ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Dear alumni family,

As the old Willie Nelson song says, we are “on the road again” and could not be more excited! After three years of pandemic-related restrictions, it has been our pleasure to host alumni receptions in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and Halifax over the past academic year with record attendance. We also welcomed 450 alumni back to Halifax for our 2022 Law Alumni Reunion Weekend at the Halifax Convention Centre for a festive night of music, food, guest speakers and awards, followed by Domus. The smiles tell the story of an alumni family happy to be back together face-to-face, celebrating milestones, renewing friendships and sharing stories. We have had a very busy year in the alumni office including another banner year of registration for our Weldon Mentorship Program. The student participation rate increased by 50 percent from the previous year and the alumni participation increased by 20 percent. Student feedback has been extremely positive. They have shared that they value the opportunity to learn from you as they navigate law school and chart their future. Many of you participated in alumni panels for Orientation Week and Weldon Welcome Days. We recognized Alex Neve as the recipient of the prestigious Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service and inducted seven outstanding alumni into the Bertha Wilson Honour Society. The Dalhousie Law Alumni Association (DLAA) Board met twice on your behalf and once again this year provided students with study treat bags in partnership with the Law Students’ Society. We continue to be active on social media and our website showcasing alumni, students, staff and faculty members who have achieved milestones or significant accomplishments. We have wrapped up a year-long project to update contact information for our alumni and with the help of our summer student, Ferris Vasko, have located hundreds of individuals who are now back in contact with us. These are just some highlights of our work over the past year.

Students will soon return to campus for the fall semester and at that time, we will welcome a new Dean to the law school. Dean Camille Cameron will return to teaching and research after serving eight remarkable years in the role. We will miss her passion and are grateful for her many meaningful contributions to the law school. Along with our alumni family, we extend our best wishes to her for the future. I know a new Dean will be excited to meet many of you, so we look forward to hosting receptions in various communities over the coming year.

As always, Tammi Hayne and I would like to thank you all for your support and commitment to the law school. Our alumni play a critical role in the student experience. When you volunteer, provide financial support, mentor, teach, and more, you positively impact the future lawyers who will proudly carry the Dalhousie legacy throughout their careers. We hope you enjoy this 44th edition of Hearsay and look forward to keeping you closely connected to us, and each other, in the years to come.