le séminaire Doyen Maxwell et Isle Cohen en droit international a eu lieu au cadre du colloque.

la période d’examen d’avril, ils ont même envoyé

« Nous avons certainement ressenti le manque de

des colis de bien-être aux étudiant.e.s.

présentiel. C’est la rencontre entre les gens qui fait que

« Malgré les défis, nous avons été à la hauteur, déclare Courchesne-Mackie. L’exécutif de l’AÉD a fait preuve de beaucoup de créativité pour garder vivant l’esprit

notre colloque annuel est si spécial, et cela nous a rappelé notre impatience de retrouver nos collègues au Pavillon Chancellor-Day », explique Kejanlıoglu.

communautaire. Je pense également que certaines

À la lumière de ces défis, la Faculté a fait tout son

des innovations que nous avons dû apporter, étant

possible pour faciliter le succès des membres de son

donné la nature virtuelle des choses, se sont avérées

corps étudiant, près ou loin du campus.

incroyablement bénéfiques et seront reconduites dans

La Faculté a déployé des « espaces flexibles » dans

les années universitaires à venir ».

certaines salles de classes pour le travail individuel ou en petits groupes, disponibles sur réservation.

Les étudiant.e.s se sont montrés enthousiastes quant à la possibilité d’avoir un espace de travail autre que celui de leur domicile.

La Faculté a par ailleurs offert du financement pour combler certains coûts technologiques imprévus

1

2

engendrés par l’apprentissage à distance, que ce soit des webcams, des microphones, des batteries d’ordinateurs portables ou des forfaits internet plus performants.

19

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

3

4

Student wellness in the face of global uncertainty The Faculty’s Local Wellness Advisors, Shrabani Debroy (3) and Heleen Loohuis (4), faced the particularly difficult task of providing virtual support and guidance to students who were watching a global tragedy unfold as they juggled their studies.

“It was scary at first because we needed to adapt very quickly and nobody knew how this pandemic would play out,” Debroy confides. The second LWA

“Law school is hard enough in normal times, and

position was made possible by a gift to the Faculty.

some of our first-year and graduate students moved

Students reported struggling with increased depression, as well as loneliness, loss of motivation, and anxiety. The uncertainty and instability that came

to Montreal during a lockdown. They barely had a chance to make friends, yet managed to get through the year during a global pandemic. That is resilience!”

with COVID-19 were also difficult, with students

Similarly, the Student Affairs Office (SAO) was tasked

wondering how the pandemic might affect their

with adapting to students’ needs remotely. Advising

careers. Some students had trouble keeping up with

services transitioned to virtual platforms with a

academic work due to Zoom fatigue, Debroy explains.

multitude of time slots each week. The SAO engaged

Despite these heavy challenges, Debroy shares that she is extremely proud of students for doing their best to succeed academically during such a collec-

with students by holding several photo contests, asking them to share recipes or photos of their pets to receive small prizes such as McGill Law face masks.

The SAO also launched a podcast, Ask the SAO,

tively challenging period.

featuring conversations with professors, staff, student representatives, and even Minister of Justice & Attorney General the Hon. David Lametti, BCL’89, LLB’89. It also created two charming team videos to lighten the mood and connect with students.

“Even in the midst of the pandemic, we strove to sustain our engagement with 1L students to ensure an enriching, memorable and ‘true to life’ start to law school,” says Nancy Czemmel (5), past Manager of Student Affairs (now with the Schulich School of Music).

5

20

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

The appetite for a McGill legal education has not been dimmed by the current crisis. Indeed, Acting Assistant Dean (Admissions & Recruitment) Brittany Williams (7), BCL/LLB’19, reports that applications to the BCL/JD program this year increased by more than 25 percent and the Faculty 6

7

welcome yet another exceptional cohort of students in September. It will be in the past when people

The legal field beyond the pandemic

are reading it.

There is no doubt that the pandemic has had a

The pandemic also came to bear on students’ pro-

profound, and in many ways disparate, impact on the

fessional intentions. A number of students who had

McGill Law community. While it may yet take some

summer or articling positions lined up in 2020 saw

time for the full scope of this impact to become clear,

their offers rescinded or had their start date pushed

there are already many lessons that can be drawn

back. Meanwhile, the sudden shift to remote work

from the experience of the past year, whether it be an

at most law firms heightened others’ concerns about

increased use of technology in teaching, a heightened

their ability to build rapport during virtual interviews

emphasis on student wellness, or a general apprecia-

as part of recruitment processes.

tion of the importance of human connections. Clearly,

As a result, the Career Development Office (CDO),

the 2020–2021 year is not one that will soon be

whose resources were significantly expanded in 2019

forgotten.

thanks to the generosity of the Class of ’93, organized a series of workshops and events around themes like virtual networking and job searching in turbulent times.

“With some guidance and reassurance, and no small measure of their own determination, students were able to bounce back and adapt to the new reality,” says Sophie Roy-Lafleur (6), BCL/LLB’11, Director of the CDO. Roy-Lafleur adds that prioritizing students’ mental health became crucial to the CDO’s advising approach, a practice the team intends to continue beyond the pandemic.

Alumni also provided support for students from a distance. Ahead of McGill24 in the winter term, dozens of graduates, ranging from the class of ’66 to the class of ’20, generously submitted notes with words of encouragement and reflections on what helped them navigate through difficult situations during their time as a student or in the early stages of their career.

“ Some students barely had a chance to make friends, yet managed to get through the year during a global pandemic. That is resilience!”

- Shrabani Debroy, Local Wellness Advisor 21

NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Aperçu d’une année universitaire unique et solidaire Faculty, staff and students share short reflections of their experience teaching, learning and working under exceptional circumstances during the 2020–2021 academic year.

Malgré l’avènement de « Zoom University », ma

My fellow students and I drew strength from

connexion avec la Faculté et les autres étudiants est

“solidarity in the time of distancing.”

resté intacte : en plus de ménager mes efforts pour

Prof. Nandini Ramanujam, Co-Director,

organiser des évènements virtuels, je suis resté en

Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism

contact avec mes plus proches amis de la Faculté.

Simon Filiatrault, 3L, ILADA Co-President

En début d’année, deux étudiants, pianistes professionnels, ont gentiment accepté de partager Who knew that I’d get to know individual students

des extraits de concert avec la classe de droit

despite being separated by a screen, that learning

constitutionnel. Le but était d’apporter un peu

could be effective while students interacted virtually,

de douceur, de beauté et de lien social entre nos

and that a class spirit could emerge in the face of the

multiples petites cases Zoom. Un jour, problème

isolation and challenges of COVID-19?

de wifi : je dois fermer ma caméra et changer de pièce. À mon retour trois minutes plus tard, un

Prof. Rosalie Jukier, Associate Dean (Academic)

étudiant avait spontanément pris sa guitare et jouait pour ses camarades. J’ai compris qu’on commençait à « faire communauté », un élément

My 1L professors developed particularly creative

pédagogique tellement essentiel.

ways to address the challenges posed by the pandemic; the Faculty’s tireless commitment to

Prof. Johanne Poirier

providing an engaging virtual learning environment

Chaire Peter MacKell sur le fédéralisme

made for a truly special — and memorable — year!

Connor Hasagewa, 1L

Writing a doctoral thesis is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Although it has been very challenging

I thought 1L would have the largest learning curve in law school, but the past year came with its own

and lonely, I am grateful for those moments of debating an idea with my partner, or finding inspiring authors from different times and places.

challenges. Staying in touch with 1L friends, and participating in activities such as the LEX Program

Ling Chen, DCL candidate

and the Canadian National Negotiation Competition helped me through the year. I look forward to being on campus next year, when I won’t have to ask,

Amidst this insanity, I have found the strength

“Can you hear me now?”

and the energy to work on my thesis in one thing: the fact that I feel part of an academic community

Ariel Holmwood-Bramwell, 2L

that is eager to understand and transform social inequalities. This keeps me hopeful.

Maria Ceballos-Bedoya, DCL candidate

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Challenging, different, difficult, inspiring... This

Despite the challenges of studying online, our

year was like no other for McGill Law. However,

professors sought to ensure our well-being. While

we prevailed, and the energy of our community

it might have been easier to teach us as boxes on a

helped bring us together, letting our imaginations

screen, we were welcomed with compassion and

run wild – and organizing the biggest GLSA

humanity, creating an environment conducive

conference in history!

to our growth.

Miroslaw Sadowski, DCL candidate

Audrey Poulin, 1L

What is the Matrix? A prison of the body and the

I have so much respect, love, and compassion

mind. Mais tant qu’il y a de la vie, il y a de l’espoir.

for all of our students who had the pressure

Ceux-ci furent parmi les thèmes de mes cours

of excelling academically while living through

de droit pénal cette année. Confined to a digital

this global crisis.

landscape, my students resiliently explored the

Shrabani Debroy, Local Wellness Advisor

evolution of criminal law, prisons, and beyond.

Our class discussions were stimulating, and our memories will live on.

Despite all the mishaps, with the help of the

Prof. Mugambi Jouet

Faculty members and the staff, graduate students managed to push through the year, and completed this academic year successfully.

This year will be an unforgettable one for both

Atagün Kejanlioglu, DCL candidate, past President,

pedagogical and personal reasons. While it is great to

Graduate Law Students’ Association

have longer periods of uninterrupted reading time, I learned that I took for granted the brief moments in between class, events and meetings in the atrium,

McGill Law’s unique strength is its community,

hallways, and library to catch up with classmates.

and community fosters a stronger legal education.

I’m learning to cherish all events and those in-be-

While this year was incredibly difficult in many

tween moments.

ways, I think it would have been more difficult

Khadija Ahmed, 2L

had it not been for our community, which kept in

2021 winner of the Centre culturel islamique

contact virtually.

de Québec Memorial Award

Beatrice Courchesne-Mackie, 3L past President, Law Students’ Association

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NOUVELLES DE LA FACULTÉ

Leading in law across time: McGill enters its third century

1848: Petition and establishment of the Law Faculty McGill’s Faculty of Law was formally

As McGill celebrated its 200 birthday in March, the Faculty of Law launched its bilingual Bicentennial website. Through a timeline featuring over 200 photos, viewers can discover the Faculty’s tradition of innovation and leadership in legal pedagogy, our commitment to public service, and the evolving diversity of our community. th

Visit our Bicentennial site at 200.mcgill.ca/faculties/law

established in 1848, decades after the founding of McGill College in 1821. The original demand for a law faculty came from the students themselves. Led by Alexander Morris (BCL 1850, DCL 1862), 23 students reading law for the Bar of Canada East petitioned the Vice-Principal to create a complete law program. When Charles Dewey Day became the Principal of McGill College in 1853, he quickly moved to formally establish the Faculty of Law. In 1855, William Badgley was appointed as its first Dean.

1955 : Bref passage de Leonard Cohen

1968 : Le Programme national voit le jour

1998: Inauguration of the Nahum Gelber Law Library

L’auteur-compositeur-interprète

Mis sur pied pendant le décanat de

Following provincial budget cuts in the

Leonard Cohen, LLD’92, n’a passé qu’un

Maxwell Cohen, qui souhaitait créer

1990s, libraries across campus were

semestre à la Faculté de droit après avoir

un programme bilingue et bijuridique,

struggling financially. A fundraising

décroché son baccalauréat ès arts à McGill.

le Programme national a été offert par la

initiative was launched that raised over

Il a eu pour professeur F. R. Scott, qui est

Faculté de 1968 à 1999. Ce programme

$13 million in donations. In 1998, the

resté son mentor même après son passage

permettait aux étudiant.e.s d’obtenir un

Nahum Gelber Law Library opened its

à l’université. Scott a prêté à Cohen

diplôme en droit civil ou en common law,

doors, offering students more seating,

le chalet à North Hatley où ce dernier

et d’acquérir l’autre diplôme avec une

private study rooms, and beautiful natural

a travaillé sur son premier roman, Jeux de

année d’études supplémentaire. Établi

light. The library currently hosts a collec-

dames (The Favourite Game). Leonard

en 1999, le programme intégré actuel est

tion of over 220,000 volumes of statutes,

Cohen dira plus tard que F. R. Scott lui

enseigné de manière transsystémique et

regulations, law reports, treatises, books,

avait donné « le courage d’échouer »

mène tous ses finissant.e.s à un double

journals and other legal materials.

à l’époque où, jeune écrivain, il appréhen-

diplôme en droit civil et en common law.

dait de quitter l’entreprise familiale de vêtements.

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1912: The LSA is founded

1914-1938: L’arrivée des femmes, de personnes noires et autochtones à la Faculté

1948: Finding a home in Chancellor Day Hall

The Law Students’ Association was

En 1914, Annie MacDonald Langstaff est

Old Chancellor Day Hall (OCDH)

founded in 1912 as the Law Undergraduate

devenue la première femme à obtenir un

was previously known as the Ross

Society. The 1898 version of Old McGill

diplôme en droit de McGill. Cette première

Mansion, named after James Ross, who

shows earlier signs of a law students’

a inspiré nombre de femmes à obtenir

made his fortune in the railway business

society 14 years prior, noting at the time

leur diplôme en droit, à lutter pour les

and had the house built in 1890. OCDH

that “[a] long step forward was taken

droits des femmes et à demander accès au

was donated to McGill in 1948 by J.W.

when the Law men formed themselves

Barreau du Québec. La même année a vu

McConnell, another well-known philan-

into a society governed by a settled

le déclenchement de la Première Guerre

thropist who had acquired the house.

constitution.”

mondiale. Plusieurs jeunes étudiants de

With this donation to McGill, the Faculty

la Faculté sont partis au front, sans revenir,

finally found a permanent home for the

dont Angus Splicer, le premier étudiant

first time in its hundred-year history and

autochtone connu de la Faculté. Durant

was renamed Chancellor Day Hall in

cette même période, la Faculté a accueilli

honour of Charles Dewey Day.

de nombreux vétérans, des femmes et ses premiers étudiants noirs.

2006: Founding of the Black Law Students’ Association of McGill

2020: Cours de première année en traditions juridiques autochtones

The Black Law Students’ Association of

Les cours de justice pénale et de droit des

McGill (BLSAM) is the oldest Quebec

biens (deux cours obligatoires d’un an)

chapter of the Black Law Students’

incorporent désormais des notions de droit

Association of Canada. BLSAM’s mission

autochtone. La Faculté a aussi établi un

is to “to promote the needs and concerns

nouveau cours obligatoire de première

of Black law students to the general

année sur les Traditions juridiques autoch-

public and legal community,” as well as

tones, inauguré en automne 2020.

to “build a dialogue with the community and increase access to legal education for persons who identify as African Canadian/Black.”

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Stay tuned on our social media pages for future Bicentennial events.

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

LE LABORATOIRE DU DROIT TRANSSYSTÉMIQUE par Jean-Benoît Nadeau

JEAN-PHILIPPE BRISSON LE DISCIPLE

RUI GAO QUESTION DE PRINCIPES

Jean-Philippe Brisson, BCL’96, LLB’96, peut se vanter

Rui Gao, BCL/LLB’16, est arrivée directement du

d’avoir été l’assistant de recherche du professeur

Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf à 19 ans. « Même aujourd’hui,

Paul-André Crépeau en personne. En plus de colla-

je suis toujours la plus jeune du cabinet », s’exclame

borer à ses recherches, Brisson l’aidait dans la mise à

l’avocate chez Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg

jour de ses notes de cours. « Il a été pour moi un

à Toronto.

mentor. Il connaissait ma femme. Il m’a conseillé sur

Elle explique avoir choisi McGill précisément pour

mes orientations de carrière et mes lieux d’études. »

l’approche transsystémique. « Il y a des limites

Brisson est maintenant associé et coprésident mon-

à l’utilité de mémoriser des codes, des lois ou des

dial en matière de réglementation environnementale

règlements qui changent tout le temps. Je voulais

et de droit transactionnel chez Latham & Watkins à

davantage examiner les traditions et la structure

New York. Il est passé à McGill quelques années avant

juridique. J’étais plus dans les principes que dans

que la Faculté adopte formellement l’enseignement

le par cœur ».

transsystémique, même si celui-ci était implicite dans

Comme assistante de recherche au Centre Crépeau,

la pensée du professeur Crépeau. « Je dois beaucoup à la méthode de pensée acquise à McGill. » Cette rigueur lui a permis, notamment, de réussir plusieurs transitions, dont notamment entre la Banque mondiale, la Communauté européenne et un cabinet new-yorkais. « C’est un tremplin. » « Au début de ma carrière, le droit en matière de changements climatiques était surtout réglementaire, mais il est devenu très contractuel sous l’effet des produits dérivés, dont les crédits de carbone. C’est 90 pourcent de ma pratique. J’applique couramment des techniques dont je discutais avec le professeur

elle a collaboré à un dictionnaire du droit privé comparatif en plus d’organiser une conférence de deux jours sur la « jurilinguistique », soit l’effet des mots sur le droit. « La pratique est différente du contexte académique, mais il y a beaucoup de liens dans la manière de faire sa recherche. Par exemple, comment utiliser un principe de droit déjà formulé pour l’appliquer sur une question nouvelle pour laquelle il n’existe aucune jurisprudence ? L’approche transsystémique nous apprend à penser hors des sentiers battus ».

Crépeau il y a 25 ans. » 26

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Voici quatre personnes qui ont fait leur droit à McGill entre 1992 et 2016 — l’intervalle d’une génération. Leur point commun? Les quatre ont tour à tour fait de la recherche au Centre Paul-André Crépeau de droit privé et comparé, lequel a pour mission de développer et de promouvoir la tradition civiliste canadienne dans une perspective comparatiste. Et comme bien des membres de notre communauté diplômée, ce quatuor en a long à raconter !

JAMEELA JEEROBURKHAN L’ANTHROPOLOGUE

OLIVIER JARDA LE TOUCHE-À- TOUT

Jameela Jeeroburkhan, BLC/LLB’04, est arrivée au

Olivier Jarda, BCL/LLB’15, considère avoir franchi

droit en passant par l’anthropologie. « Mon intérêt était

un point tournant en 2e année de droit, alors qu’il était

académique. Je voulais comprendre le rapport entre

assistant de recherche au Centre Crépeau. On lui a

culture, norme et droit », dit l’avocate spécialisée en

alors confié la tâche de coorganiser un forum en

droit autochtone et associée au cabinet Dionne Schulze

l’honneur du professeur Roderick Macdonald, qui

à Montréal.

a réuni plusieurs générations issues de notre commu-

De ses six mois comme assistante de recherche au Centre Crépeau, elle conserve un souvenir inaltérable du professeur Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85, désormais juge à la Cour suprême du Canada. C’était l’été

nauté diplômée et corps professoral. « Le professeur Macdonald savait créer un environnement où les gens sont à l’aise de prendre des risques. C’est emblématique de la faculté. »

où le Québec venait de créer l’union civile, alors que

Après s’être spécialisé en droit autochtone chez

le gouvernement fédéral n’avait pas encore modifié sa

Hutchins Legal à Montréal, l’ex-musicien — avec trois

définition du mariage. Le professeur et l’étudiante sont

albums à son actif — et boursier Rhodes a agi comme

allés assister à la première union civile. « Il voulait que

attaché politique du ministre fédéral de la Justice à

je l’aide à considérer les éléments symboliques du rituel.

Ottawa, avant de devenir directeur des politiques

Participer à l’analyse anthropologique d’un principe

et des affaires juridiques au cabinet de la ministre

juridique a été pour moi une expérience marquante. »

fédérale de l’Infrastructure et des Collectivités.

Elle explique que la capacité de penser « transsys-

« L’approche transsystémique sert aussi bien à régler

témiquement » est inhérente au droit autochtone,

des problèmes que le législateur n’a pas prévus qu’à

en plein développement. Or, c’est un environnement

développer de nouvelles politiques. » Il cite l’exemple

« trijuridique », voire « quadrijuridique ». Car outre la

du dossier sur les discours haineux pour lequel il a

Loi sur les Indiens, de la common law, et le droit civil du

comparé, entre autres, les lois allemandes (de tradition

Québec, de plus en plus de communautés autochtones

civile) et australiennes (de tradition britannique).

en appellent au droit international. « L’approche

« Ce sont des styles qui ne sont pas étrangers à

transsystémique nous dit qu’il n’y a pas une seule norme.

un diplômé en droit de McGill ».

C’est précisément ce que j’aimais en anthropologie. » 27

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Mahmud Jamal’s journey to the Supreme Court of Canada

by Claire Loewen

On 1 July 2021, Mahmud Jamal, BCL’93, LLB’93, joined two other McGill Law graduates on the country’s highest court: Justice Sheilah Martin, BCL’81, LLB’81, and former dean Justice Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85.

Justice Jamal’s appointment was met with resounding praise from all corners of the legal world, including his fellow alumni and colleagues. They shared why they think he will find great success as a justice of the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”).

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The immersion of McGill-trained jurists in transsystemic thinking contributes to the Court’s ability to adjudicate cases from the traditions of the civil law and the common law, Hussain added, and to ensure a continued dialogue between them.

When she heard the news, Justice Alison Harvison Young, BCL’83, LLB’83, who was Jamal’s professor in law school and his colleague on the Ontario Court for Appeal, felt a deep sense of pride. During his student days at McGill, she watched Jamal blossom academically and as a member of the McGill Law community.

“He quickly emerged as a student who, although he did not say much, was very much worth listening to when he did have a question or comment,” she said.

She described him as having compassion and a keen sense of humour. When Jamal was appointed to the Court of Appeal two years ago, Harvison Young was delighted.

“I am sad to lose him as a colleague, but bursting with professorial pride to see him appointed to the Supreme Court. I know he will serve with distinction, and will be a superb, collegial, and compassionate member of Long before joining the SCC, Nicholas Kasirer was

the Court,” said Harvison Young.

a junior professor at McGill, where he recalls being “thrust in classrooms to teach the virtues of the Civil Code to sometimes skeptical and occasionally inattentive upper-year common law students,” before the transsystemic program was implemented.

(right) Justice Alison Harvison Young, Jamal’s professor in law school and colleague on the Ontario Court of Appeal.

“I do remember an alarmingly bright and unusually kind Mahmud Jamal in Obligations, showing special politeness to me as a novice teacher,” Kasirer told Focus. “I have every hope that he will continue to show the same patience with me in our work together in Ottawa. I couldn’t be happier to have him as a colleague.”

Azim Hussain, BCL’00, LLB’00, a partner at NOVAlex in Montreal, noted that Justice Jamal’s appointment is significant on multiple levels. It continues the long tradition of having some of the country’s best legal minds on its highest court. Justice Jamal brings a broad expertise to the SCC, from commercial litigation and class actions to constitutional and public law.

“With an increasing proportion of the Canadian population being foreign-born and having origins outside of Europe, the presence of Justice Jamal on the SCC bench will allow more Canadians to see a reflection of themselves,” Hussain said.

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(below) Mahmud Jamal’s graduation photo from McGill Law in 1993.

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Les Pavillons Chancellor-Day prennent du beau Grâce à la générosité de notre communauté diplômée, les Pavillons Chancellor-Day peuvent s’enorgueillir à juste titre de plusieurs nouvelles œuvres d’art. De plus, redécouvrez la pièce dorénavant appelée le Grand Salon Jordan H. Waxman.

Sitting Woman in Robes IV — Gift of the Estate of Mitzi and Mel Dobrin This striking bronze statue, which now stands in the foyer of Old Chancellor Day Hall, was donated by the Estate of Mel and Mitzi Dobrin, CM, BCL’71, in March 2019.

Lynn Chadwick, “Sitting Woman in Robes IV,” Edition 1/9, 1987. Donated to McGill University by the Mitzi and Mel Dobrin family. Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003) was an English artist whose work consisted of semi-abstract sculpture in bronze or steel.

His work is found in the collections of the MoMA, the Tate, and the Centre Georges Pompidou.

One of his sculptures adorns the entrance to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

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The Jordan H. Waxman Common Room Jordan Waxman, BA’86, LLB’91, BCL’92, has been

Waxman sees philanthropy as an investment in

a loyal McGill supporter since 1994. This year, the

something that impassions him — not only is it fulfilling

founder and managing partner of Nucleus Advisors

to see his gifts make a meaningful difference in

took his commitment a step further by investing

education at McGill, but he hopes to inspire others

in Chancellor Day Hall’s historic and storied Common

to direct their energy, ideas and financial resources

Room. For the next 50 years, the Common Room will

to the University.

bear Waxman’s name, and his philanthropy will support the upkeep and renovation of this beautiful space for generations to come.

“If you really commit to something you’re passionate about and you give, there is leverage in that,” Waxman said. “I encourage everyone to give early and often.”

“It’s an opportunity to give back and to see another generation of leaders come about inside McGill,” Waxman said. “My philanthropy is focused, first and foremost, on finding solutions that can have impact sustained over a generation or more.”

As for the Common Room, Waxman had but one condition for his gift: that among the portraits The Honourable ALISON HARVISON of famous jurists, a photo of the Cool Monsoons YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the band be permanently displayed.

Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was appointed to the Court of Appeal for

For Waxman, the gift symbolizes change and legacy

Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a

all at once. As a student, he remembers enjoying

member of the Faculty of Law of McGill

Coffeehouse on Thursday nights in the Common

University from 1988-1998, teaching in the

Room, when the Cool Monsoons student band would

areas of public, private and family law.

play under the gaze of portraits of legendary jurists and academics.

“I thought, ‘Let’s remember that there is an opportunity for exploration, leadership, curiosity and fun, and also for serious academic pursuits,’” Waxman said.

He expects that in McGill’s third century, sparks of ingenuity and thinking outside the box will lead to the best and most innovative outcomes.

Lithographies inuites — Dons de Bruno Savoie, BCL/LLB’18 Bruno Savoie, BCL/LLB’18, a fait don

La première gravure, réalisée par

La deuxième gravure, réalisée par Adamie

de deux lithographies d’artistes inuits,

Lucy Qinnuayuak (1915-1982), s’intitule

Alaku Qaqutu (1943-1964), est intitulée

qui sont maintenant exposées au 4e étage

Children Followed by Bird Spirit (1967)

Seals/Aquatic Family (1962) et montre cinq

du nouveau Pavillon Chancellor-Day.

et provient de Kinngait, ou Cape Dorset.

phoques se prélassant ensemble. L’inscription

Dans cette œuvre, deux enfants revien-

en dessous est le nom de l’artiste : Adamie

nent triomphants de la pêche, chacun

(en haut) Alaku (en bas). Cette œuvre fait

ayant attrapé un poisson à l’aide de son

partie de la toute première collection de

kaviak, ou lance de pêche. Un grand

lithographies à émerger de Povungnituk,

oiseau marche derrière eux.

ou Puvirnituq, au Québec, en 1962.

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ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Collation des grades virtuelle pour la promotion du bicentenaire Le 11 juin, les communautés de l’Université McGill et de la Faculté de droit se sont réunies virtuellement pour célébrer la collation des grades, et cette année en particulier pour fêter la « promotion du bicentenaire ».

Les juristes nouvellement titulaires de diplômes BCL/JD, LLM et DCL ont reçu un chaleureux appui familial et amical à distance à travers Zoom et YouTube.

La cérémonie universitaire, diffusée en direct sur

Alec Sader et Bianca Marcelin ont ensuite prononcé

YouTube, s’est mise en branle au son des tradition-

le discours d’envoi en tant que comajors de promotion,

nelles cornemuses et de l’hymne de l’Université.

lequel s’inspirait de la résilience de leurs camarades

Le chancelier Michael A. Meighan, LLD’12,

et de leur volonté de créer des espaces inclusifs dans

la principale Suzanne Fortier, le vice-principal

la profession juridique.

exécutif Christopher P. Manfredi et le professeur

« Notre souhait pour vous est que vous sortiez de cette

Madhukar Pai, Chaire de recherche du Canada en épidémiologie et santé mondiale, ont pris la parole pour féliciter la promotion de la Faculté de droit et célébrer la remarquable réussite de la cohorte finissante: avoir complété leurs études à distance en pleine pandémie. Quelle épreuve!

Après la diffusion universitaire, la Faculté a accueilli la nouvelle cohorte de notre communauté diplômée et leurs proches dans une cérémonie privée sur Zoom.

La professeure Angela Campbell a présenté le Prix d’excellence en enseignement John W. Durnford au professeur Helge Dedek. « Pour lui, les réussites de ses élèves sont les siennes. Il veille constamment aux intérêts fondamentaux de ses élèves », a déclaré la professeure Campbell.

Ensuite, la vice-doyenne professeure Andrea Bjorklund a présenté le Prix David Thomson 2021 pour la supervision et l’enseignement aux cycles supérieurs au professeur Fabien Gélinas. Elle a souligné le mentorat individualisé que le professeur Gélinas offre à ses étudiant.e.s des cycles supérieurs et son grand dossier de copublications avec ses étudiant.e.s.

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salle pour aller rayonner dans toutes les sphères de la société qui ont besoin de vous. Vous êtes des fins en soi et votre passage à cette Faculté n’est que le début », a déclaré Bianca Marcelin. « Si les systèmes juridiques doivent profiter à tous, alors nous et nos communautés avons besoin d’espaces où nous pouvons nous réaliser et, plus fondamentalement, nous émanciper, répandre nos idées pour cultiver la douceur que nous recherchons », a ajouté Alec Sader.

Pour conclure, le doyen Robert Leckey a salué l’engagement et la solidarité de la promotion de 2021. « Votre temps ici a été marqué par des rappels de notre monde pour une plus grande justice, a dit le doyen. Le privilège d’une formation juridique confère la responsabilité d’honorer les voix et les esprits de ceux qui, pour une raison quelconque, sont réduits au silence. Je vous exhorte à gérer ce privilège avec sagesse ». À la fin de la cérémonie, le doyen a invité familles et proches à prendre leurs caméras et micros pour transmettre leurs félicitations à voix haute et applaudir la réussite de cette promotion historique.

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

Highlighting our McGill Alumni Association winners Each year the McGill Alumni Association (MAA) recognizes those who have had significant impact on alumni life, the University and the community. The Faculty of Law proudly presents its four MAA winners for 2020.

Nahum Gelber, BA’54, BCL’57

Balarama Holness, BCL/JD’21

— Award of Merit

— Chancellor Gretta Chambers Student Leadership Award A philanthropist with a passion

Former CFL player Balarama Holness

for art and an enduring affinity

was an outstanding student who

for McGill, Nahum Gelber, CM, has

has used his legal training, his

supported his alma mater and its

background as an educator, and his

students for more than six decades.

interest in public policy to launch

Gelber is among the Faculty’s

important conversations about

most loyal and generous benefactors. His contribution

social justice on campus and throughout the city. Before

led to the creation of the Nahum Gelber Law Library,

joining the 2021 Montreal mayoral race, Holness founded

which continues to benefit thousands of students,

the human rights organization Montreal in Action and

scholars, lawyers and the Montreal legal community.

successfully petitioned the city to hold a public consultation on systemic racism and discrimination, mobilizing many in the McGill community to participate.

Tina Hobday, BA’88, BCL’93, LLB’93 — Distinguished Service Award An engaged and energetic alumna for over 20 years, Tina Hobday

Paul Marchand, BCL’66, LLM’85 — E.P. Taylor Award

has served on McGill’s Board of

Paul Marchand’s contributions to

Governors, as President of the

McGill span decades and exemplify

MAA, as President of the McGill

the notion of giving back. He has

Young Alumni, and as a founding

volunteered an enormous amount

member of the Faculty of Law’s Young Alumni

of time and energy, helping to raise

Board. A recognized leader in the fields of pension

funds in support of the University.

plan litigation and governance, she also sits on

Marchand also played a central role in securing major

the University’s Pension Administration Committee.

donations, including a visionary $15 million gift from

In recognition of her work, McGill Law honoured

the Doggone Foundation that enabled the creation of

her with its James A. Robb Award for exemplary

the McGill Interdisciplinary Initiative in Infection and

volunteer service in 2012.

Immunity (MI4). The timely initiative harnesses the expertise of more than 250 researchers, including some McGill Law faculty members, to tackle pressing health threats such as COVID-19.

33

ALUMNI COMMUNITY

A commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion at McGill Law McGill’s Bicentennial occurs at a pivotal moment as institutions and individuals in Canada and around the world focus increasingly on addressing the ongoing impact of colonialism, anti-Black racism and systemic discrimination. In line with its priority to create pathways to success for Black students, Indigenous students and students of colour, McGill Law is creating a fund to bolster initiatives that will tangibly support students from historically underrepresented groups over the next five years.

The fund will be used to invest in resources that prioritize early intervention and

Outreach: Sparking the dream of a legal education

create pathways to McGill, such as the LEX outreach program, which invites Montreal-area youth to learn about the legal profession by pairing them with McGill Law students. The Faculty will encourage more students from underrepresented groups to pursue a career in law by expanding the number of high schools and CEGEPs it partners with to support longer-term follow-up and mentorship.

Retaining students: Providing support to flourish

To promote the academic successes of students from underrepresented groups, appropriate support services must be in place and aligned with student needs.

Such services include mentorship and tutoring, paid opportunities for experiential learning and networking opportunities.

Equipping students with tools for their careers is critical for students from underrepresented groups, who may have difficulty seeing their place in today’s

Targeted career development

legal profession. The Career Development Office is dedicated to ensuring students from underrepresented communities can pursue their professional aspirations with confidence through CV and cover letter clinics and reviews, career counselling, and mentorship pairings with practicing professionals who share their lived experience.

Community engagement: Forging connections and deepening McGill’s presence in the community Student-driven initiatives: Empowering change in partnership with the Faculty

McGill Law is deeply rooted in its surrounding community. From supporting membership programming at Fondation Indspire to participating on the Racial Profiling Committee at the Clinique Juridique Saint-Michel, and much more, the Faculty is dedicated to making an impact beyond McGill’s campus. Through additional community engagement, law students will be able to offer help to those in need, including refugees and first-generation Canadians.

No one is better positioned to understand the needs of underrepresented students as those students themselves. Through their dynamic student associations involving and by serving underrepresented constituencies, law students have the creativity, drive, and firsthand experience to define initiatives and programs that will help them and their peers thrive. The fund will allow the Faculty to work in partnership with students to help ensure they are empowered to define their futures.

34

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

OBITUARY

Saying “take care” to Professor Emeritus

WILLIAM F. FOSTER (1943-2021)

Bill Foster valued and embraced administrative service

We were deeply saddened to learn of the unexpected death of a beloved colleague and friend.

to the faculty and university and he did it superbly.

He held three portfolios as associate dean and served as acting dean (1979–80) and interim dean (2003).

Professor Emeritus William F. Foster passed away on 10 August 2021.

He contributed significantly to service at the university level, chairing the University Appeals Committee and the University Grievance Committee, stepping in as interim secretary-general, and serving as associate

Born in India and raised in New Zealand, Bill Foster

provost from 2004 until his retirement.

joined the Faculty of Law as assistant professor in 1968.

Bill Foster was highly active in his career beyond

With research and teaching interests in tort, property law, real-estate transactions, and education law, he was promoted to associate professor in 1971 and to full professor in 1977. He was Sir William C. Macdonald Professor from 1994 until his retirement in 2011, when he was named emeritus professor. He was deeply devoted to the Faculty of Law from his arrival.

A fixture for many years on the third floor of Old Chancellor Day Hall, Bill Foster is remembered for his collegiality, true friendship, generosity, kindness, common sense, fairness, and grace. It is true that he mentored younger colleagues, providing a sympathetic ear, wise career and life advice, and reassuring support.

But I have now learned that “mentor” is a word used of him by a colleague senior to him as well. Colleagues

McGill. With his wife, Joan, Bill Foster was a pillar of their church and community. They worked closely in organizing events, fundraisers, and various activities to assist those in need.

The Faculty of Law extends its deepest condolences to Bill Foster’s family. We also express condolences to the many others — lawyers, academics, judges, friends, citizens — who knew and loved Bill Foster, as we did.

Joan Foster and their children have graciously suggested directing donations in Bill’s memory to the Faculty of Law.

Robert Leckey Dean and Samuel Gale Professor of Law

remember his firm moral compass. Whether on matters of hiring or curricular reform, he invariably took a long view. He was often smiling, always spoke

Donations can be made to

thoughtfully, and, when he disagreed, did so lightly

William Foster’s memory at

and constructively.

https://mcgill.ca/x/JZN

35

In Memoriam

ALUMNOTES

The ’60s and ’70s Morton Bell, BCL’55 Luc Bigaouette, BCL’73 David Cohen, BCL’72 Earl S. Cohen, BCL’66 Harvey Crestohl, BCL’56

Professor Emeritus the Hon. Irwin Cotler, OC, OQ, Ad E, PC, BCL’64, LLD’19, International Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, was awarded the Advocatus Emeritus distinction by the Barreau du Québec.

George Lengvari, BCL’66, who played varsity basketball during his studies, is the inaugural recipient of the U Sports Mitchell Family Alumni of the Year Award, created to celebrate former Canadian university athletes who have become leaders in their communities and made significant contributions to their alma maters. The annual George Lengvari Cup

Thomas R. M. Davis, BCL’72, LLB’79

is a basketball game between McGill and

John Joseph Donohue, LLB’77

Concordia University in honour of a

James S. F. Feng, LLM’60, BCL’66

graduate who played for both universities.

Michael L Garmaise, BCL’63 The Honourable ALISON HARVISON

The 1980s

The Hon. John H. Gomery, BCL’56

YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the Mitchell BCL’87, LLB’87, OntarioBrownstein, Superior Court of Justice, was marked his fifth year as Mayor of Côte appointed to the Court of Appeal for

Marcel Guilbault, BCL’91, LLB’91 Stephen S. Heller, BCL’69

Saint-Luc. he served as was a Ontario. Previously, Justice Harvison Young councillor for over 25 years. member of the Faculty of Law of McGill

Mitchell Klein, BCL’60 Pierre Lamarche, BCL’70 Jean-Guy Lamarre, BCL’57

Ce printemps, l’hon. SUZANNE COUPAL, BCL’75, anciennement

Nicolas Lambert, DCL’05

de la Cour du Québec, a exercé la

Ellen Rose Lipes, BCL’83, LLB’84

fonction d’écrivaine publique à la

Brian McMullan, BCL’58 Earl M. Merling, BCL’58 Lorraine Pilon, BCL’88 Michel J. Pourcelet, LLM’63 Douglas S. Pryde, BCL’63

bibliothèque Mordecai-Richler, dans le cadre d’un projet pilote organisé par l’arrondissement du Plateau-

University from 1988-1998, teaching Rick Goossen, BCL’85, LLB’85, is the in the areasofofPublic public, private and family law. author Speaking Laws of Success: For Everyone and Every Occasion (Morgan James Publishing, 2021), which includes anecdotes about Blaine Baker, Paul-André Crépeau, and the Rt. Hon. David Johnston, PC, CC, CMM, COM, CD.

Mont-Royal. Le projet de trois mois l’a amenée à aider des personnes ayant des besoins précis en communication écrite.

Redmond G. H. Quain, BCL’53 Herb Hyman Rosenfeld, BCL’52 Jack Rosenfeld, BCL’74

Cally Jordan, LLB’77, BCL’80, has published International Capital Markets: Law and Institutions, 2nd ed. (Oxford

Mark Schleifer, BCL’67

University Press, 2021). Among those who

Dominique Vézina, BCL’87, LLB’87

provided research support for the book are

Milton Winston, BCL’54, LLM’73 John Kirkpatrick (former Law Library staff)

Lorena Cristi, LLM’19, and BCL/JD’20 alumni Fatima Anjum, Laurent Crépeau, Scott Labove, Kevin Pinkoski, Rebecca Schur, and Elgin Taing.

SHARON G. DRUKER, Ad E, BCL’85, LLB’85, was named Advocata Emerita by the Barreau du Québec.

Druker is a partner at Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, where she focuses on corporate finance, mergers, acquisitions & divestitures, equity, inventory and equipment financing, commercial real estate and other transactional work.

36

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Claude Marseille, Ad E, BCL’86, LLB’86,

Josée Noiseux, BCL’89, a été nommée

qui traite les litiges dans les domaines

présidente du conseil d’administration de

du droit commercial et des sociétés,

la Société du Palais des congrès de Montréal.

des actions collectives, du droit de la

Elle siège également aux conseils d’admin-

construction et des recours d’actionnaires

istration de Tennis Canada et du Musée

chez Blakes Cassels & Graydon, a été

d’art contemporain de Montréal.

sélectionné pour le prix « Plaideur de l’année au Québec » par Benchmark Litigation Canada.

Jennifer Stoddart, OC, OQ, Ad E, BCL’81, LLD’15, a strategic advisor in Fasken’s Privacy and Cybersecurity Group, was made an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec. Stoddart sits on the Committee on the responsible conduct of research, reporting to the Chief Scientist of Quebec, and on the board of Génome Québec.

The 1990s Brian Bronfman, OQ, BCL’91, LLB’91, a été nommé officier de l’Ordre national du Québec pour son travail de longue haleine visant à stimuler la diversité et l’inclusion, MICHAEL NOVAK, BCL’80, LLB’81,

à prévenir la violence et à promouvoir

was named Governor Emeritus of

la paix. Il est président de la Fondation

Concordia University’s Board of

de la famille Brian Bronfman.

Governors in March 2021, after

The Hon. LOUIS CHARETTE, BCL’94, LLB’94, was appointed to The Honourable ALISON HARVISON the Superior Court of Quebec for YOUNG, BC’83, LLB’83, a judge of the the District of Montreal. The former Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was partner at Lavery de Billy is listed appointed to the Court of Appeal for in Best Lawyers in Canada 2021 as Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a a leading practitioner in aviation, member of the Faculty of Law of McGill insurance, transportation, and University from 1988-1998, teaching in the product liability. He received the areas of public, private and family law.

Lawyer of the Year award in the field of transportation law in 2020. He has lectured on civil procedure at the Faculty.

a decade of service. Novak was a member of its executive committee,

The Hon. Jan Brongers, BCL’94, LLB’94,

audit committee and finance

was appointed to the Supreme Court of

committee, chairing the latter

British Columbia in April. As a civil liti-

from 2018 to 2020.

gator, Justice Brongers gained experience in a wide variety of Crown litigation files,

Janice Naymark, BCL’86, LLB’86, con-

notably in administrative, Indigenous

seillère juridique pour RaichLegal, a été

and constitutional law. After his studies,

nommée par la ministre du Développement

he clerked at the Federal Court of Appeal

économique et des Langues officielles

for the Hon. James K. Hugessen, BCL’57.

à un comité d’experts sur la langue de travail et la langue de service des entre-

JULIE BÉDARD, BCL’96, LLB’96,

prises privées de compétence fédérale.

heads Skadden’s International

Le comité avait pour mandat de formuler

Litigation & Arbitration Group for

des recommandations pour moderniser

the Americas, where she practices

la Loi sur les langues officielles.

in four languages. She represents clients in connection with litigation and arbitration proceedings throughout the world, raising disputes on governing law, jurisdiction, the enforcement of arbitration agreements, extraterritoriality and international judgment enforcement.

37

He was the Senior General Counsel at the Regional Director General’s Office of Justice Canada in British Columbia.

Danielle Chalifoux, Ad E, LLM’99, qui est à la direction de l’Institut de planification des soins du Québec et œuvre dans les domaines du droit de la santé et des personnes âgées, a reçu la distinction Advocata Emerita du Barreau du Québec.

ALUMNOTES Carolena Gordon, BCL’91, LLB’91, was

The Hon. Jill Presser, LLB’94, was

elected Senior Partner at Clyde & Co. She

appointed to the Ontario Superior Court

is the first partner from outside the UK and

of Justice. With a practice focused on

the first woman to hold the position. Based

appellate criminal defence, mental

in Montreal, Gordon is an experienced

health, digital privacy and AI, Presser was

litigator focused on dispute resolution and

principal lawyer at Presser Barristers in

risk management for a range of commer-

Toronto, staff lawyer to Stephen Goudge

cial and insurance clients, with a special

on the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic

interest in the infrastructure sector.

Pathology in Ontario and part-time prose-

L’hon. Mahmud Jamal, BCL’93, LLB’93,

cutor for the Attorney General of Ontario.

a été nommé à la Cour suprême du LAVERNE JACOBS, BCL’99, LLB’99, was this year’s recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s Touchstone Award for her work promoting equality in the legal profession, the judiciary and the legal community in Canada. Professor Jacobs has dedicated her career to teaching, researching and writing

Canada, après avoir siégé à la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario. Il a remplacé la juge Rosalie Abella, LLD’99. Le juge Jamal a ainsi rejoint deux autres membres de notre communauté diplômée : la juge Sheilah Martin, BCL’81, LLB’81, et notre ancien doyen, le juge Nicholas Kasirer, BCL’85, LLB’85, nommés respectivement en 2017 et 2019. À lire, page 28.

about law and disability, adminis-

Lindsay Matthews, BCL’96, LLB’96,

trative law and human rights. She is

joined the management team of integrated

the founder and director of The Law,

payment technology company Nuvei

L’hon. MARIE-ANDRÉE VERMETTE,

Disability and Social Change Project

as General Counsel and Corporate

BCL’97, LLB’97, a été nommée juge

at the University of Windsor’s

Secretary. Previously, she was VP, General

de la Cour supérieure de justice de

Faculty of Law.

Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at

l’Ontario. Avant sa nomination, la

Gildan Activewear.

juge Vermette était associée au sein du cabinet WeirFoulds à Toronto, où elle a exercé dans les domaines du

Hugo Cyr, Ad E, BCL’97, LLB’97, a reçu

contentieux civil, commercial et du

la distinction Advocatus Emeritus du

droit public pendant près de 20 ans.

Barreau du Québec. Le professeur Cyr, qui

Elle a présidé le groupe de gestion du

est membre du Département des sciences

contentieux commercial du cabinet.

juridiques, a par ailleurs été doyen de la Faculté de science politique et de droit de l’UQÀM de 2015 à 2020.

Amee Sandhu, LLB’98, who heads Lex

The Hon. Chile Eboe-Osuji, LLM’92,

Integra, has joined the roster of experts

retired as President of the International

of the Canada Climate Law Initiative

Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and

(CCLI). The CCLI’s mission is to ensure

returned to Canada for a term at Ryerson University as Distinguished International Jurist.

Canadian companies understand their SARAH QADEER, BCL’96, was

fiduciary obligations with respect to

named Deloitte’s Chief Legal Officer

climate change and have the resources

and a member of the firm’s execu-

to govern in the area of climate-related

tive team. Qadeer is responsible for

financial risks and opportunities.

leading Deloitte’s legal strategy and for overseeing the in-house legal and corporate governance team for Canada and Chile. She continues to serve as president of Legal Leaders for Diversity.

38

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

The Hon. Daniel Urbas, BCL’91, LLB’91,

Mélanie Dugré, BCL’00, LLB’00,

CN’s largest shareholder. He has in-depth

a litigator, arbitrator and mediator

présidente du comité de relations avec

knowledge of international financial and

with over 25 years of dispute resolu-

les membres du Barreau de Montréal

capital markets and extensive interna-

tion experience with a solo practice,

depuis 2013, s’est vue décerner le Prix

tional experience in corporate finance,

was appointed to the Superior Court of

Pierre-Fournier du Barreau de Montréal

investment banking and M&A.

Quebec for the District of Montreal. He

de l’année 2020 par le Bâtonnier

replaces Justice Carol Cohen, BCL’82,

sortant, Alexandre Forest, BCL/LLB’10.

who has elected to become a supernu-

Me Dugré est VP adjointe et conseillère

merary judge.

juridique principale chez Canada Vie.

Marko Pavliha, DCL’92, co-authored

Gregory T. Gowe, LLB’01, launched a

teaching at the Faculty, he has been

and edited a book entitled Transport

fundraising initiative for ALS Action

coaching law students participating in

Law on Passenger Rights which forms

Canada. Gowe — who was a member of

the Guy-Guérin Cup/Sopinka Moot

part of the book series IMLI Studies

the legal department at Telus Commu-

with great success.

in International Maritime Law. Professor

nications Inc. in British Columbia for

Pavliha is also a longstanding Visiting

11 years — was diagnosed with Amyotrophic

Professor at IMLI and a Member of the

Lateral Sclerosis in 2019 and has been

IMLI Governing Board.

working tirelessly to raise funds and awareness ever since. The campaign

The 2000s Catherine Bleau, BCL/LLB’04, a été nommée directrice générale de Monette Barakett Avocat. Elle participe au rayonnement, à la planification et à la gestion des risques du cabinet, ainsi qu’au développement professionnel.

(ALSactioncanada.org/donate/) had raised $75,000 by July 2021.

Robert Israel, BCL/LLB’06, who practices criminal and penal law at Battista Turcot Israel Corbo, was named an adjunct professor at the Faculty. Besides

Amar Khoday, LLM’08, DCL’14, is an associate professor at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law. Khoday, who won the 2020 Barney Sneiderman Award for Teaching Excellence in Law, recently published “Ending the Erasure?

Writing Race into the Story of Psycho-

Justin Howell, BCL/LLB’04, was named

logical Detentions — Examining R. v. Le”

to the board of Canadian National Railway

(Supreme Court Law Review), and

in March 2021. Howell is a Senior Invest-

“Every Moment Counts: The Legal Value

ment Manager at BMGI, which manages

of Time in Canadian Criminal Law and

the assets of Cascade Investment LLC,

Procedure” (Criminal Law Quarterly).

Elle est également présidente (comité des directeurs généraux) de l’Association québécoise des administrateurs juridiques.

Lauren Chang MacLean, BCL/LLB’09, was named Director of Legal Services at Metrolinx, after working as a Legal Counsel (Labour, Employment & Human Rights) for three years. She is the co-founder of WillYouMakeItBetter. com, an anti-racism website where contributors can reclaim the narrative and demand better, and where readers can

L’affaire Camara : Pour arriver à un bon diagnostic Plusieurs membres de notre communauté ont signé une lettre ouverte dans le journal La Presse en février 2021 suite à l’arrestation de Mamadi Camara, un doctorant noir arrêté à tort par des policiers du SPVM. La lettre a fait le point sur le mandat d’enquête du juge Dionne, déclarant que « le mandat d’une commission d’enquête identifie la question qui sera posée. Si le mandat formule la mauvaise question, le commissaire donnera la mauvaise réponse et arrivera avec un mauvais diagnostic ».

learn and empathize.

Parmi les signataires,

Ainsi que des membres

Aaron Chase, BCL/LLB’05, has launched

on compte les membres

de notre communauté

a law firm. Based in Brooklyn, Aaron

du corps professoral suivants:

diplômée :

Chase LLC offers clients legal risk

· Richard Janda

· Gassim Bangoura, BCL’01, LLB’01

analysis and research solutions, with

· Marie Manikis

· Genevieve Painter, BCL/LLB’06

the purpose of providing an objective

· Nandini Ramanujam

· Alexandre Bien-Aimé, BCL/LLB’10

assessment of a case’s likelihood of

· Colleen Sheppard

· Hugo Cyr, BCL’97, LLB’97

success in litigation.

· Frédéric Mégret

· Pearl Eliadis, BCL’85, LLB’85

· Vrinda Narain

· Carle Jane Evans, BCL/LLB’14

· Robert Leckey

· Finn Makela, BCL/LLB’04

· François Crépeau

· Derek McKee, BCL/LLB’06

· Evan Fox-Decent

· Sébastien Lebel-Grenier, BCL’02, LLB’02

· Alana Klein

39

ALUMNOTES TJ Schmaltz, BCL/LLB’02, co-authored

Primés par la Fondation Pierre Elliot Trudeau

the fourth edition of Employment Law for Business and Human Resources Professionals: Alberta and British Columbia (Emond,

ÉTIENNE COSSETTE-LEFEBVRE, BCL/LLB’14, et RAPHAËL GRENIER-BENOÎT,

2020). He continues to work as the Chief

BCL/LLB’19, sont parmi les 15 personnes sélectionnées pour les bourses de

People & Legal Officer for Prospera Credit

leadership 2021 de la Fondation Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Cossette-Lefebvre est

Union in Vancouver, while also teach-

doctorant à la Faculté de droit de l’Université de Toronto, tandis que Grenier-Benoît

ing part-time at several postsecondary

est doctorant à la Faculté de droit de l’Université d’Oxford.

institutions.

The 2010s & 2020s Sabaa Ahmad Khan, DCL’16, is Director Marie Christine Kirouack, Ad E, BCL’91,

Jeff John Roberts, BCL/LLB’05, left his

a été nommée au poste d’Ombudsman

tech reporter job at Fortune magazine

indépendante par l’Archevêché de

after five years and is now executive

Montréal. Elle recevra et assurera le

director of Decrypt Media, which aims to

suivi de toute plainte d’abus ou d’autres

demystify blockchain and cryptocurrency.

formes de comportements inappropriés

Juan Carlos Salazar, LLM’00, took

envers des membres du clergé, du personnel et des bénévoles au sein de l’Église catholique à Montréal.

up the role of Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the Montreal-based United

Doree Levine, BCL/LLB’04, a partner at

Nations specialized agency responsible

Robinson Sheppard Shapiro, is serving as

for aviation safety and security. He was

president of the Lord Reading Law Society

Director General of the Colombia Civil

for 2021–2022. Her practice centres on

Aviation Authority, and previously

family law as well as on estates, wills and

served as a Senior Advisor to the United

trusts. She previously served as co-chair

Arab Emirates (UAE) Civil Aviation

of the Faculty’s Young Alumni Board.

Authority.

Marcos Ludwig, LLM’07, was made

Samuel Singer, BCL/LLB’09, LLM’11,

equity partner of leading Brazilian law

an assistant professor at the University of

firm Veirano Advogados. Based in the

Ottawa, was awarded the Canadian Law

Rio de Janeiro office, he is co-head of the

and Society Association’s Article Prize

practice area of Infrastructure & Projects

for his paper, “Trans Rights Are Not Just

and head of the firm’s China Desk. Ludwig

Human Rights: Legal Strategies for Trans

is a listed arbitrator in Brazil (CBMA),

Justice.” The prize committee praised his

China (CIETAC and SHIAC) and the

paper for being “important, timely, and

Netherlands (CAfA/NAI).

contribut[ing] not just to the scholarship

L’honorable Geeta Narang, BCL’00,

on issues affecting trans people, but

auparavant associée chez Narang & Associés à Montréal et chargée de cours à la Faculté, a été nommée juge de la Cour supérieure du Québec (district de Montréal).

also to the body of literature on legal and extralegal strategies for social change more broadly.” See story on page 12.

Singer also received the 2021 Ian Kerr Award for Excellence in Teaching, English Common Law Program.

General for Quebec and Atlantic Canada and climate portfolio lead at the David Suzuki Foundation. Khan was previously senior researcher at the Center for Climate Change, Energy and Environmental Law in Joensuu, Finland.ro Souhila Baba, BCL/JD’20, joined the Quebec Community Groups Network as a legal and policy researcher. Previously, she was a research lawyer at the Quebec Court of Appeal (Quebec City section).

DINA AWAD, BCL/LLB’11, is the recipient of a 2021 Precedent Setter Award. A partner at Dentons Canada, she has launched a program that pairs specially trained Denton colleagues with child refugees to help them, pro bono, in navigating the Canadian legal system. For two years, she chaired the Roundtable of Diversity Associations, an umbrella organization that advocates for a more diverse, inclusive profession.

40

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Laura Cárdenas, BCL/LLB’18, joined IMK

Lawrence David, BCL/LLB’14, serves

LLP as an associate, alongside the firm’s

as Legal Counsel in the federal Depart-

many McGill Law alumni. She is a litigator

ment of Justice in Ottawa in the area of

in the areas of civil and commercial litiga-

public safety and emergency prepared-

tion, competition law and class actions.

ness. After earning his LLM at Harvard

After clerking at the Supreme Court

in 2018, he published Stare Decisis,

of Canada in 2019–2020, she practiced

the Charter and the Rule of Law in the

at DLA Piper.

Supreme Court of Canada (LexisNexis,

Rokeya Chowdhury, LLM’13, DCL’21, is Senior Corporate Mobility Advisor at New Era Immigration Law, a MontreJEANSIL BRUYÈRE, BCL/LLB’16, left his position as Policy & Communications Director at Philanthropic Foundations Canada to join the

2020). He is the co-author of the 2021 edition of the volume on damages for Halsbury’s Laws of Canada.

al-based boutique law firm specializing in U.S. and Canadian Corporate Immigration, supporting clients with a variety of immigration matters, such as visas.

Immigration Refugee Board of

Alyssa Clutterbuck, BCL/LLB’16, joined

Canada in the Refugee Protection

WeirFoulds as an associate in the Munic-

Division as an asylum seeker

ipal Law Practice Group. Previously, she

adjudicator/decision maker.

was a litigation associate at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt in Toronto.

Laura Crestohl, BCL/LLB’15, joined the

L’hon. Christine Baudouin, LLM’12,

Policy, Research and Parliamentary Affairs

anciennement juge de la Cour supérieure

Directorate of the Office of the Privacy

du Québec pour le district de Montréal,

Commissioner of Canada (OPC) as a

a été nommée juge de la Cour d’appel du

Senior Policy and Research Analyst. She

Québec. Avant de rejoindre la magistrature,

had started at the OPC in 2019 as a Senior

elle a exercé comme avocate et associée

Advisor in Business. She was also elected

dans plusieurs cabinets, dont Heenan

as the Secretary of the Board of Directors

Blaikie et Casavant Mercier Avocats.

for the Toronto Outdoor Picture Show,

Ses domaines de pratique comprenaient

a non-profit dedicated to sharing high

le droit civil, le droit de la santé, le droit

quality, diverse and engaging outdoor

administratif et le droit du travail et

cinema to communities across Toronto.

VIVA DADWAL, BCL/LLB’19, joined King & Spalding’s New York offices as an associate in their Trial & Global Disputes and International Arbitration & Litigation groups in June 2019.

Her practice involves commercial and investment treaty arbitrations, as well as enforcement proceedings before U.S. courts.

de l’emploi. Éloge Butera, BCL/LLB’12, joined federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand’s office as Senior Policy Advisor, returning to

United at Unity

Parliament Hill after a year away during which he was Director of the African

WILLIAM BUCKWELL, BCL/LLB’18, is Corporate Counsel (Ad Tech & Monetization)

Centre of Excellence for the Dallaire

at Unity Technologies, after two years as Contracts Manager and Negotiator.

Institute for Children, Peace, and Security, at Dalhousie University.

ANDREA GOMEZ GRANADOS, BCL/LLB’18, joined Unity Technologies as Legal Counsel. She was previously Contracts Manager and Negotiator at Bombardier.

VICTORIA M. WOO, BCL/LLB’19, joined Unity as Contracts Manager and Negotiator after articling at Baker Mackenzie and completing an LLM at Cornell Law School.

Unity Technologies produces a platform used by game developers, artists, architects, automotive designers and filmmakers to create and operate real-time 3D content.

41

ALUMNOTES Tanya (Toni) de Mello, BCL/LLB’11,

Balarama Holness, BCL/JD’20, est

received the Edward P. Bullard Distin-

candidat à la mairie de Montréal pour

guished Alumna Award from the Princeton

un nouveau parti, Mouvement Montréal.

School of Public and International Affairs.

En 2019, la pétition lancée par l’ex-can-

She is Assistant Dean of Students at

didat municipal dans Montréal-Nord

Ryerson University’s Lincoln Alexander

et ex-joueur des Alouettes a poussé la

School of Law, where she is responsible

Ville de Montréal à mettre sur pied une

for Admissions, Careers and Student

consultation publique sur le racisme

Experience.

systémique.

Jean-Frédéric Hübsch, BCL/LLB’14, is pursuing a PhD in law at the University MATHIEU HENRI YVES JACQUES, LLM’11, avocat plaidant au ministère de la Justice du Québec, a entamé un mandat d’un an à titre de président du Jeune Barreau de Montréal.

of Ottawa, where he is a member of the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory on the Rights of the Child, after six years as counsel at the offices of the Ontario Ombudsman.

Guillaume Laganière, LLM’13, DCL’20, a reçu le prix d’excellence de l’Association

Moses Gashirabake, BCL/LLB’17, launched Mo Gashi & Partners, a commerANDREW HODHOD, BCL/LLB’12, is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais.

His practice focuses on all aspects of lending, leveraged finance, secured transactions and restructuring. He represents clients in connection with private and public financing, including syndicated and cross-border transactions, acquisition and leveraged financing and asset-based lending transactions. in Chicago.

cial advising and investing group based in Ottawa that supports clients in various stages of the financial investment value chain. Gashirabake continues to serve as Chair, Finance and Audit Committee, at the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

des professeures et professeurs de droit du Québec pour sa thèse doctorale, complétée sous la supervision de la professeure Geneviève Saumier, BCL’91, LLB’91, Chaire Peter M Laing QC de droit. Il actuellement professeur au Département des sciences juridiques de l’UQÀM.

Alix Génier, BCL/LLB’19, a rejoint Récolte, un collectif qui vise à mettre en place des systèmes alimentaires locaux justes tout en soutenant l’économie locale et l’environnement.

Alexandra R. Harrington, DCL’15, is the founder and executive director of the Center for Global Governance and

Alexandre Forest, BCL/LLB’10, qui œuvre

Emerging Law, and the Research Director

au sein des groupes de Réorganisation, fail-

of the Centre for International Sustainable

lite et insolvabilité et de Litige commercial

Development Law. She was the 2018–2019

de Gowling WLG Montréal, a reçu le Prix

Fulbright Canada Research Chair in

Reconnaissance John Molson de la Jeune

Global Governance at the Balsillie

Chambre de Commerce de Montréal pour

School of International Affairs. Currently

son leadership et une implication citoy-

a visiting professor at the Albany School

enne exceptionnelle. Il a été le Bâtonnier

of Law, Harrington published Interna-

du Barreau de Montréal en 2019-2020.

tional Law and Global Governance: Treaty Regimes and Sustainable Development Goals Implementation (Routledge, 2021).

CINDY KOU, BCL/LLB’11, is the recipient of a 2021 Precedent Setter Award. An associate at Gowlings WLG, Kou is a champion of inclusion in the legal profession. She co-hosts the Diversonomics podcast, which spotlighted systemic anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism in Canada, and the role lawyers play in creating, maintaining and dismantling systemic barriers.

42

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

Aurélie Lanctôt, BCL/LLB’17, a reçu le prix d’excellence de l’Association des

The Shopify Crew

professeures et professeurs de droit du Québec pour son mémoire de maîtrise complété à l’Université de Montréal.

SIMONE A. AKYIANU, BCL/LLB’18, is Legal Policy Specialist at Shopify after

Journaliste et essayiste engagée, elle

a year as a lawyer for the Canadian Human Rights Commission.

signe une chronique hebdomadaire dans

RACHELLE BASTARACHE, BCL/LLB’17, is Associate Legal Counsel, Regulatory

Le Devoir. Elle entame des études doctor-

Affairs & Enforcement at Shopify, where she has been working for over three years.

ales à la Faculté de droit cet automne.

Malcolm Lavoie, BCL/LLB’12, is a doctoral

NICHOLAS CAIVANO, BCL/LLB’13, joined Shopify as Legal Policy Specialist,

candidate (SJD) at Harvard Law School

Trust & Safety. He was previously a policy specialist in professional conduct and

and Frank Knox Memorial Fellow, where

regulatory affairs at the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.

the focus of his research is on links between

JEANELLE DUNDAS, BCL/LLB’17, is Legal Product andHARVISON Commercial, The Counsel, Honourable ALISON

property law and the collective interests

at Shopify, where she has worked since November 2018. LLB’83, a judge of the YOUNG, BC’83,

of minority cultural groups, including

Ontario Superior Court of Justice, was SAM GREGG-WALLACE, BCL/LLB’15, is VP Strategic Initiatives & Chief of Staff appointed to the Court of Appeal for at Shopify after three years serving as Chief of Staff to the President & COO. Ontario. Justice Harvison Young was a

Indigenous societies.

the Faculty of Law McGill ERIN ZIPES, BCL/LLB’03, Shopify’s VPmember AssistantofGeneral Counsel andofCorporate University from 1988-1998, teaching inwith the Secretary, recently launched Backbone Angels (www.backboneangels.com) areas of public, private familyfounded law. nine Shopify women colleagues. This angel collective invests inand ventures by women and non-binary people with a focus on Black and Indigenous people and companies led by Women of Colour.

André Moreau, BCL/LLB’19, has taken ANNA MCINTOSH, BCL/LLB’18, a

up the role of Circumpolar Affairs

staff lawyer at Ecojustice in Calgary

Advisor for the Government of Nunavut.

(Moh’kins’tsis), was in court this

He was previously a Policy Analyst for

year to challenge the province’s

the Controlled Substances and Cannabis

public inquiry into “anti-Alberta”

Branch at Health Canada, after complet-

energy campaigns. She is also

ing his articles with the National Judicial

representing Ecojustice against

Institute.

Alberta’s challenge to the federal

Corey Omer, BCL/LLB’12, joined Davies

Impact Assessment Act, a law that shapes decision-making on large projects with environmental impacts.

Ward Phillips & Vineberg as a partner in the Dispute Resolution group of their Montreal office. He was previously in the New York office of an international law firm. Omer specializes in complex business

Jean-Sébastien MacAdam, BCL/LLB’18, a member of the bars of Quebec and Ontario, has left private practice to work as a lawyer with the National Judicial Institute, based out of Montreal.mpacts.

litigation, class action suits, cybersecurity issues, insurance cases, mediations and regulatory investigations.

IVAN OZAWA OZAI, DCL’21, joined Osgoode Hall at York University as an Assistant Professor, where he researches and teaches national and international tax law and policy, with a focus on the intersection of

Emily Ann Painter, BCL/LLB’19, is

tax law with legal theory and political

counsel with the international assistance

philosophy.

group at Justice Canada.

43

ALUMNOTES Tiran Rahimian Bajgiran, BCL/JD’20,

foundation. Under his leadership, the

is completing an LLM at Harvard Law

Foundation has transitioned its assets

School, for which he received a John

towards sustainable and impact investing,

Peters Humphrey Fellowship from the

increased grants for climate change

Canadian Council on International Law,

and helped build new initiatives that

as well as a Frank Knox Memorial

accelerate the transition towards a

Fellowship. Previously, he clerked at

net-zero-carbon economy.

the Constitutional Court of South Africa in Johannesburg, as well as for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.

JAGTARAN SINGH, BCL/LLB’13, is legal counsel at the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

His work focuses on the public interest inquiry into racial profiling

Maithili Sagar, BCL/LLB’10, has launched KinderPass, an ed-tech startup in Dubai that offers a management solution to streamline all aspects of managing preschools, daycares and nurseries.

and racial discrimination of Black

Bruno Savoie, BCL/LLB’18, moved to

persons by the Toronto Police

Dubai to work as an associate in the

Service. Before entering the public

international arbitration of construc-

sector, he practiced commercial

tion disputes group at Mayer Brown.

and civil litigation at McCarthy

Previously, he was an associate at BLG’s

Tetrault, where he co-founded the

Toronto offices.

Warren K. Winkler Class Actions

Éric St-Pierre, BCL/LLB’10, has been

municipale pour le district de

Moot. He assisted in represent-

named a Climate Champion by the

Louis-Riel avec la coalition Ensemble

ing the Canadian Civil Liberties

Canada Climate Law Initiative. St-Pierre

Montréal. Précédemment, elle était

Association at the Supreme Court

is Executive Director of the Trottier Family

avocate chez Mercier Leduc.

of Canada in Kazemi Estate v Islamic

Foundation, a private philanthropic

ALBA STELLA ZÚÑIGA RAMOS, BCL/LLB’15, se présente comme candidate au poste de conseillère

Republic of Iran, 2014 SCC 62.

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44

FOCU S LAW / 2 02 1-2 02 2 / M C G IL L UN IVE RS ITY

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

Mitzi and Mel Dobrin Family

Alex Kam-Wah Woo

Fondation J A DeSève

Nahum Gelber, CM, QC

The Amiel Foundation

Gregory J. David

Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP

Anna Yang & Joseph Schull

Hillel Rosen & Liane Feldman

Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

Ariel & Catherine Deckelbaum

Ian C. Pilarczyk

Penny & Gordon Echenberg

Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation

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

Peter D. Nesgos

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

Isabelle Marcoux, CM

Philippe Lette

The Blema & Arnold Steinberg Foundation

James A. Robb, QC, Ad E

Québecor inc

BMO Financial Group

James A. Woods

Richard Aftanas

The Boeing Company

The Hon. James C K-Hugessen, CM

Richard Bogoroch

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

Jordan & Caren Waxman

Rio Tinto

Christopher Hoffmann & Joan Eakin

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

Robert L. Katz & Christina H. Otto

Clive & Barbara Allen & Family

Li Ka-Shing (Canada) Foundation

Robert L. Raich & Marlene Raich

The Chawkers Foundation

Robert Raizenne

Colin Stephen Baxter & Rachel Ralston Baxter

Marcel J. Arsenault & Cynda Collins-Arsenault

David Johnston

Marlene & Joel King

The late Roy L. Heenan, OC

David P. O’Brien, OC

Maryse D. Bertrand, Ad E, & William Brock, Ad E

Scott Henderson

David W. Binet Davies Ward Phillips and Vineberg LLP Donald E. Meehan Donner Canadian Foundation The Hon. E Leo Kolber, OC Éric St-Pierre

Masao Sekiguchi McCarthy Tétrault LLP The McConnell Foundation McMillan S.E.N.C.R.L., s.r.l./LLP Michael Novak & Kathleen Weil Mitch Garber & Anne-Marie Boucher

Roderick A. Macdonald & Shelley Freeman

Sophie Nappert Stephen Allan Scott Stephen Halperin & Andrea Morris Halperin Stikeman Elliott LLP Susan Wells Tunnell & David Tunnell William Friedman

A future to match her ambition.

Made by opportunity.

À l’avant-garde de la recherche et de la pédagogie, au service du bien commun. La Faculté de droit est prête à ouvrir le chemin.

Apprenez-en davantage à giving.mcgill.ca/law-focus Natacha Ngo Law student and Research Assistant to the H. Heward Stikeman Chair in the Law of Taxation, Prof. Allison Christians.

GG+A is proud to have played a role in the preparations for this campaign and we look forward to our continued partnership.

We wish the McGill University community the greatest success.

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