Report to Community 2024

Your gifts at work

As we reflect on the remarkable achievements of 2024, UCalgary Law continues to be a hub for education, innovation, and community leadership shaping the legal profession's future. This year, we celebrated the success of remarkable graduates, including trailblazers like Semhar Abraha, a Juris Doctor graduate and recipient of the President’s Award for her contributions to equity, diversity, and justice. Her work embodies the values of our faculty and the transformative power of legal education.

Through initiatives like the Trial Advocacy course and our clinical programs, students honed their skills in real-world legal contexts. Innovations such as the Alberta Utilities Commission clinical course exemplified our dedication to preparing our graduates for the challenges of a rapidly evolving legal landscape.

The faculty’s research initiatives continued to thrive, addressing critical societal issues, including energy law, environmental sustainability, and Indigenous legal frameworks. Our scholars have been at the forefront of legal discourse, advancing knowledge that drives meaningful change. Additionally, we celebrated the achievements of UCalgary Law alumni, who continue to excel in diverse fields, serve their communities, and inspire current students with their dedication and leadership.

UCalgary Law introduced a Concentration in Aboriginal and Indigenous Law, which enables JD students to focus their studies in Aboriginal and Indigenous Law. This Concentration was created as part of UCalgary Law’s response to the TRC’s Call to Action.

Looking ahead, UCalgary Law remains committed to empowering future legal professionals to lead with integrity and innovation. Together, we will continue to build on our legacy of excellence and impact. Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,
Dr. Evaristus Oshionebo
Professor and Interim Dean of Law

New faculty appointments

Dr. Evaristus Oshionebo appointed interim dean, Faculty of Law
Dr. L. Daniel Wilson appointed Associate Dean Academic
Dr. Michael Nesbit appointed Associate Dean Research and Director of the Graduate Program
Adolfo Peters becomes the Executive Director of the Student Legal Assistance (SLA)
Kristen Thompson becomes the Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications
Dr. Elizabeth Whitsett appointed member of the Canadian International Trade Tribunal (CITT)
Dr. Martin Olszynski appointed the Chair in Energy, Resources and Sustainability
Dr. Gideon Christian appointed the University of Calgary Research Excellence Chair
Stephanie Chipeur appointed Azrieli Accelerator
Madeleine Natale appointed Assistant Director of the Foreign Trained Lawyers Program (FTLP)
Piper Riley Thompson appointed Assistant Director of the Career & Professional Development Office (CPDO)
Santana Gowan becomes the Advancement Coordinator

Global reach in business, energy and environmental law

Addressing issues that are global in scope, and local issues that are relevant across the globe.

Unveiling 'Balance,' by Blood artist Kalum Teke Dan

Justice, fairness, and a respect for humanity. Those are three values law schools hope to instil in law students. They’re also three values represented in a new painting commissioned in partnership with the Indigenous Law Student’s Association, by Blood artist Kalum Teke Dan unveiled in a cultural parallel process in the Faculty of Law’s Bennett Jones Lecture Theatre on Oct. 24.

Featuring a mountain backdrop, a bald eagle, the scales of justice and a vibrant hummingbird, Balance represents a journey through justice, the importance of fairness, and genuine respect for humanity. According to Elder Casey Eagle Speaker, the hummingbird, while small, plays an important role in balancing the environment.

“Human beings have a responsibility like the hummingbird, to be in the moment and to create balance within ourselves, with other people, within systems, and the world,” says Eagle Speaker.

When we think about cybersecurity, we typically think about computers, code, data and keeping our credit card numbers secure when we add the hottest new item to our digital shopping carts. But beyond the technical core of cybersecurity exists complex policy and regulatory aspects that are equally, if not more, critical than how the systems work.

For that reason, the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law has received more than $900,000 in funding from the National Cybersecurity Consortium (NCC) to develop programming to train future lawyers, legal academics and policy experts and to advise on law and policy issues about and shaped by cybersecurity concerns.

The law school’s research team consists of faculty members with varying backgrounds and interests, including international law (Dr. Elizabeth Whitsitt, BSc'99, LLB'04, PhD'17); financial crime and financial regulation (Dr. Sanaa Ahmed, PhD); artificial intelligence (Dr. Gideon Christian, PhD); legal issues relating to intellectual property, information security and artificial intelligence (Dr. Greg Hagen, PhD); national security and anti-terrorism law (Dr. Michael Nesbitt, SJD); and cybersecurity, platform regulation and human rights (Dr. Emily Laidlaw, PhD).

As we watch wars unfold in Ukraine and the Middle East, you may wonder if there are any actual laws of conflict or war. Can there be a balance between humanitarian values and military necessity during armed conflict? Can civilians, their homes, and critical infrastructure be protected?

These are just some of the questions Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Brent Clute, BA’89, hopes to help his students answer in the new course Law of Armed Conflicts.

“In times of war or conflict, decisions are made very quickly, and those decisions often rely on gut instinct,” says Clute, formerly in charge of the Military Law Centre in Kingston, Ont., which provides legal education and training for the Canadian Armed Forces.

“We need to ensure that these instincts are based on a solid comprehension of fundamental legal principles such as distinction. Militaries must always distinguish between civilians and civilian objects, and military objectives and combatants, namely who and what can be legally targeted. Additionally, those making decisions need to have access to timely legal advice.”

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has become a cornerstone of environmental law worldwide. In Canada, this area of law has become controversial and politically charged, with the federal statute undergoing a significant overhaul in 2019, leading to a constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court of Canada in early 2023.

For Canadian law students, it’s the perfect time to study environmental impact assessment law, and “policy labs” allow UCalgary students to practise what it takes to change law and policy in different jurisdictions across the country.

“This course at this time is basically a dream come true,” says Professor David Wright. “There is so much change in this area of law and policy at the moment, that it made total sense for the students to engage in real-world processes in real time. These students are going to know more about this field than most senior practitioners, and they’ll have the policy lab experiences to back it up.”

In 2023, Lawson Lundell LLP, a leading innovative law firm in Calgary, generously partnered with UCalgary Law by providing a $100,000 gift aimed at enhancing student well-being. A year later, this contribution has manifested in transformative ways, particularly through the inception of the UCalgary Connects Program.

Growing need supported by research

In a 2022 study published by the University of Sherbrooke, it was reported that legal professionals between the ages of 31 and 35, 67 per cent experience burnout, and 35.7 per cent experience anxiety. The UCalgary Connects Program, a mentorship initiative powered by the Ten Thousand Coffees software, represents a pivotal outcome of collaboration between UCalgary Law and Lawson Lundell LLP to address these alarming statistics.

This program is designed to foster peer support among students across different academic years within the faculty. Leveraging sophisticated algorithms and data analysis, the program strategically pairs incoming first-year students with upper-year counterparts who share common academic, career, and personal interests. On a monthly basis, participating students receive the name of a new connection, facilitating meaningful interactions and support.

Results from the faculty-led well-being survey in November 2023 showed that 78 per cent of students reported leaning on relationships to cope with various stresses, and the UCalgary Connects Program addresses these challenges head-on. Joel Tallerico, the current president of the Society of Law Students (SLS), says, "UCalgary Connects makes meaningful connections that help students get through law school. The program aids in adding more of a collegial-feel between all the various years."

Connections allow students to learn from experience of others

The UCalgary Connects Program has provided a context for first-year students to connect with their peers in the upper years. First-year students receive invaluable information from their mentors’ experiences, and mentors are equipped with the skills and opportunities to help shape positive experiences for those who aspire to enter the profession themselves.

Where does Tallerico hope to see this program in the future? "Our hope is to get more people to participate and sign up. The value of the program will be far more robust as people talk about their positive experiences, and we see potential for adding members of faculty and other members in the broader legal community to function as mentors."

A stylized photo of a public space at UCalgary

Innovation in student experience and legal education

We are committed to enhancing student experience and deepening the role of experience in student learning.

The Students’ Union (SU) announced April 18 the professors, instructors, and teaching assistants being honoured through the SU’s annual Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA). Awards and honourable mentions were given to 34 exceptional members of the university community to highlight their commitment to student success over the past academic year.

The annual TEA is the SU’s campus-wide recognition program giving undergraduate students the chance to honour and thank those instructors, professors, and teaching assistants who have supported and made a lasting and positive impression on their students. Students solely determine all nominees and winners.

Not only did the educators being honoured navigate the challenges of the year with grace, but they also committed to going above and beyond to support and prioritize students. The impact this year’s winners have made in student lives does not go unnoticed and it is a privilege to be able to recognize their hard work with this year’s teaching excellence awards.

The SU received at total of 1,022 nominations and shortlisted 75 educators. Award winners received an Apple Award and a framed certificate. The SU will also donate $5,000 to the Taylor Centre for Teaching and Learning in recognition of the contributions made by the award winners.

Catherine Poyen knows first-hand the value of not-for-profit organizations and their role in legal education. As a law student at Dalhousie University, she worked in the legal aid clinic and was able to benefit from the experiential learning opportunity it provided. The experience also opened her eyes to some of the unspoken benefits some students have over others.

"With the rising costs of education and the number of years it takes to become a lawyer, understandably, law students need to earn an income during their summer internships," says Poyen. "This drives most students to the high-paying jobs of big law firms and makes unpaid internships available only to the privileged few. Supporting access to internships is consistent with supporting broader access to a diverse array of students to education and helps diversify the cohort of law students who do not-for-profit work."

In the ever-busy world of academia, the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary has taken a step to address the need for a space that promotes self-reflection, mindfulness, and well-being. This endeavour has resulted in a brand-new Reflection Room, a calming space where individuals on campus can find tranquility amidst their demanding personal schedules.

The opening of this room was made possible due to the joint efforts of a dedicated student at the law school, Saliha Haq, JD’23, who raised awareness to Dean Ian Holloway, about the need for a space to take personal reflection time, and Susan Marks, BEd’73, the faculty's director of operations, with financial support from both the faculty and the Provost’s Office.

“The faculty was incredibly supportive in ensuring that the layout, accessibility, and design of the reflection space were inclusive towards each student's personal needs for quiet in their day,” says Haq.

Research and collaboration for community impact

We will foster collaboration between academics, practitioners and policymakers for innovative solutions.

Adobe Stock

Law and politics have always been closely intertwined. Lawyers are critical to ensuring the political process supports good government, and lawyers regularly participate in public service as volunteers, paid professionals, and even elected officials.

A new course in the Faculty of Law — The Dynamics of Law Making: Lawyers, Politics and Government — allows students to explore the ethical and legal issues that arise in a lawyer’s performance of public service, no matter their role.

Each year, Canada welcomes around 2,000 internationally trained lawyers seeking to re-establish their careers on Canadian soil. As of today, Statistics Canada reports that one in four Canadians is an immigrant.

Many of these individuals arrive with the noble intention of supporting their families, both domestically and abroad, taking on roles such as driving for Uber, stocking grocery shelves, or serving at restaurants to make ends meet. Navigating the process of re-educating themselves to practice law in Canada presents a formidable challenge, fraught with numerous complexities and contextual nuances.

In her book, Decoding Canadian Legal Research, Writing, and Conventions: A Guide for Internationally Trained Lawyers, professor Kellinde Wrightson from the Faculty of Law at UCalgary addresses this exact issue, providing a beacon of hope for those navigating the Canadian legal landscape.

Recognizing the hardship of foreign-trained lawyers (FTLs) who arrive in a new country as highly skilled professionals only to find themselves limited to labour-intensive roles, Wrightson’s work serves to uplift and guide these individuals.

he intersection of disability and law wasn’t part of Dr. Stephanie Chipeur’s career path. She completed her Master of Laws in family law at McGill University in 2014 and was planning doctoral studies in the same area. But the summer before starting her doctorate, Chipeur was in a car accident that broke her neck, paralyzing her and requiring her to use a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

"I took a year off to recover and rehabilitate, and when I went back to start my doctorate, I knew I couldn’t focus on family law anymore," explains Chipeur, DCL. "I was experiencing the world in a new way as a disabled person, through this different lens, but also with my lawyer lens, and I was experiencing many of the ways people with disabilities are excluded from society and the challenges we face trying to navigate a world made for able-bodied people."

Chipeur was appointed to the Azrieli Accelerator Professorship in Law & Disability Policy, a cross-appointment with the Faculty of Law and The School of Public Policy in 2023. As a new member of the disability community, she brings lived experience to her research on disability law and policy, including a new course at the law school, Disability and Law.

There are many ways to describe Hélène Provencher Major. Life Master bridge player. Proud bilinguist. University graduate. Artist. Cat-spoiler. Dictionary-lover. Gossip-hater. Adventurous traveller. Mustard Seed volunteer.

But, according to her husband, being a parent trumped all.

“She really devoted herself to the children,” says Hon. Jack Major, Hon. LLD’05, a Supreme Court of Canada justice from 1992 to 2005. “I mean, that was a mission. My own mother was pretty considerate, but not with the same intensity.”

This is Hélène’s legacy, someone who took exceptionally good care of the family and enthusiastically advocated for sons Peter, Paul and Steve, and daughter, Suzan — no matter what.

When the family doctor discovered that one of the boys had 27 allergies — with remedies for all, except milk — an alternative source of dairy was suggested. Hélène swiftly determined she could get what her son needed from a then-remote farm (where the Canadian Tire in Dalhousie is currently located). Major says it remains a household mystery how she found the goat — this was decades prior to the birth of Google, after all — but that was Hélène, who made weekly cross-city treks to the farm.

“Unbelievable. She made my life so easy,” says Major. “Hélène never gave herself enough credit. I always thought she underrated herself, because the things she did, she did so thoroughly.”

The UCalgary Black Law Students Association (BLSA) made history on Feb. 17, 2024, clinching the prestigious Large Chapter of the Year award at the 33rd National Black Law Students Association Conference in Toronto. Led by co-presidents Senait Yohannes and Hameedah Baruwa, along with a dedicated team of 28 members, this award symbolizes a remarkable journey of growth and empowerment within the Faculty of Law.

Semhar Abraha embodies the spirit of the President’s Award through her academic excellence, leadership and unwavering commitment to social justice.

Abraha completed her undergraduate and law degrees in just six years, setting an impressive record for academic achievement. During this time, she maintained a high level of academic excellence, earning a spot on the Dean’s List and securing various awards.

Throughout her university journey, Abraha held numerous leadership positions within the Students’ Union (SU), the Faculty of Arts, and at the institutional level advocating for equity and diversity.

Notably, she established the Violet King Engaged Award (funded by Students’ Union Quality Money and the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Violet King was the first Black woman to become a lawyer in Canada, and the award in her name opens doors for many talented scholars who have been historically underrepresented. Additionally, Abraha advocated and secured funding for various Open Education Resources projects.

She also co-founded and continues to serve as the co-chair of the African Studies Task Force, which was successful in advocating for enhanced funding for a substantial expansion of the African Studies program in the Faculty of Arts, increasing course offerings from two to 10. Additionally, she played a lead role in hosting a visit to UCalgary by the former President of Ghana, the Right Hon. John Mohama Dramani.

Abraha’s involvement with the Innovation Internship Program, which develops innovative solutions to justice issues, led her to partner with Ackah Immigration Law. Supported by Abraha’s leadership, they developed an intake process for clients, many whom are immigrants seeking to establish themselves as startup entrepreneurs in Canada.

As a law student, Abraha has continued her leadership journey by participating in the Julius Alexander Isaac Moot competition, serving as vice-president mentorship for UCalgary’s chapter of the Black Law Students Association, and as a volunteer case worker with the Student Legal Assistance Program.

She has also won multiple awards, including the Jason Lang Scholarship, the Foundation for Natural Resources and Energy Law Scholarship, the Olivier Le Jeune Advocacy Scholarship and the ICON Fasken Scholarship, and a Youth Achievement Award from the Calgary Black Chambers.

Shellard Photography

Photograph of Althea Francis next to flowers on a table

Photo provided by: Althea Francis

Althea Francis, was playing hopscotch, doing a one-two-three step in her neighbour’s tiny yard, a splash of dirt rising with each stamp of her bare feet. High in the hills of rural Jamaica, where she lived with her grandparents, it was hot and muggy and hard for anyone to scratch out a living. School loomed. Her dream was to rise above, become an airline hostess, fly over the treetops and far beyond to another world.

She heard the jingle-jangle of her father’s keys. Her five-year-old heart fluttered, half-beat excitement, half-beat tremor of fear. She ran to her home’s small kitchen, jostled the chair to the blue table, her hands clasped above the polished linoleum that was flecked with silver spangles and bolts of small stars, and sat upright, her feet dangling.

“I was a lovely, free-spirited child but when my father, Dalbert, came to visit, it was [time to] hit the books,” says Francis, BA’95, LLB’99 who is General Counsel at Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) in Ontario. “He’d charge into the kitchen. He’d command me to read. And I would very diligently bend over a book or newspaper or whatever was required and do my work.”

What started with a Chancellor’s Scholarship to pursue a career in sports medicine has led Wilma Shim to an award-winning career in law.

Shim, BSc’07, JD’10, was recently named a 2023 recipient of a Lexpert Rising Star Award (LRSA), honouring leading lawyers under 40 working for law firms, in-house departments and other practices in Canada. She says she considers herself an “unlikely” candidate for the honour, as she is a University of Calgary faculty lecturer rather than a corporate litigator.

“I worked for the government for 10 years, I'm on the Alberta Human Rights Commission and I am teaching, so I don't really fit the mould of the recipients of this award,” says Shim, who attended the awards ceremony in Toronto in late November. “Most of them are corporate lawyers and partners at the really big firms. I felt a little out of place compared to those with a more corporate focus.”

But following her passion with a willingness to break the mould is simply who Wilma is, and what she does.

Faiyaz Alibhai, LLB’94 - Nunavut Court of Justice
M. Oliver Ho, LLB'02 - Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, Calgary
Derek Jugnauth, LLB'11- Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, Calgary
Monica Brown, LLB'97 - Alberta Court of Justice, Central Region
Tracey Davis, LLB'01 - Assistant Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta, Calgary

2024 Distinguished Service Awards

Andy Hayher, KC, LLB'06 - Promoting Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Profession
Sandy Vander Ziel, JD'00 - Service to the Community

Avenue Magazine Top 40 Under 40

Amy Matychuk, JD'18

From a hospital room at the Foothills Medical Centre, lawyer Christina Lam managed to command authority. Wearing a wig and sporting a blazer with hospital pants, she argued her final case via video conference.

Being a palliative-care cancer patient — court-case principals and even co-workers had been unaware of her dire condition — Christina, BSc’10, JD’13, quietly took pain medication off-screen. But, on behalf of The City of Calgary, she made a convincing presentation before a judge of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench on June 7, 2022. Only at the conclusion of the session — five gruelling hours — did she request a leave of absence.

She died 12 days later, on Father’s Day.

The ruling rendered Sept. 14 — the day before what would have been Christina’s 34th birthday — was in favour of Christina and the City, a victory over a multinational retail giant.