The Canadian Law Student Conference, hosted by the Windsor Review of Legal and Social Issues, offers law students the unique opportunity to present their work and receive feedback from faculty and peers. The Conference takes place over a two-day period in Windsor, Ontario and is attended by faculty, law students, practitioners, and judges from across Canada. This year’s Keynote Address was given by The Honourable Justice Malcolm Rowe of the Supreme Court of Canada, who visited Robson Hall on March 28.

Professor Jennifer Schulz, who is also the Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program and an author of multiple books and other academic research publications herself, had encouraged all law students to consider submitting papers to the conference earlier this year.

London, who will be clerking with the Tax Court of Canada upon graduating, submitted a paper titled “The Regulated Wild West: Sports Betting and Dispute Resolution in Canada”. He wrote the paper for the Dispute Resolution course taught by Professor Jennifer Schulz. “I’d encourage others to apply for conferences, journals or paper awards, because there are a lot of opportunities available across the country,” said London.

Justin Papoff (3L) presents his paper written for Professor Michelle Gallant’s Dispute Resolution class.

Papoff, who will article at MLT Aikins LLP in Winnipeg upon graduation, presented his paper titled “Holding the Kids Hostage: What Family Lawyers Can Learn from Hostage Negotiators. The paper was written for Professor Michelle Gallant’s Dispute Resolution class during the Fall 2023 semester.  “I submitted the paper because I thought that my comparison of hostage negotiations and family disputes was a unique one that could lead to further research into the topic by others,” said Papoff. “By adopting skills used by hostage negotiators such as active listening, empathy, trust, and rapport, I believe lawyers can facilitate behavioral change and enhance cooperation in family disputes.”

After presenting, Papoff fielded questions from peers, and found this to be an important learning experience that gave him new ideas and opportunities for self-reflection. “I was also fortunate to learn about many interesting issues as they intersect with the law, including environmental racism, India’s caste system, and the digital privacy of children,” he said, noting some of the other impactful presentations he experienced.

Simpson presented on the topic of “Learning from Feminist Methodologies: A Way Forward for the Human Rights Approach to Disability-Based Persecution.” The paper was written for Dr. Amar Khoday’s Refugee Law class and discussed the types of harms that have been found by refugee decision makers to qualify as persecution based on disability for which refugee protection should be afforded. Simpson argued that these forms of harm are too anchored in traditional conceptions of harm that lead to the adoption of the Refugee Convention and are not responsive to the lived experiences of persons with disabilities nor the international human rights instruments that have been adopted to reflect unique positionalities of these persons. 

“[Professor Khoday] was very supportive and provided comprehensive feedback that helped me to develop the paper into something I wanted to share and that I hope to continue to develop, and this Conference was a great opportunity to get more feedback and hear about some work other students are doing in the topic,” said Simpson.

This Conference helped me to see how other students are taking their findings and making concrete and implementable recommendations based on them which has assisted me in improving my own paper.

– Megan Simpson (3L)

The panel Simpson presented on was entitled “Interdisciplinary Perspectives.” On the whole, the Conference showed Simpson how much there is to learn from other legal and non-legal disciplines. 

Lamari’s paper titled “Not Without Health: The Accessible Canada Act and Canada’s Failure to Implement the CRPD,” was written for the Human Rights Law course taught in the Fall term by Assistant Professor Nathan Derejko, Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice. “He recommended I try to publish it, so I will be looking into that after the conference,” said Lamari, who presented at 3:00 p.m. Winnipeg time via Zoom on March 22.

The McGill event is a hybrid bilingual student colloquium with students from across Canada presenting research on disability and human rights. The keynote speaker this year was Professor Stephanie Chipeur, Law and Disability Policy professor at the University of Calgary.

During our recent conversation, Raihanah (currently a fourth-year psychology student) spoke of finding a home in the residence community both as she’s worked towards her academic degree and during her three years as a Don. As she’s found her voice and become part of the community, she’s experienced the residence as a place where she could try new things and build life-long friendships. 

“The college residence has allowed me to step outside my comfort zone and build leadership and community skills. I was nervous yet excited about what it offered when I walked into the college. From the benefits students receive at the residence, like the delicious Daily Bread Café food, accessibility to events and academic help, it’s an accessible accommodation for all students.” 

Living at St John’s college residence offers students more than just a place to live. Students are welcomed into the community through events, connections with staff, and the following benefits that come with your stay:   

• Weekly meal plan from the Daily Bread Café, including snacks on Sunday night and during exam periods 
• Affordable laundry services   
• Student council opportunities to build professional development   
• Access to monthly events planned by the student residence council   
• Access to St John’s college services, including St John’s library, Daily Bread Café, lockers, college classrooms, and Chapel and Chaplaincy services.   
• Dedicated lounge 
• Housekeeping services include cleaning, vacuuming, dusting, and garbage removal.   

Whether you’re an international or domestic student, everyone is welcome to St John’s college residence. In hosting students from all over the world, we are a diverse community that looks to bring people together to build community.   

For residence rates and information, click here to visit our website.   

To submit your application and join our residence, click here to apply!   

For more information about our residence, contact Matthew Bowman, Dean of Residence.   

About 262 people were registered in total, with some participating virtually and on a satellite run. Forty-seven volunteers helped Bunn, the race founder and director, to make the run a success. Participants could run, walk, or bike the 21.1 km route between the ruins and the destination community. To Bunn’s knowledge, the Reconciliation Run is the only officially sanctioned half-marathon of its kind.

A hockey player who wrapped up her final season with the University of Manitoba Bisons last year, Bunn had initially organized a 26 km Healing Walk on behalf of her community, but after receiving much support for the event, she turned it into a run. The lessons she has witnessed participants take away from the experience are significant. “For my Indigenous relations, I have witnessed and been told that the biggest takeaway from the Reconciliation Run is healing. Another main takeaway that many Indigenous peoples share is that they are participating in honour of their parents, grandparents, and relations who attended residential school.

Runners take off from the starting line of the 2nd Annual Reconciliation Run, near the ruins of the former Birtle Residential School.

“For non-Indigenous peoples, I find that their main takeaway is learning and taking time for reflection. For a lot of non-Indigenous participants, the Reconciliation Run provides the opportunity to see a residential school and to hear an elder and survivor share their story. For many, it is also the first time they have ever been on a First Nation in Canada.”

Now having experienced her first month of law school, Bunn already sees the ways in which she can use her education. “Most humbly, I believe that I and other Indigenous students are making a change and promoting reconciliation just through our presence in law school alone. There was a time when the Indian Act prohibited any Indigenous person from hiring lawyers, and seeking a higher education required First Nations peoples to renounce their “Indian Status.””

“[M]y grandparents, like many Indigenous students’ grandparents, grew up in a time when they could not even hire lawyers. Now myself, and my peers are starting our journeys to becoming lawyers. I am excited to continue my legal education and acquire skills to strengthen my advocacy.”

Bunn says that due to the over-representation of Indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system, she is interested in practicing criminal law one day.

In the meantime, while law school is keeping her busy, she just learned that Taylor McCaffrey LLP just drafted her in the Winnipeg Law Hockey League Draft for the coming season, so her hockey-playing days are not over yet.

“I encourage everyone participating in NDTR events to use September 30th as a day to reflect and commit to how they can make Truth and Reconciliation a part of their everyday lives.”

With October underway and October 4^th marking National Day of Action for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2Spirit and Gender-Diverse People, Bunn notes that “The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a day to honour Residential School survivors and those who never made it home while celebrating Indigenous people’s resilience. Individuals must remember that truth and reconciliation is a duty and responsibility 365 days a year, not just on September 30th. I encourage everyone participating in NDTR events to use September 30th as a day to reflect and commit to how they can make truth and reconciliation a part of their everyday lives.”

We started at the Société de la francophonie manitobaine, the voice of the francophone community in Manitoba. They are responsible for several programs, including 233-ALLO, and they advocate for the importance of respecting and promoting minority language rights.

From there, we visited the Université de Saint-Boniface, which has supported the program for many years. They offer our students individual tutoring to help them develop their language skills, as well as language skills assessments and individualized learning plans.

Francofonds offers important scholarships to students in our A2JF program, including the Chartier Award named in honour of the recently retired Chief Justice of Manitoba.

A2JF students visit Francofonds.

Our last stop at Infojustice and the Cour du Banc du Roi was a great opportunity to learn more about the legal services offered in French. Infojustice helps underserved members of Manitoba’s French community with legal information, and in some cases advice and representation, and offers summer employment and term time internship opportunities for Robson Hall students.

Visiting Infojustice, which helps underserved members of Manitoba’s French community.

Of course, no tour of St. Boniface would be complete without a visit to Chocolatier Constance Popp on Provencher Boulevard. Constance herself welcomed the group and enthusiastically posed for a photo.

Law students visit Chocolatier Constance Popp (centre, back) at her Provencher Blvd shop.

All in all, our first walk was a big success, and we look forward to seeing our first-year students achieve their educational goals in the years to come.

There has been no shortage of discourse surrounding the impact of COVID-19 on Canadians’ Charter rights. One such discussion happened because of a 2020 Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador decision, Taylor vs. Newfoundland and Labrador.

The plaintiff, Kimberley Taylor, sued the province of Newfoundland and Labrador after being denied a travel exemption to attend her mother’s funeral and grieve her passing at the height of COVID-19 restrictions. While the court decided that Taylor’s right of mobility had been justifiably infringed under Section 1 of the Charter, it decided that Taylor’s right to liberty under Section 7 was not engaged at all.

In doing so, the court missed a valuable opportunity to meaningfully explore Section 7’s right to liberty. Section 7’s protection is engaged whenever a person makes what can be considered a “fundamentally personal choice.” You could certainly argue that making the choice to bid your mother a final farewell shortly after her passing qualifies as precisely the kind of choice Section 7 should protect.

The fundamental personal choices that Section 7 protects are those choices that go to the core of what it means to enjoy individual dignity and independence from state interference. Section 7 does not protect every mundane personal choice an individual makes.

Fundamental choice

While the court in the Taylor decision notes that there is not yet a test for what constitutes a “fundamental personal choice,” the law concerning equality rights under Section 15 may be of some assistance. Justice Frank Iacobucci, in Law vs. Canada, writes that human dignity refers to an individual’s sense of self-worth; the feeling that one’s life has value, or that one’s aims are worthwhile. As feelings of self-worth are intimately tied to one’s ability to make important life choices, a potential test for Section 7 protection in the Taylor case might look like this:

Is Taylor’s choice to attend her mother’s funeral the kind of choice that seriously impacts her sense of self-worth?

To distinguish Taylor’s case from others where Section 7 was engaged, the Taylor case referenced several major decisions from the Supreme Court of Canada.

In R vs. Morgentaler, it was decided that a woman’s choice to have an abortion was a fundamental personal choice, given the “profound psychological, economic, and social consequences for pregnant women.”

In R vs. Carter, it was held that the decision to end one’s life was similarly a fundamental personal choice, as such a decision was deemed critical to one’s dignity and autonomy.

The Taylor case also referenced examples where Section 7 was explicitly denied. In R vs. Malmo-Levine, the court rejected the argument that the choice to smoke marijuana was integral to one’s lifestyle to the degree that it engaged Section 7.

In R vs. Videoflicks Ltd., the court rejected the assertion that Section 7 protected the freedom to conduct business transactions.

‘Half-baked’ analysis

These distinctions beg the question: are the effects of a denial to attend your mother’s funeral more likely to affect you psychologically and socially, leaving you with the sense you’ve been robbed of your dignity and autonomy? Or are the effects analogous to being denied the freedom to conduct business transactions or smoke marijuana?

Significantly, the Taylor case recognized that final farewells are distinct from mere lifestyle choices or business transactions. Yet, it did not inquire further. Instead, the court’s analysis may be considered, respectfully, “half-baked,” as it has effectively left the choice to wish a loved one a final farewell in a categorical limbo.

Though the choice to attend a funeral is different than the choice to have an abortion or end one’s life, this is not reason enough to discount the intimate connection between human dignity, self-worth and the process of grieving. To wish a loved one a final farewell may be qualitatively different from other recognized fundamental personal choices, but this does not in itself render it insufficient to be deemed as such.

In future cases, courts should consider how such fundamental experiences as grieving and bidding farewell to a loved one may be deserving of constitutional protections. After all, if the Charter is to provide people with the full measure of the fundamental rights enshrined within it, it is to be interpreted generously, and not narrowly.

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.

Michael Badejo: Communication is Key

President of the Manitoba Law Students’ Association, Michael Badejo came from a career in communications, and immediately jumped into an active law school life serving as Manitoba Bar Association student representative and putting his design and editorial skills to use as one of the student editors of the Manitoba Law Journal. Michael graduates as an award-winning student having received – even in his first year of law school, the Manitoba Bar Association’s President’s Award of Excellence, given to an MBA member for extraordinary contributions to the Association.

Q: What drew you to law school?

A: Though I had a career before I came to law school, law was always on my mind as a career – since high school, in fact.

I’ve always had an interest in using critical thinking, strategic messaging, and good old fashioned common sense to help those around me. Coming from a career in strategic communications, this seemed like the natural evolution to accomplish that goal on a bigger scale and with the ability to make a positive impact in our shared community by giving back. Law school has provided me the opportunity to do that and more, so I’m glad to report that the multitude of experiences that compose law school lived up to those aspirations and then some.

Q: What was your path to get to law school?

A: I came to Robson Hall after having a career in media relations and strategic, mostly corporate communications. My past experience includes being a strategic advisor and communications specialist (both as a self-employed contractor and a full-time employee) with numerous major local organizations like the Winnipeg Airports Authority, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba and Deer Lodge Centre Foundation. These roles deepened my understanding of our community, while also helping to shape my approach in law school – particularly in how the law manifests practically for everyday people. It really made me try to approach every fact set, every scenario, every hypothetical legal conflict in a manner that puts both pragmatism as well as “how will this work in real life” front and centre.

As for my educational background, I initially graduated with a joint degree/diploma from The University of Winnipeg and Red River College in my undergrad (which also included a short stint at the University of Manitoba when I had thoughts of pre-med).

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

A: I’ve got a few! If it counts, social psychology was just an intro course, but it underpins much of my past and current career, so much so that I’ve continued to stay current in academic research on that front.

In law school my two favorite courses have been intellectual property and evidence. Intellectual property is my favorite area of the law and along with a great professor/practitioner in Silvia de Sousa, just had striking content alongside the field’s central role in protecting the interests of art and artists.

Evidence was also a fantastic course as taught by Assistant Professor Brandon Trask. I hope to be a litigator in the future and Professor Trask made the complex rules of evidence that underpin our legal system extremely easy to understand, digest, and apply which has been very helpful as I hone my craft.

Q: What was your favourite law school memory?

A: Two law school memories stick out to me: the first is our orientation week lunch where we all got introduced to each other for one of the first times in 1L. there’s something about trial under fire and the beginning of the journey that always sticks out to me in situations like this because you can see the gradual reveal of unforgettable people and personalities that make up these formative years. It’s always rewarding and fun to look back on.

Of course, doing this right before the pandemic did cut some of our togetherness short but we adapted.

A return to safe events as we were eventually able to do was also a source of great memories because it allowed us to see our shared community come back together.

And lastly, being President of the Manitoba Law Students Association was extremely rewarding and something I will remember forever. My team of Alexis Alevizos, Narayan McRae, Kelsey Thain and I were able to give back to our community and students not only by setting up many new initiatives for this year, but also by building a foundation for the future with our major donation to student-facing spaces at the Faculty of Law. We know the next iteration of the MLSA will take the torch and build on all of the fantastic achievements our MLSA committees and representatives put in motion; there are too many to list and I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished this year.

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of law school?

A: Something we can always use a reminder about but just to keep an open mind about is where your interests in law school lie. There are going to be many opportunities in front of you and you can take them all on but pushing at the edge of your comfort zone is a good thing and will lead you to growth in both skill and experience.

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to a new law student or person considering going to Robson Hall?

A: Make sure to build out a flexible routine that leaves time for selfcare. Law school will be a busy time in your life but with the right approach there is still lots of time to carve out for the people that you care about as well as the activities and restorative things that make you who you are. Those are just as important to your success as putting in the work. We can’t wait to see what you’ve got!

Hannah Taylor: In Pursuit of Equality 

Hannah Taylor, Winnipeg homelessness advocate who founded the Ladybug Foundation at age eight, is graduating from law school. Having received an international humanitarian award for her work several years before starting law school, she continued to be active in advocacy causes throughout the past three years including helping to create a Trans ID Clinic, serving as president of Outlaws (Robson Hall’s 2SLGBTQ+ student group), and co-authoring a submission to the International Criminal Court to support the Tamil community. This year, she received the Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) – Manitoba Chapter’s Chief Justice Richard Wagner award given to outstanding PBSC volunteers who embody the organization’s core values of dignity, equity, and humility. Taylor was also one of the inaugural winners of the Royal Society of Canada’s Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize, presented to one graduating law student in every law school in Canada “who represent[s] the values of equality and equity we need in our country as we move forward,” according to RSC President Dr. Jeremy N. McNeil.

Q: What drew you to law school?
A: I was drawn to law school because I want to build a career focused on human rights and service to the community. After wrapping up the work of The Ladybug Foundation – a non-profit I started to raise funds and awareness for people experiencing houselessness in Canada – in 2019 I felt that pursuing law would give me the opportunity to do that. 

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

 A: I had so many great classes at Robson. Advanced Advocacy, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Gender & The Law and Human Rights Law were a few of my favourites. 

 Q: What was your favourite law school memory?
A: My favourite law school memories come from being a part of Outlaws, Robson Hall’s 2SLGBTQ+ student group and projects through Pro Bono Students Canada such as the Trans ID Clinic. It was so meaningful to see hundreds of people come out to ‘Call Me By My Name’ – Outlaws’ drag show fundraiser, in my final year at Robson.  

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of law school?

A: As a student, I came to understand that legal learning doesn’t end in law school. I expect that I will learn something new in my career every day. 

Q: What one piece of advice would you give to a new law student or person considering going to Robson Hall?

A: I loved being a law student, but it is also difficult being a law student. If you are just starting out and you find that a certain class or involvement in a specific student group sparks your interest – follow the spark. 

Andrew Fenwick: Pacing yourself

 By the time the global pandemic shut down in-person classes at the University of Manitoba in March 2020, Andrew Fenwick had already overcome much adversity in life. A recipient of the Ken Tacium Memorial Scholarship (given to support students who have overcome significant obstacles in pursuit of their university studies), he overcame a brief case of imposter syndrome to graduate with high praise and a bright legal future. Andrew received the 2022 Susan Loadman Award this year, which is awarded annually to a law student who has demonstrated determination and perseverance in progressing in their Law studies despite significant obstacles.

Q: What drew you to law school?

A: I was drawn to law school by my interest in policy drafting and advancing peoples’ legal and human rights. I had a string of medical complications at an early age, and now I am a full-time wheelchair user. Through my experiences living with a disability, I have developed awareness and interest in disability justice and rights advocacy. Through my advocacy, I was able to work on both provincial and federal stand-alone accessibility legislation. In the final year of my undergraduate studies, I began working for the Public Interest Law Centre, researching ground-level effects of federal monetary policy. This research solidified my interest in policy drafting and interpreting laws while also presenting me with an intellectual challenge to apply my passion and knowledge. Law school felt like the perfect progression for me.

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

A: My favourite class was first-year Legal Methods because we were able to hear from many different guest lecturers about their expertise and areas of interest. As someone without family connections to the legal practice or even a lawyer, I found it eye-opening to hear about the different areas of practice. These speakers also allowed me to see the diverse interests and paths to and within the legal profession. In the second term, this course becomes judge shadowing, where students get to spend the day with Manitoba Court judges. It was great hanging out with judges and being treated like colleagues while experiencing the courts through this oftentimes unseen lens.

Q: What was your Favourite law school memory?

A:  My favourite memory was getting to know my classmates at the beginning of my first year. In the early fall of my first year, MLT Aikins hosted a wine & cheese networking event at their office and invited 1L students. It was my first networking event, and, at that point, I was more concerned with trying to get to know my classmates than chatting with lawyers about their practices. I spent most of the night just chatting with my classmate, who became one of my closest friends for the preceding three years, and likely years to come. After the event, many students went to Earls to debrief and hang out. I will never forget the acceptance and support I felt within Earls that night. That was the moment I knew I was where I wanted to be. Law school is quite hard, but the camaraderie and friendships that developed throughout law school helped me get through it. I consider the friends I made in law school to be some of my best friends.

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of law school?

A: Not to let good grades trick you into bad habits. At the beginning of law school, the realization that everyone is smart is apparent; however, we cannot all be the smartest, so we all received advice to not let our first C in law school derail our confidence. This was great advice, but it was a rallying cry to study hard for me. I did exceptionally well on my first exam. After this mark, I forgot about all the work that got me there, believing that my previous efforts would carry me. This was a false hope! I realized that law school is more a marathon than a sprint.

Celyna Yu: All that glitters

 University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law Gold Medalist Celyna Yu, did not hide in the (virtual) E.K. Williams Law Library with her nose in her law books for the past three years. On the contrary, she was active in student groups including the Diversity in Law Group, the Prairie Diversity Committee, the Robson Hall Debate Society (as president in her third year) and early in her law school career, was involved in the Pro Bono Students Canada Legal Help Centre externship. She was also a member of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition team this year. The Gold Medal for Law caps off a long list of academic honours for this remarkable student who, as an undergraduate, arrived at the Asper School of Business as a President’s Scholar, and was then a member of the Most Outstanding Business Student Association as selected by the Canadian Association of Business Students (2017 – 2018). Before arriving at Robson Hall, she received an Emerging Leader Award in 2018, won the Bronze Medal in Management and was on the Dean’s Honour List. Once at Robson Hall, she kept up her Dean’s Honour List tradition in addition to winning no less than four top marks prizes including The Honourable Justice Robyn Moglove Diamond Prize for Excellence in Family Law, Archie Micay, Q.C. Prize for Corporations I, and the R.R. Goodwin, Q.C. Prize for Property Law, and the MLT Aikins, MacAulay & Thorvaldson Honourable Marshall Rothstein Prize (for Constitutional Law). Finally, she received the Dr. A.W. Hogg Undergraduate Scholarship, and the Lieutenant M.M. Soronow Scholarship.

Q: What was your path to get to law school? What drew you to law school?

A: I never imagined or predicted that I would go to law school. 15-year-old Celyna was adamant about pursuing a career in marketing – which is why I enrolled at the Asper School of Business after high school.

I went to the Asper School of Business from 2015-2019, and I had an incredible experience. I was part of the Commerce Students’ Association, I participated in several case competitions and conferences, and I double majored in Marketing and Supply Chain. Towards the end of my degree, I wanted to give myself some options in the off-chance I decided not to dive into a marketing career, and in essence, adulthood, right away. I took my LSAT, but I still didn’t consider law school seriously – I told myself that I would see my score and then decide.

There was no singular experience or event that occurred that made me decide to go to law school. It wasn’t like the movies where something clicks. Law school felt intimidating; I knew that as a visible minority and a woman, the cards were stacked against me. However, I think that over my final year of business school, I also realized I was capable of more than I gave myself credit for and that I was up for a challenge. In Fall 2019, I walked through the doors of Robson Hall, and I am so happy I did.

Q: What was your favourite class and why?

 A: My favourite class was Law and Popular Culture with Dr. Jennifer Schulz. From the outside, many people falsely assume it is an easy class where the homework is watching movies. From having taken the class, I can tell you it is much more than that – it is an introspection on society’s conception of the law and an examination of what the law “actually” is and/or should be. It was my favourite class because law students often focus on the milestones of writing the LSAT and getting into law school that we often forget to ask ourselves why we want to be lawyers and what kind of lawyers we want to be. Dr. Schulz pushed us to look at the law from different perspectives and I believe in doing so, she made us better law students and lawyers.

Q: What is your favourite law school memory?

A: Law school has been a wild ride – especially being online for over two years of it because of COVID. I have many favourite memories, but if I had to choose one, I would choose my mooting experience in 3L. Specifically, I would choose listening to the keynote address by [Supreme Court of Canada] Justice Mahmud Jamal. My teammates and I continue to talk about his story of the cherry blossoms in Washington D.C. when he travelled for the same moot, and the bond we share because of his keynote is so special.

Q: What do you wish you knew before your first day of law school? What one piece of advice would you give to a new law student or person considering going to Robson Hall?

A: I wish I knew how fast time would fly by, because it still feels surreal to be done law school!

My one piece of advice for a new law student or person considering going to Robson Hall is to be kind. Our conception of lawyers is largely based on popular culture, like the TV show “Suits”, but lawyers aren’t and don’t need to be vicious in order to be successful. In my experience, the people I have met during my law school experience have been incredibly kind and generous. The academic learning curve of law school is difficult enough, so I would encourage new and prospective law students to be kind and open minded to one another and themselves.

The idea of post-secondary education had not even crossed high school student D’Andra (Dia) Scherban’s mind before participating in the new Law Makers program at Maples Collegiate. But their experience working with mentors from the University of Manitoba’s (UM) Faculty of Law is starting to shift that thought process to what is possible.

“Seeing the work of the law students interests me and is kind of pushing me towards that (post-secondary education),” says Scherban.

A UM partnership with the Seven Oaks School Division and Wayfinders program, Law Makers combines social justice education with mentorship, linking Indigenous UM law students with high school learners in the division. Not only does the program support students in earning a high school credit, but it also creates their first connection with post-secondary through university credit.

“[I was originally interested] because of the credit, but after being in the class, it’s really interesting learning about my own culture and how it ties to law,” says Scherban.

First-year Faculty of Law student Melinda Moch is one of the influential mentors meeting with Scherban and their classmates weekly. The goal is to show the students there are many paths after high school that can make a difference in their communities.

The program helps students to see themselves in their mentors and feel supported to take that next step to post-secondary, whether in law or not. “To me, it does not matter what course they pursue; no matter what they do, they are going to be stronger, more vocal advocates for Indigenous rights,” says Moch.

As a member of the Métis Nation, Moch learned a love of the land from her mother at a young age and hopes to impart that knowledge to the students she mentors through land rights teachings. She already sees their understanding of and interest in the connections between the social justice teachings and the current events faced by Indigenous nations across the country.

“Seeing how the [students] are connecting aspects of the law they are learning about with real-world examples and asking such smart questions is so inspiring,” Moch remarks, noting she is as inspired by the students as they are by their mentors.

Though it’s only the first year of the program, students are already showing strong interest in social justice, which Moch is confident will lead them to success in whatever they pursue.

“I foresee some of these students going many distances, [especially] the way their minds are open to the idea of anything and that, to me, is a huge prospect as well – that they, through Law Makers, will get the idea that they can become anything.” Moch has already confirmed she is planning to participate as a mentor again next year, and for as long as the program exists.

The expansion of this program to involve more participants and branch out into different fields will now be much more possible, thanks to UM’s new partnership with the Mastercard Foundation’s EleV program, which includes $16.1 million to support this work.

“The timing of this partnership and the generosity of the Mastercard Foundation are going to have such a big impact…It allows the program to happen in a bigger, better, faster way, especially in getting all the resources and people in place,” says Christine Cyr, associate vice-president Indigenous – students, community and cultural integration at UM. “We’re all grateful for this partnership.”

With Law Makers in its early stages, plans for future educational opportunities for Indigenous high school students are already underway. Cyr’s long-term goal is to connect more and more students with Indigenous mentors who will empower them to feel comfortable to work toward any dream.

“I hope to see the Law Makers program as the first step – and many more programs like it in many different fields – so every student feels supported to pursue whatever career they want,” says Cyr, adding this is only the beginning of the program’s work to create pathways to education and ensure students know their communities are rooting for them.

Over the past year, the Faculty and the MLSA Executive leadership team identified a number of important aspects of the 52-year-old building that are well overdue for improvement and modernization. Building gender-neutral washrooms was deemed an immediate priority by the MLSA Executive, with construction scheduled to begin in the short term.

“We are excited and thankful that the MLSA has decided to contribute to student spaces in such a significant way. There can be little doubt that after these projects, Robson Hall will be an even better place to spend quality time,” said Dr. Richard Jochelson, Dean of the Faculty of Law. “In tandem, the Faculty is updating and developing its clinical and teaching spaces to bring the learning experience into state-of-the-art shape.  Robson Hall will be significantly refreshed and welcoming as a result.”

Additionally, students and visitors will benefit from more inviting study areas and social spaces, alongside substantial infrastructure upgrades to accommodate the modern-day technological needs of students. In total, the MLSA has given approximately $710,000 for these proposed capital expenditures in partnership with the Faculty of Law.

“The MLSA Executive team of Alexis Alevizos, Narayan McRae, Kelsey Thain and I have put fulfilling the needs of Robson Hall students today and in the future at the centre of every initiative and endeavour we have taken on,” said Michael Badejo, President of the MLSA. “The impact of this gift from the MLSA will be felt for years, and enriching our community in this way is rewarding as well as humbling. Our entire team is delighted to have set this comprehensive project in motion.”

Over the next three years, the MLSA-run Common Room on Robson Hall’s Main Floor will be renovated to include gender-neutral washrooms, improved security, and technological improvements. The patio around Robson Hall’s east entrance will receive additional beautification as well as more seating and improved infrastructure to create a more inviting out-door study and gathering space for students.

The 100 level, where student lockers, lunch facilities, washrooms and office space are located, will receive a thorough upgrade, involving the re-purposing and reinvigoration of space to better meet student needs. In addition to improved lighting, the earmarked gift will be used to enhance student study and office spaces for the benefit of all Faculty of Law students including the Manitoba Indigenous Law Student Association, MLSA Committees and MLSA Student Groups.