With such business-like areas of research and teaching specialty as bankruptcy, insolvency law, and legal history on his faculty bio, an interesting twist to his profile is: mindfulness. A co-author with Robson Hall’s Associate Dean (Juris Doctor program), Dr. Virginia Torrie, on the recently-published UBC Press study, Debt and Federalism: Landmark Cases in Canadian Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law, 1894-1937, Professor Telfer has also done a lot of teaching and research in the area of mental health and mindfulness, to say the least.

Speaking frequently on the subject, he has facilitated workshops for lawyers, doctors, judges, professors and students. He has led mindfulness seminars for the Law Societies of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Legal Education Society of Alberta. Stories about his work have appeared in Canadian Lawyer magazine, on podcasts, CBC Radio, and now in UM Today.

Professor Telfer kindly took some time to have a candid conversation with Robson Hall about his experiences with mindfulness, and to explain the importance for law students and lawyers to pay attention to mental health.

Robson Hall: What drew you to start researching mindfulness?

Thomas Telfer: I first discovered mindfulness when I was hospitalized for depression. After being discharged, I was motivated to bring mindfulness and mental health education to Western University Law students.  In 2017, I introduced a non-credit optional course on Mindfulness for 1Ls and in 2019 I introduced an upper year credit course called Mindfulness and the Legal Profession. This credit course has now been offered for three years.

RH: What are the most key things you’ve learned?

TT: Mindfulness is not just about meditation. We practice mediation to connect with the present moment, but we can connect with the present moment in anything that we do. Mindful walking, mindful eating, mindful reading, mindful studying, mindful preparation of a case brief. By focusing on the present moment, we are less distracted. We miss so much of life while on auto pilot.

RH: How have your students responded or benefitted after taking your course at Western?

TT: Students report that they are less distracted while studying. In other words, they spend less time on a reading or class preparation because they are more focused. Have you ever sat down to read something and noticed that after five minutes you realize that you have not read a thing as your mind is worrying about a to do list? Mindfulness can help with this. Students have also reported that my course has helped with mental health issues. Some students now in practice have told me that the mindfulness course has made them better lawyers.

RH: What do you hope Manitoban practitioners and students might take away from Monday’s talk?

TT: I’d like participants to be given mindfulness tools in order to spend less time on autopilot, so as to bring more present moment awareness to anything that they do. Further, part of my talk is about mental health and the legal profession. I’d like to break down the stigma that is associated with mental health by opening up a conversation about mental health issues. Mindfulness can also help with the stress and anxiety caused by COVID-19.

—–

Students enrolled at the Faculty of Law, professors, staff, alumni and members of the legal profession are invited to register for this event using this registration form. A link to the Zoom meeting will be shared prior to the start of the event.

The course and all students involved in Desautels Centre-related activities fall under the supervision of Dr. Virginia Torrie, Associate Dean (Juris Doctor Program). “The Desautels Review is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the mechanics of scholarly publishing. It is also great to see students actively involved with the Desautels Centre – it is a unique experience for them to be involved with building something with both academic and scholarly dimensions.”

Students currently enrolled in the Desautels Review course are close to publish the inaugural issue, and are thankful for the dedication and guidance of the new editorial board consisting of professors, alumni and internationally-respected legal scholars. The Review’s rolling call for submissions accepts academic articles focusing on the integration of business, law, and the humanities as they apply to family-controlled and other private enterprises in Canada.

“What we learned at school is not just some text, but a useful tool to solve problems in daily life.” – Xiyuan Feng, 2L

Xiyuan Feng is a second-year law student currently engaged in doing work for the Desautels Centre. “Through this work, I found so much fun in commercial law,” said Feng. “I am very grateful for the opportunity of sitting in the commercial symposium, which introduced so many interesting ideas and inspired me to explore more afterwards. Through writing the blogs, I start to think how to use the law to help people.”

To encourage law students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and early-career practitioners across Canada to conduct research in this area of law, the Review launched two paper competitions. The deadline for doctoral candidates is February 28, 2022, and the deadline for JD students is June 17, 2022.

A National Business Law Network is emerging through the Centre’s initiatives, and law students at Robson Hall are forming clinical connections through the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic. Conference and research opportunities are starting to be announced, and the Faculty can already boast the formation of a Desautels Research Cluster consisting of Professors Jennifer Schulz and Darcy MacPherson, Associate Professor Virginia Torrie, and Assistant Professors Bruce Curran, Krish Maharaj, and Katie Szilagyi.

The Desautels Centre will host visiting scholar Dr. Matthew J. Bellamy, an associate professor at Carleton University, on January 25, 2022 at 12:00 p.m. as the inaugural speaker for the Annual Desautels Lecture Series. Dr. Bellamy will discuss parts of his new book, Brewed in the North: A History of Labatt’s in a talk titled “Family Firm to Managerial Enterprise: Three Generations of Labatt’s and the Bootlegging Manager-Entrepreneur Who Saved the Brewery from Prohibition.”

The Desautels Centre’s mandate is to integrate the disciplines of law, business and the humanities as they apply to family-controlled and other private enterprises.

Follow the Desautels Centre and the Desautels Review on Twitter @DesautelsCentre and @DesautelsReviewand on LinkedIn at The Marcel A. Desautels Centre for Private Enterprise and the Law and Desautels Review of Private Enterprise and the Law.

Meanwhile, the boxy pile of concrete still stood as it has for 52 years, with Professor John Irvine pacing its halls preparing his lectures, while other faculty and staff popped in and out on occasion, all masked and waving greetings, relieved to see actual people in-person. Dr. Richard Jochelson, once installed as the new Dean, became a stalwart fixture in the big corner office. And things began to change.

Looking back over 2021, here is a list of significant evidence of changes coming to Robson Hall with related UM Today stories, heralding a bright future:

Answering the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #28

1. Formation of the Truth & Reconciliation Action Team 
2. Passing of the mandatory upper-year course, “Indigenous Methodologies and Perspectives” 
3. Hiring of alumnus Marc Kruse as Indigenous Student Support Coordinator
4. Ongoing updates to Law course calendar to reflect commitment to CTA 28 on a course-by-course level 
5. Call for applications for an Indigenous Professor (please share job posting)
6. Development of a new Indigenous Clinical Experience 
7. Improved 1L orientation to include CTA 28 and legal ethics content
8. Hosted a second session of the Indigenous People and the Criminal Justice System workshop for practicing bar plus 40 law students 
9. Sponsored about 30 students to attend the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice’s Indigenous Peoples and the Law conference

See UM Today Stories:

• Faculty of Law introduces new Indigenous Student Support Coordinator
• Faculty of Law takes major steps to answer Call to Action 28
• Faculty of Law to offer new mandatory Indigenous course

Expanding Clinical Learning Opportunities, Business Law, and Bilingual program

1. Increased investment in the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic
2. Developing Room 113 (former storage room) into a new clinical space
3. Expanding the Desautels Centre for Private International Law to include blogs, case reporter, peer reviewed journal, conference and paper sponsorship and student support
4. Passing of a concentration in Private Enterprise & the Law
5. Passing of a concentration in Access to Justice Bilingual program
6. Expanding the University of Manitoba Community Law Centre (UMCLC)
7. Addition of a net year’s worth of four full-time staff forming a clinical team of instructors and professors

See UM Today Stories:

• Faculty of Law moves forward with plans for Desautels Legal Research Fund
• Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic goes virtual
• Legal Help Centre unites law students, alumni for common goals
• Achieving access to justice through language
• Access to Justice French Endowment Fund established to help train law students

Hiring new professors and staff

1. Two new professors were hired in the spring
2. In addition to the new Indigenous Student Support person, a new Admissions Officer was hired in the summer
3. Two new instructors were hired this fall
4. The search for the Mauro Chair in Human Rights and Social Justice has concluded and will be announced in the new year
5. It goes without saying but bears repeating that the Faculty appointed a new Dean of Law, Dr. Richard Jochelson, who took office on July 1, 2021.
6. The Faculty also appointed a new Associate, JD Program, Dr. Virginia Torrie, with Dr. Donn Short continuing in his term as Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies

See UM Today Stories:

• Faculty of Law welcomes Assistant Professors Martine Dennie and Katie Szilagyi
• An essential service: Robson Hall’s Admissions and Financial Aid office
• Familiar faces form new team at faculty of Law Dean’s Office
• Running down a dream of law school

 Administrative, Building, and Community Improvements

1. Four classrooms have been prepared with videoconferencing capabilities in anticipation of a partial return to in-person teaching and learning
2. Faculty council has completed an initial study of bylaws and is preparing them for modernization
3. Despite Labour Action and pandemic, the Faculty successfully preserved the schedule for Winter term to keep students on track for graduation and timely commencement of articles
4. Forging of strong links with the Law Society of Manitoba with announcements coming 
5. Ongoing provision of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) seminars with more planned for next term

Mental Health supports and initiatives

1. Ongoing – Student Counselling Centre services have provided two imbedded counsellors for law students to have one-on-one counselling appointment (virtual). When SCC counsellors were not, available, students were connected with Empower Me for virtual counselling support.
2. A Mindfulness presentation given virtually by Dr. Thomas G.W. Telfer of Western Law was part of the 1L Orientation on September 3.
3. A “Mask and Learn” lunchtime talk with Professor Brandon Trask took place September 14 on the topic of protecting one’s mental health as a lawyer. The in-person event featured tips for law students to carry into practice to guard their mental health and help reduce the overall stigma of mental health issues in workplace.
4. A Presentation by Shannon Daniels (therapist for MB Justice) and Carolyn Reimer (MB Crown Attorney) occurred October 22 over Zoom. Discussion was regarding general risks faced by law students and lawyers regarding mental health issues and stress, how to recognize the signs of stress and trauma, how stress/trauma impact your work, how to deal with stress, the competitiveness of law, imposter syndrome and how to deal with same.
5. Rebecca Bromwich, EDI manager at Gowling joined us via Zoom on November 23 to give a Mental Health First Aid presentation. This was an overview for students, staff and faculty of the basics of mental health, how to notice mental health issues in others, what to do/not do to provide assistance to someone who experiencing a mental health crisis.
6. Shannon Daniels and Carolyn Reimer returned virtually to give a presentation to Assistant Professor David Ireland’s Legal Profession and Professional Responsibility class at the end of term on December 10. Assistant Professor Brandon Trask moderated class discussion. The presentation included practical pointers for law students and lawyers to deal with stress and vicarious trauma related issues. 

Celebrating Accomplishments of Faculty, Students, and Alumni

1. In addition to online teaching, many professors have continued to publish their research throughout the pandemic
2. Students have persevered, competing in moot competitions online, and taking part in extracurricular academic and career-related activities to their benefit
3. We have been increasingly reaching out to our alumni to see what kind of impact their legal educations have had on their careers and their communities

See UM Today Stories:

Professors

• Law professors engage in cross-Canada collaboration on law and disability case book
• Supreme Court of Canada cites law professor’s book in key Human Rights Case
• UM Law Students’ Associate Dean (JD) behind globally-recognized law review
• New book fills gap in research on perpetrators of genocide
• Law Faculty members share knowledge in plain sight and plain language
• Law professor’s accessible first book earns global attention, local award nomination
• Law professor wins Law of Work best paper prize
• COVID and the Constitution

Students

• An education with impact
• What makes you stronger
• Shawn Singh and the President’s Student Leadership Program
• WFP: From the streets to the courtroom
• Manitoba Faculty of Law teams shine at fifth annual Canadian National Negotiation Competition
• Moot News: Team Manitoba takes 3^rd place in National 2021 Sopinka Cup
• Mooting Matters
• Manitoba’s Gale Cup Team places third after decade-long shutout
• Rising to the Charter Challenge
• Celebrating Faculty of Law class of 2021 graduates

Alumni

• Living with law and art
• Memories of Robson Hall
• Delightful conversations and stirring memories: Law Homecoming 2021
• Faculty of Law alumna turns class assignment into TV script
• Alumnus creates scholarship for Black Law Students
• New scholarship fund to honour UM Law alumnus Darius Maharaj Hunter
• Faculty of Law congratulates Professor Emeritus Philip H. Osborne

At Robson Hall, the Admissions Office falls under the Faculty of Law’s Student Services department and is responsible for preparing all applications for admission to the Juris Doctor, Master of Laws, and Master of Human Rights degree programs for committee review. Once students are admitted and welcomed, the Admissions Office switches gears to make sure all admitted students have access to bursaries, scholarships, prizes and awards available to them.

“The Admissions Office fulfills a vital function in the Faculty of Law,” explained Dr. Virginia Torrie, Associate Dean of the JD program. “Admissions and Financial Aid are interconnected. We want to make sure that our students are supported, and part of that is assisting them financially, starting from when they first arrive.”

The Admissions, Financial Aid & Awards Officer responsible for all these critical aspects of a law student’s experience is Mr. Rory Churchill-Henry, an alumnus of Robson Hall (Class of 2019) who once stood in the very shoes of the students he now helps.

“My time as a law student helped me understand the ins and outs of the admissions process, and that helps me advise prospective students on their applications,” said Churchill-Henry. “I also learned about the various forms of financial aid and funding options for current students, which means I can explain those opportunities to current law students.”

Churchill-Henry also brings the benefit of his experience practicing law to the position and his familiarity with the important attributes lawyers need in their careers. “When speaking to people who are considering law as a career, I advise them of the pathway to becoming a lawyer, and also talk to them about the important values that a lawyer must have, such as respect, integrity, and a strong sense of accountability,” he explained.

We want to make sure that we get top-quality candidates at the Faculty of Law, regardless of their economic situation. The funding we have available, combined with the Faculty’s affordable tuition, means that students can attend law school with one less barrier to education.

– Rory Churchill-Henry [JD/2019], Admissions, Financial Aid & Awards Officer, Faculty of Law

As Churchill-Henry, who joined the Faculty as a new staff member this past August is learning, an Admissions Officer’s job is never dull. His academic year began in August when he started preparing for incoming applications, answering inquiries from prospective students, and dealing with certain entrance scholarships that require separate applications. Some recruitment work happens in October, and November is filled with giving prospective students information. Applications to law school close annually on December 1^st, along with applications for the Master of Human Rights program.  Master of Laws applications are due December 15^theach year.

“We regularly see hundreds of applications each year for the JD program, roughly 100 for the LLM and have seen steady growth upwards for the MHR program since its inaugural year in 2019,” he said.

Each year, the JD program has approximately 100 seats to fill, the MHR accepts roughly 20 students, and the LLM program offers a thesis-based master’s degree program. Each spring, the Admissions Officer sends out acceptance letters and organizes a welcome reception at the Faculty to introduce incoming students to each other and their new environs. 

The next step each spring is to administer the merit-based scholarships, awards and prizes to distribute to the highest achievers in each class.

Tuition at Robson Hall remains among the most affordable of Canadian law schools, and more bursaries are available to students here than any other professional faculty at the University of Manitoba. In past years, approximately 50% of the student body received need-based financial aid from one of the Faculty’s dedicated endowments funds.

Thirteen Entrance Awards are offered annually, ranging from $3,500 to $8,000. Performance and merit-based awards are distributed to students in every course, recognizing academic excellence. Dean’s Honour List Students entering second year or third year, receive a substantial scholarship and are named Pitblado Scholars.  The Faculty strives to ensure that all eligible students will be supported according to their needs, Churchill-Henry confirmed, saying, “We want to reduce financial stress and ensure that those who want to study law can do so.”

Learn about Admissions to all three of the Faculty of Law’s programs.

Complete information about scholarships and ways to fund your law school education at Robson Hall is on the Faculty’s Financial Aid & Awards page.

Career Development Office

The Faculty has a Career Development Office in which the Career Development Coordinator, Lisa Griffin, organizes events including information sessions and workshops throughout the year on a regular cycle, to keep students informed about job opportunities and training and on their toes from first year to graduation. She maintains the Job Board and engages members of the practicing bar and judiciary to give presentations on what it’s like to clerk at the court or work in public or private practice areas, and meets with students one-on-one to review their resumés, cover letters, discuss networking, job search and interview techniques.

“I love the work I do,” said Griffin. “It is incredibly rewarding assisting our students through their law school journey and witnessing what they do with their careers!”

Director of Professional Development

The Director of Professional Development, Trina McFadyen, is an alumnus of the Faculty of Law and practiced law in Winnipeg for over a decade.   Trina engages with both alumni and colleagues in the legal profession and works to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the Faculty and the practicing bar to benefit students entering the practice. Trina develops resources for law students to assist them with navigating interviews, networking events, finding articling jobs and understanding the in-and-outs of working in the legal profession. As a lawyer who is still connected to the practicing bar, Trina brings a wealth of knowledge to the students of UM Law.

“The best part of my job is when a student succeeds in achieving their dreams!”

– Trina McFadyen, Director of Professional Development

“The Manitoba Bar is unique in that so many of the lawyers in our province also went to law school here, and that includes me,” McFadyen said. “Our alumni and the practicing bar are very giving of their time and knowledge and want to help UM Law students succeed.  I pass along that knowledge, as well as what I learned in my years practicing law, to UM Law students as they navigate their professional goals.”

Manitoba Law Students’ Association – Professional Development Committee

Throughout the year, The PDC works closely with the Career Development Office to provide Robson Hall students with opportunities and resources to build their professional development by encouraging them to attend networking events with firms and practitioners, assisting students in the initial stages of preparing their resumes and cover letters, and collaborating with the CDO to facilitate workshops and panels throughout the school year. Most recently, the PDC organized the Law Banquet, held in-person at the Winnipeg Art Gallery on October 28. This much-anticipated annual event provides law students with the opportunity to sit down with practicing members of the Manitoba legal community to create genuine connections while gaining valuable insight into working in the legal industry. 

“In a professional program, such as law, careers are on students’ minds year-round,” explained Dr. Virginia Torrie, Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program at the Faculty of Law. “We are active and proactive about fostering skills development and creating career connections and opportunities for JD students.”

Upcoming career development events Faculty of Law students can look forward to include a roundtable with smaller law firms organized by the PDC, a mentorship mixer for first-year law students organized by the Manitoba Bar Association, and ongoing info-sessions and job opportunity postings, circulated by the Career Development Office.

Fostering Clinics and Aiding Research

The Desautels Center will stimulate and foster clinical work for law students and research in private enterprise and the law by legal and business scholars. Dean of Law, Dr. Richard Jochelson has announced that the newly-created Desautels Centre Advisory Committee (led by Associate Dean (Academic) Dr. Virginia Torrie) will be instrumental in developing the immediate intellectual and academic infrastructure of the Centres’ future endeavours. 

Over the next several months, the Centre will begin to unfurl a critical list of goals and projects, to help foster training for law students interested in family-owned business and start-up business clinical practice, and to make these pursuits a cornerstone of the UM Faculty of Law experience. Plans include the development of a business clinic as a critical experiential training ground for future lawyers, the development of mooting and debating opportunities, and new course development under the auspices of the Centre.

Future steps include the development of an innovation hub to house the clinical activities of the Centre, as well as the recruitment of a permanent Faculty position to provide stewardship over the clinical and academic side of the Centre. “The Centre seeks to develop synergies between law and private enterprise to give future lawyers and their clients a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing privately-held businesses,” Torrie noted.

The Centre has also issued a call for applications for a new seed fund, which like each of the initiatives of the Centre, is funded by a generous endowment established in 2003 by alumnus Marcel A. Desautels [BA/1955; LLB/1959; LLM/1965; LLD/1999]. Successful applicants will have funds in place for the 2021 – 2022 academic year.

Increasing impact for the Desautels Centre

“The Committee is in the process of developing a website and social media presence that will share news of the work it is doing this year,” said Jochelson. “So far, the work includes developing a Desautels open access journal for law and business, which will seek interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary contributions.”

Further, Jochelson explained, an online business case blog will be created where business and law students can discuss case studies or recent developments in this area of law. Finally, a private enterprise consolidated cases reporter will be set up as a tool to assist laypersons as well as the professional legal practicing community.

Supporting and Building Community

Connections and advancements already underway by the Committee are manifold, including sponsoring four delegates from the law or business student body to attend the upcoming Conflict Resolution Day Conference taking place October 20, 2021 online. The Desautels Centre is also supporting another online conference this fall – the 5^th Annual Commercial Law Symposium, which is being co-organized with Dr. Anna Lund (Faculty of Law, University of Alberta).

The Centre will be connecting with the Canadian Business History Association to support early-career researchers working on private enterprise and law. A collaboration with the Banking and Finance Law Review will involve the Centre hosting a Desautels Centre Fintech student writing competition.  Each of these will help develop a constellation of private enterprise links nationally.

A Desautels Lecture Series is being planned for this year, and will be open to the public, but especially made available to law and business students. On January 25th at 12:00 p.m., there will be a Zoom lecture featuring Prof. Matthew Bellamy (Carleton University, Department of History) speaking on part of his book, Brewed in the North: A History of Labatt’s (Montreal and Kingston, McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2019). His talk will look at the family business origins of Labatt’s brewing and the company’s operations through the prohibition era. This talk will thus draw together private enterprise, law, and history – in keeping with the vision of the Desautels Centre – and show the power of multidisciplinary approaches to understanding businesses.

Finally, the Faculty will develop new Desautels courses including accounting for start-up business ventures, lawyers in the sector, and family owned start-ups, and will offer workshops to law and business students and the general public on: family-owned businesses, start-up ventures in Manitoba, rural business planning and operations in Manitoba, and more.

As the Associate Dean (Juris Doctor program), Dr. Virginia Torrie stated in a recent email to students, “As many of you know, Manitoba entered, and exited, the third wave of the pandemic later than other provinces. The University of Manitoba has also taken a more deliberative and conservative approach to making decisions about in-person/remote learning for the 2021-2022 academic year, and this meant a decision was not reached about the Fall 2021 term until mid- summer.”

It is critical that the Law School move in lock-step with the University as it engages in its phased reopening plans. The University aspires for an in-person Winter 2022 term, and though this Fall term will be remote, students will be expected to be resident in and around Winnipeg for January 2022 and available to attend classes in-person for the Winter term (January – April 2022). The University also retains the ability to reconsider the Winter term approach if the public health situation fundamentally changes. 

This fall, subject to Public and University health orders, while students are still not expected in-person in Robson Hall, employee building occupancy can increase in 10 percent increments starting in September. University Guidelines remain as “two metres distanced and in-person but masked” when within University buildings. Robson Hall and the E.K. Williams Law Library remain locked until the University declares the building open. Faculty and staff may work in their offices with the door closed but must remain masked in common areas and with a two-metre distance.

Mental Health services and information are being provided to students on a regular basis through the ADJD office. The Faculty is extending reasonable accommodations to all staff, faculty and students in all cases for mental and physical health purposes and caregiving.

The Faculty of Law Dean’s Office is prepared to assist its community members in any way possible including funding Teaching Assistant services, technological devices, and other services and assistance where needed.

In the effort to retain some sense of normalcy, the faculty’s regular annual events such as guest lectures, Homecoming and awards ceremonies will take place either online or in a socially distanced manner in accordance with University Guidelines.

Regarding Vaccinations, the Faculty of Law follows the University of Manitoba’s lead on this subject which is that: the University of Manitoba strongly encourages all UM community members to get vaccinated, but is not requiring proof of vaccination outside of public health regulations.

Impressed with the volume of work Torrie has produced over so short a period of time, Gallant said, “It is a little unusual for a relatively nascent scholar to mine corporate history and offer a different take on bankruptcy law.  Her solo-authored text does that and has been extremely well-received by her much more senior peers.”

Case in point, Torrie’s major achievement of 2020 was the publication of her first book mentioned above, Reinventing Bankruptcy Law, which continues to receive positive reviews and was shortlisted for the Manitoba Book Awards Alexander Kennedy Isbister Prize for non-fiction. It was also the subject of a podcast interview on the New Books Network.

Not one to rest, Torrie published three scholarly articles – one as sole author and two as co-author, two being focused on bankruptcy, and one on the governance of AI in the Canadian banking context.   

As Editor-in-Chief of globally recognized peer-reviewed journal The Banking & Finance Law Review, Torrie oversaw the publishing of three issues in 2020, each of which is about 180-200 pages, and contains articles, case notes & comments and book reviews. Torrie wrote the introduction for one of these issues which was the Review’s second special issue on FinTech.

She also published a review of a book on Canadian legal education, scholarly blog posts, and an article on restructuring business in an insolvency trade magazine in addition to giving several presentations on her research at conferences and scholarly events, including the Annual Review of Insolvency Law Conference and the Osgoode Society Legal History Workshop.

In 2020, Torrie supervised a graduate law student, Mert Ozgur, who completed his LL.M. thesis on “Initial Coin Offerings as Securities Offerings: A Comparison of Legal Approaches in France and the United States,” graduating in 2021.

“I’m very honoured to receive this award for my research,” said Torrie. “Thanks to Michelle Gallant for nominating me, and to all of my terrific colleagues at the Faculty of Law for creating such a supportive environment. I’ve always had an avid interest in research, driven by a strong sense of intellectual curiosity. This abiding interest is what attracted me to a career in the academy and it continues to fuel my scholarly pursuits. Academic research takes ongoing, concerted effort and there can be a long lag time between doing the work and seeing the final work product. Nevertheless, there is great satisfaction in seeing multi-year projects, such as a scholarly monograph, come to final fruition and receive praise from peers. I hope to pass a sense of this passion, and its intrinsic rewards, to students at the Faculty of Law.”

Robson Hall alumnus Myles Davis [JD 18, LLM 19], now an associate at Winnipeg firm Walker Raffey McKelvey-Gunson, assists with editing book reviews, while Steven Dressler [JD/21], Jordan Sinder [JD Candidate/22] and Andrew Medeiros [McGill University JD, BCL/ 21], assisted with editing issues 36.2 and 36.3. This summer, Sinder, Ashely Bains [JD Candidate/ 23], Brandon Gray [JD Candidate/ 23], Derek Novesel [JD Candidate/ 23], Rob Johnstone [JD Candidate/ 24] and Connor Pouryekta [Osgoode Hall JD Candidate/ 2022] are hard at work on issues 37.1, 38.1, 38.2, and 38.3.

Issue 36.2, released in April, 2021, contains articles analyzing legal developments in letters of credit, monetary transitions, demand guarantees, solicitors’ liens, bankruptcy and insolvency, cross-border banking, bank supervision, and the globalized governance of finance by authors based in Canada, United Kingdom, Colombia, Namibia, Singapore, and China.

Set to publish in July, Issue 36.3 will canvass legal developments in secured lending, securities regulation, bankruptcy and insolvency, P2P lending, central banking, and financial markets law in Canada, United States, European Union, France, Israel, and China. 

“This summer is an especially busy and productive time for the BFLR, as we are preparing four issues for publication,” said Torrie. “Prof. Ryan Clements (University of Calgary) and I are co-editing the 3^rd Annual FinTech issue (issue 37.1), which features scholarship by authors from the United States, Canada, Hong Kong, China, Australia, and the United Kingdom.”

The issue will canvass familiar fintech issues such as regulatory fragmentation, definitional and jurisdictional uncertainty, disintermediation, privacy and data protection, plus nascent concerns like decentralized finance, and central bank digital currencies, Torrie said, adding, “I am co-editing three further issues with Prof. Muharem Kianeff (University of Windsor) and Dr. Christian Chamorro-Courtland (University of Sydney), which will form a festschrift*, special volume 38, in honour of the BFLR’s founding Editor-in-Chief, Professor Benjamin Geva (Osgoode Hall Law School).”

Professor Geva visited Robson Hall as a Distinguished Visiting Lecturer in 2018 where he spoke on “Money and Payments Digitization: Evolution, Revolution and the Law.”

The special volume, Torrie explained, will be international in scope and include topics on reforms to Canadian Personal Property Security Law, conflict of law rules applicable to negotiable instruments, and an essay on the nature of money as a legally constructed “safe asset.”

Currently, the BFLR which publishes three regular issues per year, is accepting submissions for articles, commentary on recent developments in financial law, case comments, and book reviews. The current Call for Papers is for the journal’s 4th Annual FinTech Issue, which will be co-edited by Associate Dean Torrie, Prof. Ryan Clements (University of Calgary) and Prof. Aurelio Gurréa-Martínez (Singapore Management University). Prof. Clements is the new Managing General Editor, while Prof. Casey Watters (Bond University) serves as Case Notes & Comments Editor and Prof. Mark Hsiao (Leicester University) is the Recent Development Articles Editor. Submissions may be emailed to bflrrdbf@gmail.com. Complete information about the BFLR may be found on its LinkedIn page. Follow the BFLR on Twitter @bflr_rdbf.

Torrie has recently been asked by the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law Dean’s Office to supervise the start of a new journal focused on Private and Commercial Enterprise and Law, supported by the generosity of Marcel A. Desautels. This journal will soon be joining the roster of peer-reviewed journals on the Faculty’s course listings for law students at Robson Hall to take on a for-credit basis.

* A collection of writings published in honor of a scholar.

“Dr. Torrie is a perfect fit for our team,” said Dr. Jochelson. “She is a dynamic, award winning teacher with high standards, and she understands how important it is for our students to live up to professional standards in order to develop the requisite skills for the practice of law. She is also a critical thought leader and is committed to pursuing, with unflinching efforts, our need to live up to the promises we have made as a Faculty towards truth and reconciliation.”

The new Dean also looks forward to working with the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies on chairing the Faculty’s Strategic Planning Committee in addition to developing a new set of Master of Laws degree programs.

“Dr. Short has done fantastic work in enhancing the quality of our graduate program,” said Dr. Jochelson. “He is also an award-winning researcher and is exceptionally well positioned to draw on his depth of experience in developing new graduate opportunities including course-based and clinical offerings. Moreover, as a long-term Faculty Member he possesses the institutional wisdom needed to help with our strategic plan. Further, he has been at the leading edge of seeking equality for those excluded and marginalized by law and society.”

Dr. Torrie, who received both tenure and promotion to Associate Professor earlier this year, brings to the office of Associate Dean (J.D.), a dedicated interest in improving methods of teaching and learning. Having completed a Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education from the University of Manitoba, she has used blended learning and interactive teaching strategies to promote classroom engagement in all her courses and is dedicated to trying new and innovative teaching methods and approaches with the twin purposes of making learning both effective and enjoyable. Her skills are well-recognized and she is the recipient of several awards, including the Faculty of Law’s Barney Sneiderman Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017 and the University of Manitoba Merit Awards for Teaching in 2018 and Service in 2019.

As Associate Dean of the Juris Doctor program, she will be fostering student professionalism and developing an evolving curriculum that will involve strides towards Indigenization of the curriculum, refining our clinical offerings and strengthening the private enterprise curriculum of the Faculty.

“I’m delighted to be stepping into the role of Associate Dean (Academic – JD Program) on July 1st, 2021, and working alongside Dean Richard Jochelson and Associate Dean (Research) Donn Short in the years ahead,” said Dr. Torrie of her next role.  “At the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law we are fortunate to attract bright, talented and collegial students year after year, and I look forward to enhancing their academic and clinical experiences in the JD program, and supporting them as they prepare for their future career paths.”

Recognizing the work already cut out for her in this new position, Dr. Torrie continued, “One of the immediate challenges as Associate Dean (J.D.) will be continuing to monitor public health advice and University policies relating to the pandemic as these affect teaching and learning at the Faculty of Law. The situation is fluid, and we will need to be both sensible and nimble in how we respond and adapt to the changing situation.”

Dr. Torrie holds J.D. and LL.M. degrees from Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, and a Ph.D. from Kent Law School, University of Kent.  As an expert in Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law, her area of research focus includes the history of Canadian business restructuring from the Great Depression through to the 21^stCentury. To learn more about her research, please visit her profile page on the Faculty of Law website.

Dr. Donn Short is the author of numerous books dealing with bullying in schools, including Don’t Be So Gay!, Am I Safe Here? and the forthcoming Making the Case, all published by UBC Press. Dr. Short has received a number of university merit awards for his research, teaching and service. He was the winner of the 2016 Rh Institute Foundation Award for Outstanding Contributions to Scholarship and Research in the Social Sciences at the University of Manitoba.

“Robson Hall is a place that allows faculty to grow and develop their research alongside supportive colleagues and students,” said Dr. Short. “I have a lot of optimism for the future working as a team with Dean Richard Jochelson and Associate Dean Virginia Torrie.”

Dr. Short received his JD from UBC (Raymond Herbert Award Best All Round Graduating Student) and his PhD from Osgoode Hall. Dr. Short has been a member of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission and is the founding editor-in-chief of the Canadian Journal of Human Rights. He is the Executive Director of the Legal Research Institute at the University of Manitoba. Please learn more about Dr. Short’s work on his profile page on the Faculty of Law website.

Dr. Jochelson was announced as Dean of the Faculty of Law along with a number of other University of Manitoba faculties at the end of June. He begins his five-year term on July 1, 2021. Professor Jochelson holds a PhD in law from Osgoode Hall at York University, a Masters in Law from University of Toronto, and a Law Degree from University of Calgary (Gold Medal). He taught criminal and constitutional law at the University of Winnipeg for ten years prior to joining the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law in 2016.

Dr. Jochelson’s area of research focus includes regulation of sexuality and other expression, socio-legal governance of harm and precaution, policing and police powers, surveillance and security in legal decision-making, the criminal and constitutional jurisprudence of the Supreme Court of Canada, jury law, disability and the criminal law, regulation of sexuality and other expression, socio-legal governance of harm and precaution, and empirical analyses of legal decision makers.

He is one of the co-founders of the legal blog Robsoncrim.com. The blog contributes to legal education at Robson Hall, providing reflections on current issues in criminal law through its Blawg program, through special events, and through its annual peer reviewed journal (a special edition of the Manitoba Law Journal). Dr. Jochelson has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and co-authored and co-edited an increasing number of books and volumes dealing with obscenity, indecency, judicial activism, police powers, criminal justice pedagogy and curriculum development, empiricism in criminal law, green criminology and conceptions of judicial and jury reasoning. He is a member of the Bar of Manitoba. Please read more about Dr. Jochelson at his profile page on the Faculty of Law website.