A fiercely dedicated criminal defence lawyer who went to his office daily, even well into his 90’s, Walsh was a proponent of the abolishment of the death penalty in Canada, and a founder of Legal Aid Manitoba. He was called to the bar in no less than five provinces and one territory, which allowed him to represent clients almost completely across Canada. These jurisdictions included Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Northwest Territories.  All told, he practiced law for 74 years and was still a practicing lawyer at the time of his death at age 97.

According to those who knew him, although Walsh met many famous and illustrious individuals throughout his long life, the ones he considered to be the most important, and for whom he fought the hardest were his clients. 

Dedication

Harry Walsh, O.C., LL.D., Q.C.

In recognition of his contributions to the practice of law, Walsh was appointed Queen’s Counsel by the Province of Manitoba in 1954. In 2010, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of the role he played in the abolition of capital punishment in Canada, his advocacy of access to legal representation, and his work in the Manitoba Jewish Community. At the foundation of these honours lay Walsh’s humble beginnings, growing up in Winnipeg’s North End on Selkirk Avenue.

When his brother-in-law Sam Stern, owner of Winnipeg Motor Products died, Walsh took his sister Sally’s son Ron under his wing, becoming even more of a mentor and role model to the young man. Ron reflected, “In addition to greatly appreciating his influence in my decision to study and practise law, my larger memory is that the times spent with our beloved Uncle Harry were very special for me, my wife Janet and our children.”

To honour his uncle – a legend in the legal community across Canada –Ron Stern supported the transformation of Robson Hall’s moot courtroom into a bright, modern and professional learning space where students learn advocacy skills like those Walsh honed over his long career. Having been built in 1969, Robson Hall was showing its age in the 2010s, and by 2018, was in dire need of upgrades to accommodate computers and modern learning methods. Stern’s contributions brought the law building’s largest lecture hall that doubles as an actual courtroom, into the 21^stCentury. Today, it is used both for student moot court practice and real-life court hearings. The Federal Court of Canada continues to hold hearings there followed by educational question and answer sessions for law students. When all nine judges of the Supreme Court of Canada visited Robson Hall in 2019, the Faculty of Law was able to welcome them to a freshly-carpeted, beautifully re-modeled lecture hall and courtroom.

The old Moot Courtroom in 2014. Photo is a screenshot from a video recording of a lecture.

The Harry Walsh O.C., Q.C. Moot Courtroom when it was newly remodeled. Photo by David Lipnowski.

“The state of the Harry Walsh O.C., Q.C. Moot Courtroom now compared to when I first started teaching here in 2016 is undeniably state of the art,” said Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of Law. “When each first-year class walks through those doors on their first day of law school for orientation, they can see they are walking into a professional space that is welcoming, accessible with moveable tables at the front, modern desktops to plug in their laptops, with great sightlines and treated acoustics.”

Moot competition students and coaches have noted the difference in the space since the renovations with the room having been transformed from a sombre brick-walled cavern to being a professional, well-lit and functional space in which to practice advocacy. While it may or may not have been related to the renovation, Robson Hall’s Laskin moot team has won the “Spirit of the Laskin” award (for fair competition, commitment to bilingualism, and professional camaraderie) four times since 2017.

Ron Stern told us: “When Law School Dean Emeritus Harvey Secter raised with me the possibility of naming the Moot Courtroom after my Uncle, I realized how very appropriate this would be as a memoriam.  Harry Walsh believed passionately in the role of strong legal advocacy to defend individuals and build our society.  He was a lawyer’s lawyer!”

A charismatic personality

A new plaque just inside the Harry Walsh O.C., Q.C. Moot Courtroom doors dedicates the space to the legendary advocate.

Both of Walsh’s children, Paul Walsh, K.C., and Arlyne Walsh, remembered him as being fully dedicated to the pursuit of justice. Having seen their father in action at the downtown Law Courts Building, they witnessed what an incredible cross-examiner he was.

Paul, who practiced law for 46 years, including 10 years with his father at the Winnipeg law firm Walsh & Company (from 1999 until Harry’s passing), described his father’s uncanny abilities to see through witnesses: “It was like he knew the truth – it was like he knew what happened and was there at the time,” he explained.

When it came to jury selection, none could compare. “He was able to find any prejudice in a possible juror,” said Arlyne. “He was really good at reading people.”

The Best Advocate

Walsh put those deadly skills into practice in the defence of saving lives from the death penalty, which Parliament finally abolished in Canada – in part due to his work as co-chair of the Committee for the Abolition of Capital Punishment in Canada – in 1976.

A 2011 article in the Jewish Independent titled “Full Commitment to Justice” by Rebeca Kuropatwa quotes Walsh as saying that we cannot participate or stand by when a life is taken. “Are we gods?” he asked. “You don’t look up to God and say ‘Dayeinu’ [enough] […]. I’ve never turned anyone away on account of what they’ve committed.”

Ana Santos was Walsh’s assistant for the last 29 years of his life, and recalled his response to people who would ask how he could possibly represent the accused persons who came to him for help. “Because I’m a lawyer and because I have to work the law,” she remembered he would say. “I am their advocate to do the best I can.”

“I only have to work the law and represent my client to the best of my ability,” was his mantra.

Despite having been asked to be a judge, Walsh declined. “He wanted to be the best advocate for his clients,” Arlyne emphasized. “He didn’t want to be a judge. Judges loved him because he knew the procedures and was an excellent lawyer, and he respected them,” but his heart was devoted to advocating for the underdog. On this topic, he once had the opportunity to warmly converse with Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter during a chance meeting.

The new plaque shares Walsh’s legacy with future generations of lawyers.

For nearly 30 years, Santos watched Walsh in action – what she described as “his generous heart” as he worked pro bono for many clients. He would ask her to, “just send ‘this’ to the client” – with ‘this’ being an invoice for a minimal sum – “they may not be able to afford much but they have their pride and self-esteem.”

“He was respectful of them in their most vulnerable state,” she said.

Founding Legal Aid Manitoba was another act of Walsh’s dedication to advocacy and to “never turning anyone away” by ensuring that everyone should have legal representation. The 2011 article in the Jewish Independentdescribes how Walsh encouraged Manitoba lawyers to take cases up north, quoting him as saying, “I’ve represented communists, Jews, [Indigenous people] and others who’ve been discriminated against for one reason or another. I represented one [Indigenous person] who couldn’t afford his fees. He paid me with a work of art he painted, which I’ve hung behind my office desk. [Indigenous people], like everyone else, must have their fair rights respected as Canadians.”

The artist in question became one of the most famous Indigenous artists in Canada, whose work is highly regarded even today (but due to solicitor-client privilege, which extends even beyond the grave, his name cannot be revealed).

True to form, Walsh held firm to practicing what he preached, even into his 90’s. Santos recalled how Walsh would talk to anyone and everyone, including his Handi-Transit drivers who she would recognize coming into his office as clients. “He became friendly with all his drivers, she said. “He appreciated the care he got from them, and in return he offered his services pro-bono.”

Advocating for Manitoba’s Jewish Community and beyond

Even though he served Canada in the Second World War as a lance-bombardier in the Royal Canadian Artillery, obtained a BA in 1932 an LLB in 1937 and became a well-respected lawyer, Walsh still experienced antisemitism. He was once invited to be a guest speaker at Manitoba’s Blackstone Club, but upon learning that it did not allow Jewish membership, he formed the Jessel Club for Jewish lawyers (The Jewish Foundation Book of Life). He was also a founder of The Jewish Foundation of Manitoba, having drafted the Foundation Agreement. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) was very important to him, and he went to Israel every year for 38 years for Yom Ha’atzmaut, Israel’s Independence Day. According to The Jewish Foundation’s Book of Life, Walsh and his wife Irene’s visits to Israel were “primarily as founders of the Winnipeg based Canadian Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.” Winnipeg and the city of Be’er Sheva where the university is located, were named twin cities through Walsh’s connection with the BGU. It was through his many visits to Israel that Walsh met and befriended Gideon Hausner (chief prosecutor in the Eichmann Trial). Their friendship arose out of a mutual respect and admiration they had for each other.

A Mentor of Mentors

As close as Walsh was to his nephew Ron, he also mentored some of Winnipeg’s most notable criminal defence lawyers.

When Walsh died on February 24, 2011, Greg Brodsky told CBC, “He’s the reason I am what I am…. He was there for me every day.”

A 2021 article in Canadian Lawyer Magazine noted that Jeffrey Gindin, Richard Wolson, and Saul Simmonds, once all partners at the same firm, were each mentored by “legendary Winnipeg criminal defence lawyer Harry Walsh.” The article quoted Gindin as describing Walsh as “one of the top criminal lawyers in Canada.”

Mentoring was another indelible part of Walsh’s personality. He had an “open door policy” where he would make himself available to anyone at any time. If there wasn’t a client in his office, other lawyers in the firm would step in to consult with him about their cases.   

As those who knew him would emphasise, the lesson Walsh’s legacy leaves for law students today, is that when they are helped, they then have an obligation to help others in turn.

—–

A lecture in Walsh’s memory focused on advocacy, featuring prominent Toronto lawyer Marie Henein, will take place in the Harry Walsh O.C., Q.C. Moot Courtroom in Robson Hall, 224 Dysart Road on March 3, 2025 at 5:30 p.m., with doors opening at 5:00 p.m.. The lecture is free but seating is limited. Please register to secure your spot

The new Jurists were: 

• Erin Wilcott, Executive Director of the Manitoba Law Foundation
• Michelle Falk, Executive Director of the Manitoba Bar Association
• Leah Kosokowsky, C.E.O. of the Law Society of Manitoba
• Michael Koppang
• Cy Fien
• Peter Kingsley, K.C.
• Jeffrey Palamar
• Harvey Secter, O.M., C.M., LL.D.
• Ian Scarth
• The Honourable Madam Justice Diana Cameron
• The Honourable Madam Justice Freda Steel

In 2022, Dean Richard Jochelson created the honour “Jurist of Robson Hall,” to recognize members of the legal community for their extraordinary service and commitment to the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law, be it through teaching or other contributions to Manitoba’s law school. This list grows each year as we celebrate individuals who give their time and expertise to the betterment of the Faculty of Law.

Learn more about the Jurists of Robson Hall on the Faculty of Law website.

At the annual Spring Reception, the Faculty of Law also presented its 2023 Alumni Awards to three accomplished UM Law graduates in the categories of Outstanding Alumni, Emerging Leader, and Trailblazer. This year’s recipients included:

• Bradley Regehr, K.C. [LLB/96], Outstanding Alumni Award
• Heather Wadsworth [JD/15], Emerging Leader Award
• Dr. Brent Roussin [BSc/96, MD/00, JD/09, MPH/11], Trailblazer Award

Learn more about these three alumni in the Faculty of Law’s announcement regarding the three 2023 Alumni Reward recipients.

The Spring Reception allows the Faculty of Law the opportunity to celebrate and thank all the practicing professional instructors, volunteers, mentors and coaches who contribute their time, knowledge and effort to educating future members of the legal profession and to helping Manitoba’s law school get the job done.

Thirty college alumni gathered as we re-connected over the lunch hour to see what they’ve been up to in the past year, how they are doing post-COVID, and share what exciting things are happening around the college lately.   

Notable alums that were present include our former fellows:   

• Former Warden, Chris Trott   
• Retired History Fellow and Senior Scholar, Francis Carroll   
• Retired Chemistry Fellow, a graduate of ’59, George Baldwin   
• Emeritus and Retired Fellow, a graduate of ’62, Anthony Waterman   

Other alums in attendance include:   

• Lutheran pastor, Carol Janke   
• Retired Anglican Priest, a grad of ’65, David Pate  

Following the lunch provided by our Daily Bread Café, our Dean of Studies, Dr. Jade Weimer, finished the afternoon with a talk on her research focusing on Women’s participation in early Christian assemblies. Dr. Weimer’s presentation opened our alum’s eyes to the impact our fellows are making in the academic world and their impact on our students in the college. 

In recapping Dr. Weimer’s talk, here are the takeaways we took away:   

• Women’s participation in communal singing during worship in early Christian assemblies became a problematic issue, partly because of the reference in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, which some later Patristic authorities used to claim women ought to remain silent in the church. However, there are differing opinions, ranging from complete inclusion of women in this ritual practice to total exclusion.  
• The latter opinion prevailed, and women were permitted to sing we can understand this permission in three possible ways:
  • A) The focus on unity is greater than gender hierarchy 
  • B) Singing is an autonomous expression of faith by women. 
  • C) This is just an example of patriarchal control where women were permitted to sing to prevent them from doing other things such as teaching.  
  • All three explanations can exist simultaneously, and they are not mutually exclusive but somewhat dependent on time, location, and perspective.  

It was a great afternoon of connection, food, and conversation, and we look forward to more alumni community events in the coming months.  

To learn more about our community and alums, visit here.   

To gain insight on our new residence campaign, visit our website here.   

Nushin’s thesis proposed a cultural-archaeological center in the Sialk historical site that serves a two-fold purpose: 1) a carpet weaving-center providing women weavers with a platform to build up one another, expand skills and increase revenue within the community through workshops, exhibitions and entertainment spaces, and,   2) an archaeological research and resource center that revitalizes early Persian design and landscape through further exploration, preservation, and display of weaving, pottery and other excavated artifacts formerly removed from the site, exported to France and exhibited in the Louvre.

Annually, the Tamayouz invites students of architecture, urban design, urban planning, architecture technology and landscape design worldwide to register and submit their graduation projects. This year, the winners and honourable mentions were selected out of 534 submissions, representing 147 universities and 56 countries. Selection of the top 10 submissions was made based on the award’s assessment criteria, highlighting aspirational and transformative projects that tackle local and global challenges through holistic understandings of context. The Architecture MasterPrize (AMP) honors designs in the disciplines of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture with the goal of advancing the appreciation of architecture worldwide.

Nushin’s Design Thesis Advisor, Professor Herbert Enns notes “Nushin is such a talented architect. The subjects of the design thesis were the emancipation of Iranian women together with the maintenance and retention of national historical artifacts. Her project is also steeped in concepts of landscape integration – Kashan is famous for its ancient gardens. She deserves this international recognition as a role model, demonstrating tremendous moral strength, design ability and an exceptional work ethic.” 

The read more on Nushin‘s thesis visit: https://umanitoba.ca/architecture/department-architecture/nushin-samavaki

For further details on the 2022 Tamayouz Excellence Award for International Graduation Projects Award visit: https://tamayouz-award.com/international-architecture-graduation-porjects-award-winners-announcement-2022/#

For further details on The Architecture MasterPrize visit: https://architectureprize.com/winners/2022_s.php

This topic is near and dear to the hearts of these two Robson Hall alumni. By making the prize especially for research in ADR and family law, Schulz [LLB/94] and Goszer [LLB/83] are deliberately recognizing the future of law. “There is currently a movement toward  resolving family law disputes through more collaborative  and less adversarial processes” said Goszer.

“Today’s families don’t want to engage in war with each other. Our prize recognizes this by honouring a Robson Hall law student who combines family law with dispute resolution, writing a research paper that shows how collaborative dispute resolution processes can be used to resolve family law disputes.” – Prof. Jennifer Schulz

Schulz, who is Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program from July 1, 2022 until 2024, is an expert in mediation and a professor at Robson Hall since 2004. She teaches Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law and Popular Culture, and Torts and Compensation Systems. Having served as Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies from 2010 to 2012, she is pleased to have the current opportunity to assist with the Faculty’s J.D. program.

A Partner at Levene Tadman Golub Law Corporation, Goszer has been an instructor and lecturer, teaching the bar admission course in family law, and has been a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Law. He has contributed to legal periodicals and been a participant in panels, lectures and seminars for continuing legal education. He has appeared at all levels of the court system in Manitoba and in the Supreme Court of Canada, and has engaged in all aspects of family law litigation.

During her time as a law student, Schulz recalls how she loved her paper courses which inspired her to pursue a career in legal academia. “[I] had my first publication as a law student when I wrote a chapter for Prof. Sneiderman’s medical law text. So, right after Robson Hall, I went straight to grad school at Cambridge.”

After articling at Torys LLP in Toronto, Schulz became an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law. Upon finishing her doctorate at the University of Toronto, she did a fellowship year at Harvard prior to joining the Faculty at Robson Hall. “I love my job!” she said.

Similarly, Goszer’s interest in family law began at Robson Hall as well, when he took Madam Justice Shawn Greenberg’s Family Law class. After taking Advanced Family Law from his favourite professor, Madam Justice Freda Steel, he decided helping families in difficult times was what he wanted to do.

Speaking on behalf of the Faculty of Law, Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of Law, expressed thanks. “I am grateful for this generous gift from Dr. Schulz and Mr. Goszer. Having a current Faculty member and eminent lawyer invest in the future of student learning is a vote of confidence in the students and their education at Robson Hall,” he said. “Students will benefit greatly from this award and they will be inspired by what they learn about ADR in the Family Law context. It is so wonderful to see this investment in student outcomes, and it is encouraging to see our communities make this investment. I hope to see people contribute to this prize and am excited to see the student winners who emerge in future years.”

To contribute to this unique gift, please visit The Schulz/Goszer Prize for Alternative Dispute Resolution in Family Law donation page.

After the discovery in May 2021 of suspected unmarked graves of children on the grounds of the former Indian Residential School at Kamloops, BC, members of Robson Hall’s Class of 1980 were quick to respond to a suggestion that they do something to encourage and support Indigenous law students. 

Norman Yusim [B.A./77, LL.B./80], a family lawyer at Fillmore Riley LLP, explained that it all started with an email that Randy Bennell [LL.B./80] sent to classmates on June 25, 2021, reminding them that it was 40 years to the day since many of them were called to the Manitoba bar. 

Classmate Lea Baturin [B.A./77, LL.B./80] responded with a proposal inspired by the news of the day. “She thought it would be a fantastic idea to contribute to a bursary for an Indigenous law student for a number of reasons. One, it was to support Robson Hall. Two, it was to leave a legacy. And three, it was to honour, really, the residential school survivors and victims in Canada,” Yusim said. “It was a really big issue for us and when it was suggested by Lea, it didn’t take much arm-twisting.” 

Within days, a committee — consisting of classmates Baturin, Yusim, Mira Thow [LL.B./80] and Frances Bidewell [LL.B./80] — was formed to begin the fund-raising effort. The response from the class was very positive. “I’m really proud of our class,” Yusim said, adding that the initial amount they set out to collect was $7,500. Within the first week, however, they had over $11,000, and then $25,000.

Realizing this could be a long-term bursary available annually to an Indigenous student, they began working with the University of Manitoba’s Donor Relations Department to set up Terms of Reference. Currently, the class has collected over $33,000 and hopes to raise more. 

In a letter thanking the Class of 1980 for their initiative, second-year law student Adam Kowal pointed out that entering the legal profession as an Indigenous student is difficult. “Law academia is not easy in general, and it is while facing further obstacles that Indigenous students face it,” said Kowal, the co-president of the Manitoba Indigenous Law Students Association.

Kowal explained, “Law school for Indigenous students can feel unsafe in a variety of ways. Often many students feel isolated, afraid to speak up in discussion with Indigenous perspectives, or simply that one might see any view as an Indigenous perspective. Another sense can be in physical insecurity, whether that be anxiety over dressing appropriately to fit in or a comfortable environment to study in or go to sleep in at night.”

Most significantly, he told the class of 1980, “A great mitigating factor towards these situations addresses financial security. The creation of a bursary for Indigenous students would add safety to an enriching community. It would help level the playing field and it would allow for resources on hand for an individual or group that deserves to succeed.”

Yusim said Kowal’s letter moved him deeply, particularly his comments that financial security would help students feel safer and more connected. “We wanted to help Indigenous students to achieve their goal of becoming lawyers. Tuition is very expensive now:  $14,000 a year for tuition,” Yusim said. “Then there’s books and there’s the registration costs.  Working in the summer to make money to pay for (all) your tuition, books and registration costs seems to have gone the way of the dodo bird … He (Kowal) felt that this particular bursary would contribute to the success of the Indigenous students by easing the financial burden.”

Yusim said the Class of 1980 has been strongly influenced by the actions and career path of Senator Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, who graduated a year ahead of them in the Class of 1979. Law students in those days were part of a generation taught by professors he described as “probably some of the best,” including Gerry Nemiroff and Barney Sneiderman. “We just had great professors all the way through who helped build the foundation for us as lawyers, at least for me.”

In a letter thanking the Class of 1980, Marc Kruse, a Robson Hall alum of 2015, and Indigenous Legal Studies Coordinator at the Faculty of Law, said Robson Hall doesn’t currently have any internal scholarships for Indigenous students. “Having the ability to award monies to Indigenous students will allow us to be competitive with other larger law schools,” he said.

Kruse also pointed to the barriers Indigenous students face when trying to access post-secondary education, especially expensive professional programs. He said the faculty is currently drafting changes to its Indigenous applicant category, including internal financial support. “At Robson Hall we are committed to respecting and implementing when appropriate, the TRC calls to action.” 

The Class of 1980 bursary is eligible for funding from a provincial government program to encourage private donors to create bursaries and scholarships. The Manitoba Bursaries and Scholarship Initiative will match half the amount awarded as a bursary for three consecutive years, commencing in the fall of 2023. 

To contribute to the bursary fund, please visit the Law Class of 1980 Bursary donation page.