Message from DLAA President

EMBODYING THE WELDON TRADITION

In the Weldon Tradition, the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University has always been known for and proud of its students and alumni who share a commitment to unselfish public service. Ever since the law school’s opening ceremonies on October 30, 1883, as the first university law school in any of the common law provinces of Canada and across the British Commonwealth, alumni have embodied the Weldon Tradition in the spirit of our first Dean, Richard Chapman Weldon (Dean 1883-1914).

A national law school with a global reach, our law students come from, and contribute to, every region, as well as travel and work in all corners of the world. Many achieve the highest pinnacles of leadership; alumni hold every form of government office, teach in law schools, innovate in the provision of private and public sector legal services, achieve in the business community, advance policy in the executive branch of government, render decisions on courts, and offer service to non-governmental bodies and not-for-profit and community organizations.

The Dalhousie Law Alumni Association (DLAA) thanks you for your involvement. You can become further involved at the law school through mentorship, volunteering, events in the community, donating time and resources, or by attending or organizing a class reunion or a social gathering in your part of the world.

The DLAA recognizes extraordinary achievement by sponsoring three awards each year: The Alumni Teaching Award, the Bertha Wilson Honour Society Award, and the Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service. We appreciate receiving your nominations over the years and look forward to further nominations detailing exemplary service among law alumni.

The DLAA has chapters worldwide, and invites alumni to join one, or start one in your area. Currently, DLAA chapters exist in Canada (Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Southeastern Ontario (Ottawa), Southern Ontario (Toronto) and the Yukon; and, globally in Asia (Singapore), the Middle East (Israel), and the United Kingdom (London).

We are proud of the positive impact of Schulich Law alumni in numerous areas including law reform, adjudication, legal services, and community engagement, here and around the world. The school and its alumni embrace interdisciplinary opportunities within the university community, value the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, and are firmly committed to legal reform, systemic improvement and innovation, natural justice, and continuous learning.

We value the contributions of the founding communities in Nova Scotia, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Acadians, African Nova Scotians, and European-British. The school opens its doors to the whole world.

At the heart of all of this are those who go out into the world, the alumni. It has been a pleasure to meet many of you at various events. I look forward to meeting many more of you!

Congratulations to the Class of 2020 who now join the 7,000 plus alumni in the global community. The Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University continues to play an extraordinary role in the fabric of Canadian legal education. As an alumnus, no matter what your year, you are part of that fabric.

You are, I think, the most important part! We thank you.

I thank you.

Warmest regards,

Mary D. Hamblin President Dalhousie Law Alumni Association