50 years of UCalgary Law

The founding dean: 1975-1984

As the founding dean of the UCalgary Law, John McLaren played a central role in establishing the faculty’s vision, culture, and approach to legal education. He provided leadership during a period of transformative change in Canadian legal education when law schools were beginning to explore more experiential, interdisciplinary, and socially engaged approaches to teaching.

Under McLaren’s leadership, UCalgary Law was built with a commitment to combine the rigour of traditional legal education with emerging perspectives that emphasized the broader social context of law. The faculty’s early curriculum recognized the importance of preparing graduates for both the practice of law and service to the public.

Equally central to McLaren’s vision was his commitment to building a vibrant and collaborative academic community. Working alongside faculty, staff, students, and Calgary’s legal profession, collaboration became a defining feature of UCalgary Law’s early years. This shared purpose helped create an environment where innovation and collegiality could flourish. 

Mclaren served as dean from 1975 to 1984 but remained at UCalgary Law for three years as a professor, focusing on teaching and research in legal history. His academic career focused on, comparative colonial law, social justice, and cultural diversity through the lens of legal history.

McLaren’s legacy extends far beyond the establishment of UCalgary Law. The principles he fostered continue to shape the faculty’s identity and inspire its students more than five decades after the Faculty of Law first opened its doors.

Canada's first female law dean: 1984-1989

Margaret Hughes served as dean of the UCalgary Law from 1984 to 1989, guiding the young faculty through a period of financial restraint, growth, and change. Her appointment marked a historic milestone, as she became the first female law dean in Canada, leading a school already recognized for its innovative, practice-based approach to legal education.

During her tenure, Hughes helped the faculty navigate funding pressures and a shifting employment landscape while preserving its commitment to experiential learning and small class sizes. Rather than scaling back, she supported strategic growth, expanding skills training, strengthening research capacity, and investing in emerging areas such as computer-assisted legal research. She also played a key role in advancing interdisciplinary research through institutes focused on energy, resources, and family law.

One of Hughes’ most significant achievements was securing approval for the Faculty’s first graduate program in Natural Resources and Energy Law. Developed through extensive collaboration and fundraising, the program established a lasting connection between the law school and Calgary’s energy sector.

Hughes’ leadership helped solidify the Faculty’s reputation for innovation and adaptability, laying a foundation that continues to shape UCalgary Law today.

The first dean of the graduate program: 1989-1991

The Honourable Constance Hunt served as dean of the UCalgary Law from 1989 to the end of 1991, leading the Faculty through an important period of growth. A founding faculty member, Hunt brought a deep understanding of the Faculty’s ambitions for innovative, skills-focused legal education to her time as dean.

One of the defining achievements of Hunt’s tenure was the launch of UCalgary Law’s first graduate program. With a focus in Natural Resources and Energy Law, the program welcomed its first graduate student in 1989, expanding the Faculty’s academic offerings and strengthening its research profile. The program also reflected Calgary’s growing connection to the energy sector and helped establish an area of scholarship that remains closely associated with UCalgary Law today.

After leaving the deanship, Hunt was appointed to the Court of Queen’s Bench and later the Alberta Court of Appeal, where she spent more than two decades on the bench. She took particular pride in watching generations of UCalgary Law graduates appear in her courtroom, a reflection of the lasting foundation established during the Faculty’s early years.

The dean who became a Supreme Court Justice: 1991–1996

As the fourth dean of the UCalgary Law, Sheilah Martin made a lasting contribution to legal education and Canada’s justice system through scholarship, leadership, and public service. Serving as acting dean and then dean from 1991 to 1996, she guided the Faculty through a unique period in UCalgary Law’s history. 

In 1994, Martin led the Faculty’s transition to Murray Fraser Hall from the Biological Sciences Building, where it has remained since. Under her leadership, the Faculty navigated this transition while maintaining its commitment to academic excellence for its students.

Martin’s connection to the Faculty extended beyond her time as dean. From 1982 to 1986 Martin worked as a researcher and professor in the Faculty with her courses including constitutional law and feminist legal theory.

Martin’s judicial career began in 2005 with her appointment to the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta. She later served as a Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court of Yukon before joining the Courts of Appeal of Alberta, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut in 2015. In December 2017, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada.

From professor to judge, Martin’s career and legacy is continuously reflected within UCalgary Law. Her contributions demonstrate the profound impact that legal education, scholarship, and commitment to the profession can have on Canada’s justice system.

The first dean of the new millennium: 1996–2001

As the fifth dean of the UCalgary Law, Michael Wylie led the Faculty through a period of significant growth and technological change as it entered the new millennium. From 1996 to 2001, Wylie helped strengthen the faculty's position in Canadian legal education during an advancement of digital technology.

Wylie emphasized collaboration across students, faculty, staff, and Calgary’s legal community to foster a culture of shared responsibility and collective achievement. His commitment to community strengthened the law school and helped lay the foundation for its continued success.

After his deanship, his connection to the faculty continued through the Dean Michael Wylie Social Responsibility Award, presented annually to a graduating student demonstrating leadership in human rights, diversity, and social responsibility. All values Wylie focused on in his career.

Wylie’s legacy lies in helping UCalgary Law navigate a changing era without losing its sense of community. His commitment to collaboration, student development, and social responsibility remains an enduring part of the faculty’s identity. Wylie preserved UCalgary Law’s strong sense of community while positioning the faculty for continued growth and change, values that continue to shape its success today.

The dean who refined the law school's focus: 2001-2006

Patricia Hughes served as UCalgary Law’s sixth dean from 2001 to 2006, guiding the Faculty through a period of strategic growth. During her tenure, Hughes worked to strengthen the school’s strategic plan and establish environmental and resource law as its primary area of focus.

Hughes emphasized the importance of the Faculty’s relationship with Calgary’s legal community outside the law school. Community involvement became an important value for Hughes which aided the Faculty’s strategic planning and fundraising efforts during her term.

The support launched the largest fundraising campaign the Faculty had received at the time, providing the foundation for the law school to continue its expansion. Although Hughes had left Calgary by the time the expansion was completed, the strategic plan and fundraising campaign helped shape the Faculty’s future development.

After her tenure, Hughes’ legacy lies in the relationships and institutional priorities developed during the time and remain an important part of the Faculty’s identity. The expansion of environment and resources law allowed for the growth within the law school that students benefit from today.

The dean that led through the recession: 2006-2011

Alastair Lucas served as the seventh dean of UCalgary Law from 2006 to 2011, leading the faculty through significant institutional change and a major economic downturn. As a founding faculty member in 1976, he played a key role in establishing the Faculty’s academic programs, curriculum and early institutional direction.

During his tenure, he focused on maintaining opportunities for students while strengthening the Faculty’s long-term foundations. He also led efforts to more closely integrate the Canadian Institute of Resources Law (CIRL) and Student Legal Assistance (SLA) into the Faculty, supporting stronger governance, faculty involvement and student opportunities.

Lucas has also supported the next generation of lawyers through the Al and Sandy Lucas Scholarship in Energy and Environmental Law. More than five decades after joining UCalgary Law, he remains connected to the Faculty and its students, reflecting a longstanding commitment to legal education, research and the development of the profession.

The longest serving dean: 2011-2024

Ian Holloway served as dean of the UCalgary Law from 2011 to 2024, making him the longest-serving dean in the Faculty’s history. During his 13-year tenure, more than a quarter of UCalgary Law’s history unfolded under his leadership.

Holloway’s deanship was marked by a continued focus on innovation in legal education, most notably through the development of the Calgary Curriculum. Designed to prepare students for the changing realities of legal practice, the curriculum brought together substantive legal knowledge with practical skills, professional development, and experiential learning. It reflected UCalgary Law’s longstanding commitment to educating lawyers who are ready not only to understand the law, but to put it into practice.

His tenure also included one of the most challenging periods in the Faculty’s history. When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted university life in 2020, Holloway led UCalgary Law through the rapid transition to remote teaching and learning, navigating unprecedented challenges while maintaining the Faculty’s commitment to its students and academic programs.

Through innovation, partnership, and adaptability, Holloway’s 13 years as dean helped shape UCalgary Law’s approach to legal education and left a lasting mark on the Faculty today and for years to come.

The dean that secured the highest gift: 2024-2025

Evaristus Oshionebo served as interim dean of the UCalgary Law from 2024 to 2025, leading the Faculty through a year of significant growth. Joining the law school in 2013 and having served as Associate dean (Academic), Oshionebo brought a deep understanding of the Faculty to the role and helped advance several important initiatives.

Under his leadership, the Faculty secured the largest gift in its history: a transformative $26.8-million investment from the Alberta Law Foundation to establish the Centre for Transformation in collaboration with the Faculty of Social Work. The gift represented a major investment in interdisciplinary research and innovation aimed at improving Alberta’s family justice system.

Oshionebo’s tenure also marked an important step forward in inclusion in the Faculty. For the first time in its history, UCalgary Law hired a full-time Indigenous professor of law, strengthening the Faculty’s commitment to learning together “in a good way”.

The dean of today: 2025-present

Laura Spitz became dean of the UCalgary Law in 2025, bringing extensive experience in legal scholarship and academic leadership to the role. Since taking the helm, Spitz has focused on student support and building a strong foundation for its future.

Under her leadership, the Faculty is developing a new strategic plan to guide UCalgary Law through its next chapter, while continuing to prioritize the student experience and the opportunities that help students thrive. Her tenure has also emphasized the people who make the Faculty what it is, from students and alumni to faculty and staff, and the many contributions they make to the legal profession and broader community.

As UCalgary Law celebrates its 50th anniversary, Spitz’s tenure continues that spirit of celebrating the people, achievements, and ideas that have shaped the Faculty, while looking ahead to what comes next.