This year’s STRR reception was held on May 5, 2025 with Cody Buhay selected as the Faculty of Law’s Outstanding Student. In turn, Buhay chose his Grade 11 and 12 Math and Chemistry teacher, Sabrina NganTian-Angeles and UM Faculty of Law Clinical Counsel, Allison Fenske as teachers who had the most lasting impact on his education and life.

“Both of these teachers have taught me the same and valuable life lesson: the power of compassion,” Buhay said in his reception speech, explaining that he chose law as a career because he wanted to have a career where he could help people by using his critical thinking skills.  

He was drawn towards criminal defence law because it involved advocating for marginalized people who could not advocate for themselves. “The most important thing I’ve learned to best prepare to practice in this area of law is to have compassion for clients,” he said.

…Fenske taught me about the importance of compassion for clients when working as a lawyer. In her classroom, compassion was not just talked about. It was demonstrated.
– Cody Buhay, 3L

When he was chosen as the Faculty of Law’s most outstanding student for The Centre’s STRR event, Buhay chose NganTsen-Angeles and Fenske because they best taught him the power of compassion. In high school, Buhay shared that he was not a very good student. “I would describe myself as a bit of a trouble-maker back then. I tested patience and pushed boundaries. However, Madame NganTsen-Angeles never gave up on me. Instead of frustration, she met me with kindness and calm, day after day.”

In retrospect, he said, “I will always remember the kindness that Madame NganTsen-Angeles showed me and I will try to carry that forward to my future clients.”

STRR awards 2025 outstanding law student Cody Buhay (middle) with (left to right) Dr.  Jennifer L. Schulz, Faculty of Law Associate Dean (Academic), Sabrina NganTsen-Anderson (K-12), Allison Fenske (post-secondary) and Dr. Diane Hiebert-Murphy, UM VP Academic.

When considering his post-secondary instructors, he realized that it was Fenske who best taught him about compassion. Fenske was his supervisor at the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre UMCLC during the summer after his second year of law school, and then taught him throughout his clinical experience course at UMCLC during his third year.

“[Allison] Fenske taught me about the importance of compassion for clients when working as a lawyer. In her classroom, compassion was not just talked about. It was demonstrated,” he said. “She taught me that being a good criminal defence lawyer means more than knowledge of the law. It means understanding your clients. Many come from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. They might not trust easily or communicate clearly. Some may have things going on in their lives that prevent them from fully engaging in the legal process. Despite these challenges, these clients still deserve to be heard and understood.”

More than once, Fenske reminded him of the importance of compassion when working with specific clients. She especially reminded him to “give clients some grace and the benefit of the doubt.”

He concluded, “Both of these educators that I have spoken of tonight have taught me that compassion is not a weakness: it is a strength. And it is one I will carry with me as I pursue a career in law.”

Please watch Cody Buhay’s full speech (starting at 1:12:20) on the University of Manitoba’s YouTube Channel.

“Wolseley Law is really happy to have the opportunity to inaugurate this award,” said Gerrit Theule [JD/15], founding partner at Wolseley Law, LLP. “Clinical student participation embodies everything that I think that a modern lawyer should strive for, including furthering access to justice, taking steps towards advancing Reconciliation on behalf of the profession, and striving to continually learn ways to help members of the community.”

Reflecting on his own experience as a student at Robson Hall, he added, “I wouldn’t be the lawyer that I am today – heck Wolseley Law wouldn’t even exist – without my experience at Legal Help Centre’s clinic. These clinical opportunities offered by Robson Hall aren’t only excellent learning opportunities, they’re also critical to serving immediate access to justice needs in the province, and to forming a better legal profession in the long run.”

McCandless said, “Mary-Charlet’s exceptional advocacy, leadership, and dedication to clients through UMCLC embody the spirit and purpose of this award. Her willingness to go above and beyond – not only for her clients but also in supporting her peers – demonstrates a deep commitment to clinical excellence.”

The Director’s office also recognized the high calibre of candidates who were nominated for this award, each of whom demonstrated skill and commitment to their respective clinics. “It is wonderful to see how law students are making an impact in the community while gaining valuable practical skills,” said McCandless.

Lathlin completed an externship with the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC), which is run in collaboration with Legal Aid Manitoba. She received nominations for the award from both UMCLC Director, Allison Fenske, and classmate Cody Buhay.

The Faculty of Law currently offers a rich array of experiential learning opportunities to law students in all three years of study including:

• Judge Shadowing (mandatory for 1Ls)
• Introduction to Advocacy (mandatory for 2Ls)
• Negotiations
• Moot Court competitions
• Department of Justice externship
• Indigenous Community Legal Clinic
• Law Library Hub – Civil Clinic
• Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund externship
• Legal Help Centre externship
• Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic
• Manitoba Law Reform Commission externship
• Public Interest Law Centre externship
• Rights Clinic at Robson Hall
• University of Manitoba Community Law Centre
• Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts

Leverick was based at the Legal Aid Manitoba Northern Area Office in Thompson, MB, working under the supervision of staff lawyer Ian McAmmond and Supervising Attorney, Mario Santos. At Robson Hall, Leverick reported back to Allison Fenske [LLB/2007], the Faculty of Law’s Clinical Counsel and Director of the University of Manitoba’s Community Law Centre (aka the Legal Aid Clinic, or UMCLC).

Fenske, who previously worked as a lawyer at Legal Aid’s Public Interest Law Centre, said, “UMCLC is pleased to support the Northern Externship. Thompson is a dynamic place where students can build important legal skills while also contributing to increasing access to justice for Northern communities. There is no shortage of incredible opportunities to be had when students look beyond Winnipeg’s perimeter.”

Upon returning to Winnipeg to finish law school, Leverick kindly shared his summer experiences, and some stunning photos of Northern Manitoba.

How did you learn about this externship opportunity and what motivated you to apply for it?

I learned about this externship opportunity from Mike Walker, the former supervisor of the UMCLC law clinic. Both Mike and the current UMCLC supervisor, Allison Fenske, encouraged me to take on this opportunity as my understanding is it was the first time this was offered at Robson Hall. I already have a keen interest in criminal law from my time at UMCLC and the opportunity to work up north would have been an amazing experience to see how the law works in the farthest-reaching corners of the province. I also previously worked up north and was excited to go back to a place I had fond memories of. The externship, combined with a research paper, counts as 15 credits as well which is an entire semester of law school where you get to apply your legal knowledge in a courtroom!

Where were you based and in which communities did you work? Did you have to travel around – and how (planes, trains, automobiles, boat)?

I was based out of the Thompson Legal Aid office. The Thompson Court serves around 15 circuit communities. Most of these communities are far away from Thompson, with only two being circuits to which you drive to. I had the opportunity to attend court in Nelson House, Norway House, Split Lake, Shamattawa, and Churchill. Some circuits, we drove to, like Nelson House and Split Lake. Others, the court party would all fly together on a tiny plane like to Churchill and Shamattawa! Often, court would be held in a facility that was available like the Legion or the band hall. It was definitely the most interesting commute to work I’ve had in awhile!

Brandon Leverick, 3L, commuting to work during his summer job: an externship with the Legal Aid Manitoba Thompson office.

What sort of tasks were you given to do?

Every day, you could find me assisting duty counsel in the Thompson Court House with bails and remands. Sometimes, I would assist people who wanted to resolve their matters with a disposition. The lawyers who supervised me also got me involved with some files where I drafted motions and wrote research memoranda. While I was on circuit, I often assisted with first appearances where I took Legal Aid applications and, if individuals wanted to resolve, assisted them as duty counsel.

I also learned a lot about the realities of the north and access to justice issues Indigenous peoples face on a daily basis. This, for me, further grounded why law schools need courses such as Indigenous Methodologies and Perspectives. – Brandon Leverick, 3L

What do you think you learned by the end compared to what you knew when you started?

I learned so much about the bail process. Applying the legal tests on what grounds someone can be denied for bail and devising appropriate bail plans to address these concerns was something I had no experience with before the summer. I also learned a lot about the realities of the north and access to justice issues Indigenous peoples face on a daily basis. This, for me, further grounded why law schools need courses such as Indigenous Methodologies and Perspectives. I also learned a lot of problem-solving skills. I think the justice system as a whole is doing what they can with little resources, but this is especially evident in the north. The lawyers who work up there really go above and beyond to do what they can with what they have, and then some more, because they really do care about their community.

A glimpse of Pisew Falls on the Grass River, second highest waterfall in Manitoba, 74km south of Thompson. Photo by Brandon Leverick, 3L.

Are there any courses you recommend students take before embarking on this externship?

I highly recommend students consider volunteering for the UMCLC law clinic if they are thinking about taking on this externship. I would also recommend they take courses in criminal law, such as Criminal Justice, Family Law, and Indigeneity and Charter Issues in Criminal Law. Ultimately, I think extracurricular volunteering where you can practice your interviewing, writing, research, and issue-spotting skills will be best preparation for the Northern Externship. I would highly recommend anyone who wants practical experience to consider this opportunity!

The UMCLC is part of a long-standing partnership between Legal Aid Manitoba (LAM) and the University of Manitoba. In 2022, the UMCLC and LAM reaffirmed their commitment to increasing access to justice in Manitoba by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining plans for expanding UMCLC services, including the establishment of a Prison Law Clinic.

The newly established UMCLC Prison Law Clinic offers a wide range of legal services to incarcerated individuals at Stony Mountain Institution, and other federal correctional settings within Manitoba. These services include representation in both institutional grievances and disciplinary proceedings, matters arising under the Corrections and Conditional Release Regulations and Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and other legal services addressing incarcerated persons’ conditions of confinement.

The clinic also aims to respond to the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples within Canada’s prison system, an issue that is particularly acute in Manitoba. Through engagement with Indigenous Peoples, representative organizations and governments, Allison Fenske, UMCLC Director and Supervising Attorney of the Prison Law Clinic, worked to ensure that the clinic’s design and delivery would be responsive to the priorities and needs of Indigenous people incarcerated at Stony Mountain Institution.

In addition to Fenske, the Prison Law Clinic team is comprised of Leif Jensen, Prison Law Staff Lawyer, Chanelle Lajoie, Prison Law Articling Student and Tréchelle Bunn (1L), Prison Law Summer Student. In September, the clinic will welcome a new cohort of law students to a clinic externship. 

Bunn, who has just completed her first year at the Faculty of Law, was eager to join the UMCLC Prison Law Clinic.

“The overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in Canada’s prison system and working to combat this issue has been the driving force behind my decision to pursue a career in law,” said Bunn. “Being able to gain first-hand experience working in a diverse legal area such as prison law and assist in addressing a critical gap in access to justice is both vital and meaningful.”

The establishment of the Prison Law Clinic also aligns with the goals of the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Plan 2024-2029, particularly under the theme of “Empowering Learners,” as the clinic “provides students with the opportunity to gain valuable experience working with one of the most marginalized groups within the legal system, strengthening and empowering their sense of social responsibility in addressing systemic law reform issues within the carceral system,” said Fenske. “Prison law also incorporates a unique mix of criminal, civil, administrative, and human rights law, so students are immersed into diverse legal areas with the intention of stimulating interest and expertise in prison law.”

The UMCLC and the Prison Law Clinic are made possible with the generous support of the Manitoba Law Foundation. The project was also partially funded by UM’s the Strategic Initiatives Support Fund. The Prison Law Clinic is currently operating as a one-year pilot program, but based on anticipated success, the clinic hopes to expand to include provincial prisons in the future. 

Through ongoing efforts such as the Prison Law Clinic, UMCLC, and LAM continue to make meaningful strides in promoting access to justice and upholding the rights of all individuals across Manitoba, including those who are incarcerated.

A graduate of the Robson Hall, Fenske was called to the bar in 2008. After beginning her legal career with Thompson Dorfman Sweatman LLP, she joined Legal Aid Manitoba’s Public Interest Law Centre in 2015 and has represented residential school survivors, First Nations organizations, and equity-deserving groups. She taught courses on women and the law and the Canadian legal system at the University of Winnipeg and gender and the law at the University of Manitoba. In 2013, she received the Manitoba Bar Association Pro Bono Award, which is awarded to lawyers or firms for the donation of professional services towards the enhancement of access of public interest legal services in Manitoba. In 2016, Fenske was commended by the Clerk of the Executive Council for her work on behalf of patients seeking medical assistance in dying for which she also received the Manitoba Bar Association Access to Justice Award.

Fenske has appeared before all levels of courts in Manitoba, the Federal Court and the Supreme Court of Canada, as well as numerous provincial and federal administrative tribunals. She has served, and continues to serve as a presiding member of the Housing Cooperatives Appeal Tribunals.

For Fenske, taking on the position of a clinical instructor at Robson Hall is a sort of homecoming. As a student here, she was a Solomon Greenberg finalist and top oralist (2^nd) at the Wilson Moot. “These experiential learning opportunities were foundational in developing my skills as a litigator,” she explained.

In addition to court work, Fenske has co-authored publications in the areas of access to justice and public interest litigation including “Justice Starts Here: A one-stop approach for achieving greater justice in Manitoba,” Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, 2017 and “Wheels of Justice: Reflections from the Public Interest Law Centre of Legal Aid Manitoba,” published in the book Public Interest Litigation in Canada, edited by Cheryl Milne and Kent Roach, 2019 (LexisNexis: Toronto) and Supreme Court Law Review, 90:2.

“I have focused my advocacy work on navigating legal issues through an intersectional feminist and social inclusion lens on behalf of people and communities marginalized through state and systemic oppression,” said Fenske, describing the path she has taken since leaving Robson Hall.

Having focused her legal practice in public law (including in the areas of human rights, constitutional and Aboriginal law), and administrative law, Fenske brings much-needed focus to teach students how to litigate in these areas. Her experience working for Legal Aid Manitoba makes her a perfect fit to be returning to the Manitoba Law Foundation-supported UMCLC. The University of Manitoba’s Strategic Initiatives Support Fund’s investment in the forthcoming international human rights clinic is also in good hands as Fenske gets settled at Robson Hall.

EDI Articling Positions

Securing an articling position to complete the requirements to become a lawyer is critical for law students as they near the end of their third and final year of the Juris Doctor program. Unfortunately, some law students encounter greater difficulties finding articles than others. The Faculty of Law has therefore collaborated with the Manitoba Law Students’ Association (MLSA) to create two articling positions at Robson Hall intended as ‘safety nets’ for equity-seeking students facing systemic barriers during the regular articling recruit.

This initiative is available to Robson Hall students now, with the application deadline for individuals seeking a position for the 2023-2024 articling year as May 1, 2023.

Faculty of Law articling students will be supervised by the Faculty’s Director of Clinics, and will work on files at any of the Faculty’s clinics including the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC), the Rights Clinic, the Access to Justice Clinic, the Indigenous Rights Clinic, and the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic. They will also attend to work as assigned from the University of Manitoba’s legal department, the (MLSA) and other work assigned in cooperation with the Faculty of Law’s clinical externship partners.

With this wide variety of experiences, students should get a rich experience of practical training while attending the bar admission course known as the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) run by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) and administered through the Law Society of Manitoba.

The MLSA and the Faculty of Law will each pay half of the full amount of a competitive salary for a maximum of two articling student positions to ensure that any students unable to otherwise obtain an articling position through the regular recruitment process due to systemic barriers, can still be guaranteed a chance to pursue a career in the legal profession.

A pilot of this initiative was started last year with the first Faculty of Law articling student being hired in the summer of 2022.

University of Manitoba Faculty of Law students at Robson Hall facing EDI-related challenges may apply for the two articling positions here:

UM Articling Position 1

UM Articling Position 2

Renovations

The daily life of a law student has changed greatly since Robson Hall was first constructed in 1969, and the needs of the MLSA student body in 2023 has long since outgrown mid-20^th Century infrastructure. The student body has also grown and become more diverse. For example, in 1966, the preliminary description of the proposed building that became Robson Hall, contemplated restrooms and lockers for only 25 to 30 female students compared to 275 – 300 male students.

The MLSA and the Faculty of Law have thus designated funds to remodel Rooms 105, 105A, B, C, and D into a secure study space with key card access, individual study carrels, kitchenette, and Gender Inclusive Accessible Washrooms.

Construction work to implement these upgrades will commence this summer with completion estimated to be by the end of next year.