McGill University Faculty of Law
The Faculty of Law is one of the professional graduate schools of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the oldest law school in Canada, and continually ranks among the best law schools in the world. The faculty is known for its holistic approach though highly selective and competitive process for admission. Only 180 candidates are admitted for any given academic year and the acceptance rate is generally at 11%.[3][4][5] Its civil law degree is ranked as the best in Canada,[6] and consistently outranks Europe, Asia, and Latin America's top civil law schools.[7][8][9]
Type | Public |
---|---|
Established | 1848[1] |
Dean | Robert Leckey |
Academic staff | 98 |
Students | 652[2] |
Location | , , |
Campus | Urban |
Languages |
|
Website | mcgill |
The Faculty offers the Juris Doctor (JD) common law degree, previously an LL.B.,[10] and Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL) degrees, concurrently, in three to four years, allowing graduates to practice in the Canadian, US and UK common law system as well as Quebec, continental Europe, east Asia and Latin America's civil law system. The Faculty also offers the Master of Laws (LLM) and Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) degrees.
Notable alumni include Prime Ministers John Abbott and Sir Wilfrid Laurier, twelve Justices of the Supreme Court (Including the most recent appointment Nicholas Kasirer), as well as numerous Members of Parliament. Three members of the current Cabinet of Canada are graduates of the Faculty: Catherine McKenna, David Lametti, and Marc Miller.
History
University rankings | |
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Global rankings | |
Canadian rankings |
The Faculty of Law was officially created in 1853, after a petition signed by young men studying law in Montreal was made to McGill in 1848.[1] With the incoming class of 1969, the Faculty added a stand-alone common law degree, suitable to the practice of law in other Canadian provinces, which could be taken individually or jointly with the traditional Civil Law curriculum. The joint degree was then referred to as the National Programme, and taught common law and civil law in separate courses, but combined their study in a year-long introductory "Foundations" course and in some upper-year seminars.[11] In 1951, McGill inaugurated its first post-graduate law program with the creation of its Institute of Air & Space Law.[12] The Institute was founded by John Cobb Cooper, who had served as a senior official in Pan American World Airways, and the International Air Transport Association.[13] Canada's only United Nations organ, the International Civil Aviation Organization, is also headquartered in Montreal.[14]
With the incoming class of 1999, the Faculty eliminated its civil, common, and national programs, and replaced them with a single program, which includes some mandatory first-year courses and some upper-year courses which integrate both common and civil law. This joint and bilingual degree, which all students must take, is now referred to as the transsystemic program.[15] This program underwent slight revisions during a curriculum renewal unrolled in 2016. Under the newly revised program, criminal and property law are taught differently; incoming students also undergo two "integration weeks" (one in the fall and winter).[16]
The Transsystemic program was created under the direction of former Dean Stephen Toope, whereby every student graduates with degrees in both civil law and common law. This means that, from the first year, courses now explore civil and common law concepts in close comparison. Students analyse and critically evaluate the two traditions, their histories, and their social, political, and cultural contexts.[17] Undergraduate students may participate in international exchange programs, and in the International Courts and Tribunals Program, which in 2006 received a Scotiabank-AUCC Award for Excellence in Internationalization.[18]
The Faculty of Law, through the Institute of Air and Space Law, publishes annually the since 1976 the first and only bilingual publication in the field of air and space law, the Annals of Air and Space Law.[19] Other bilingual publications of the Faculty of Law include the McGill Law Journal and the McGill Journal of Sustainable Development Law.[20]
Reputation
Graduates of the Faculty consistently account for one quarter of Canada's Supreme Court clerkships,[21][22][23][24] more than any law school in Canada.[25] One of the small number of elite law schools internationally that may submit International Court of Justice (ICJ) clerkship applications, it also consistently places graduates at the ICJ,[26][27] and has a better placement record than any other Canadian law school.
Its flagship law review, the McGill Law Journal, is the most cited law faculty review by Canada's Supreme Court, and was ranked the best overall student-run law journal in the world outside of the United States. It also publishes the Canadian Guide to Uniform Legal Citation, the standard reference work for almost all Canadian law reviews, Canadian law schools, and courts.
The McGill University Faculty of Law has consistently placed as the top ranking law school in Canada and has the highest acceptance requirements. The alumni from McGill University's law school consist of a diverse group of distinguished leaders on a global scale. It has historically placed in the top 35 law schools globally on multiple ranking systems.[28] It was recently ranked the 22nd best law school worldwide in the 2019 QS World Ranking.[28]
Controversies
In 2018, the Faculty, along with the McGill Office for Students with Disabilities, were sued by a blind law student who alleged that he was systematically denied access to accommodation measures. His lawsuit was covered by local and national media outlets.[29][30][31]
Notable people
Current faculty members
- Payam Akhavan, former UN prosecutor at The Hague.
- Adelle Blackett, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development, former member of the International Labour Organization.
- Andrea Bjorklund, holder of the L. Yves Fortier Chair in International Arbitration and International Commercial Law.
- Allison Christians, holder of the H. Heward Stikeman Chair in Tax Law.
- François Crépeau, Director of the Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism, holder of the Hans and Tamar Oppenheimer Chair in Public International Law, and former United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Migrants.
- Armand de Mestral, Jean Monnet Chair in the Law of International Economic Integration.
- Mugambi Jouet, expert on criminal justice.
- Robert Leckey, dean and holder of the Samuel Gale Chair.
- Johanne Poirier, holder of the Peter MacKell Chair in Federalism.
- Stephen Allan Scott, professor emeritus and leading scholar on the Canadian Constitution.
- Stephen A. Smith, scholar of contractual and remedial law.
Past faculty members
- Irwin Cotler (BCL 1961, LLD 2019), human rights lawyer, former MP for Mount Royal and former Canadian Minister of Justice
- Paul-André Crépeau, responsible for drafting the new Civil Code of Quebec
- Paul Stephen Dempsey (DCL 1986), Emeritus Tomlinson Professor of Law, former Director of the McGill Institute of Air & Space Law, a founder and Vice Chair of Frontier Airlines, Inc.; Chair of Lynx Aviation, Inc.[32]
- Charles Joseph Doherty, Attorney General of Canada from 1911 to 1921
- H. Patrick Glenn, comparative legal scholar and author of "Legal Traditions of the World".
- Patrick Healy (BCL 1981), judge at the Quebec Court of Appeal.
- John Peters Humphrey (BCL 1929, LLB 1976), founding Director of the United Nations Human Rights division and principal drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
- David Johnston (LLD 2000), fourteenth Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, and former Governor General of Canada
- Nicholas Kasirer (BCL 1985, LLB 1985), scholar of civil law, comparative law, and law and language, Dean of the faculty 2004-2009, Supreme Court of Canada judge
- David Lametti (BCL 1989, LLB 1989), MP for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, Canadian Minister of Justice, and former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade
- W. C. J. Meredith, special federal prosecutor at the trial of Fred Rose, for whom the Meredith Memorial Lectures are named
- Roderick A. Macdonald, Dean of the faculty (1984-1989) influential law reformer, scholar, teacher, mentor and Founding President of the Law Commission of Canada[33]
- Yves-Marie Morissette, civil and comparative law scholar, Quebec Court of Appeal judge.
- F. R. Scott, constitutional rights lawyer, civil libertarian, and poet.
- Margaret Somerville, ethicist and former Samuel Gale Professor of Law.
- William Tetley, maritime law scholar, Quebec MNA for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and Cabinet Minister.
- Stephen Toope (BCL 1983, LLB 1983, LLD 2017), international law scholar, vice-chancellor of Cambridge University and former President of the University of British Columbia.
Deans of the Faculty
The study of law at McGill began in 1844 when William Badgley was appointed lecturer in law within the Faculty of Arts. While informal classes began earlier, the Faculty of Law was officially established at McGill in 1853, with William Badgley appointed its first dean. Over the years, the following people have served the Faculty of Law as deans.[34][35][36][37][38]
- 1853-1855 William Badgley, DCL 1870
- 1855-1876 Sir John Abbott, BCL 1854, DCL 1867
- 1876-1881 William W.H. Kerr, BCL 1872 (Acting Dean)
- 1881-1888 William W.H. Kerr, BCL 1872
- 1888-1896 Norman W. Trenholme, BCL 1865, DCL 1887
- 1896-1897 Leonidas Davidson, BCL 1864
- 1897-1914 Frederick Parker Walton, LLD 1915
- 1914-1915 Charles Peers Davidson, BCL 1863, DCL 1875, LLD 1912 (Acting Dean)
- 1915-1921 Robert Warden Lee, DCL 1877
- 1921-1923 Robert A.E. Greenshields, BCL 1885, LLD 1929 (Acting Dean)
- 1923-1928 Robert A.E. Greenshields, BCL 1885, LLD 1929
- 1928-1936 Percy Ellwood Corbett, DCL 1961
- 1936-1946 C. Stuart Lemesurier, BCL 1912
- 1946 John P. Humphrey, BCL 1929, PhD 1945, LLD 1976 (Dean Designate)
- 1946-1949 C. Stuart Lemesurier, BCL 1912
- 1949 Gérald Fauteux, LLD 1955
- 1950 A. Sydney Bruneau, BCL 1917
- 1950-1960 William C.J. Meredith
- 1960-1961 Maxwell Cohen, LLD 1994 (Acting Dean)
- 1961-1964 F.R. Scott, BCL 1927, LLD 1967
- 1964-1969 Maxwell Cohen, LLD 1994
- 1969-1974 John W. Durnford, BCL 1952
- 1974-1979 John E.C. Brierley, BCL 1959
- 1979-1980 William Foster (Acting Dean)
- 1980-1984 John E.C. Brierley, BCL 1959
- 1984-1989 Roderick A. Macdonald
- 1989-1994 The Hon. Yves-Marie Morissette
- 1994-1999 Stephen Toope, BCL 1983, LLB 1983, LLD 2017
- 1999-2003 Peter Leuprecht
- 2003-2009 The Hon. Nicholas Kasirer, BCL 1985, LLB 1985
- 2009 Shauna Van Praagh (Acting Dean)
- 2009-2010 Daniel Jutras (Acting Dean)
- 2010-2016 Daniel Jutras
- 2016- Robert Leckey, BCL 2002, LLB 2002
Alumni
Justices of the Supreme Court
- Douglas Abbott (BCL 1918), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1954, previously Minister of National Defence and Minister of Finance[39]
- Louis-Philippe de Grandpré (BCL 1938), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1974, formerly president of the Canadian Bar Association[40]
- Marie Deschamps (LLM 1983), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 2002, previously a Judge on the Quebec Court of Appeal[41]
- Morris Fish (BCL 1962), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 2003, previously a Judge on the Quebec Court of Appeal[42]
- Clément Gascon (BCL 1981), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 2014, previously a Judge on the Quebec Court of Appeal[43]
- Désiré Girouard (BCL 1860), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1895, previously member of Parliament[44]
- Charles D. Gonthier (BCL 1951), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1989, previously a Judge on the Quebec Court of Appeal[45]
- Nicholas Kasirer (BCL 1985, LLB 1985), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 2019, previously a Judge on the Quebec Court of Appeal[46]
- Gerald Le Dain (BCL 1949), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1984, previously a Judge on the Federal Court of Appeal[47]
- Sheilah L. Martin (BCL 1981, LLB 1981), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 2017, previously judge of the Court of Appeal of Alberta[48]
- Pierre-Basile Mignault (BCL 1878), puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1918, previously President of the Bar of Montreal[49]
- Thibaudeau Rinfret (BCL 1900), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada — appointed to the Court in 1924, previously a Judge on the Superior Court of Quebec[50]
Jurists and legal professionals
- Max M. Teitelbaum (BCL 1957), puisne justice of the Federal Court of Canada.[51]
- Jean-Louis Baudouin (BCL 1958, LLD 2007).
- Alanna Devine (BCL/LLB 2006), Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal branch of the Canadian Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
- John Gomery (BCL 1956), former judge of the Quebec Superior Court.
- Hilmi M. Zawati (LLB 1978, MA 1986, Ph. D 1994, LLM 1998, DCL 2010), International criminal law jurist and human rights advocate and Chair at Centre for International Accountability and Justice (CIAJ).
- Julius Grey (BCL 1971), Quebec human rights lawyer.
- Alison Harvison-Young (BCL 1983, LLB 1983), family law expert and judge of the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
- Edward Stuart McDougall, judge on the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
- Robert Stanley Weir (BCL 1880, DCL 1897), Quebec judge and poet famous for writing the English lyrics to the "O Canada" national anthem.
Political figures
- John Abbott (BCL 1854),[52] 3rd Prime Minister of Canada.
- Will Amos (BCL/LLB 2004), Liberal politician, MP for the riding of Pontiac.
- W. David Angus (BCL 1962), former Canadian senator..
- Thomas D'Arcy McGee (BCL 1861),[53] Member of Parliament, Minister of agriculture, immigration and statistics, and Father of Canadian Confederation.
- Ken Dryden (LLB 1973), cabinet minister and MP for York Centre, former Montreal Canadiens goaltender.
- Brian Gallant (LLM 2011), former Premier of New Brunswick.
- Hillel Neuer (BCL 1997, LLB 1997) international lawyer, writer, and the executive director of UN Watch
- Yoine Goldstein (BCL 1958), former Canadian senator.
- Véronique Hivon (BCL 1994, LLB 1994), member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Joliette.
- Anthony Housefather(BCL 1993, LLB 1993), Liberal politician, MP for the riding of Mount Royal.
- Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain (BCL’50, LLD’97), first woman to become a member of the National Assembly of Quebec, lawyer and judge.
- Sir Wilfrid Laurier (BCL 1866),[54] 7th Prime Minister of Canada.
- Rodolphe Laflamme (BCL 1856, DCL 1873), 5th Attorney General of Canada.
- David Lametti (BCL 1989, LLB 1989), Liberal politician, MP for the riding of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, Canadian Minister of Justice, and former Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade.
- Joël Lightbound (BCL/LLB 2011), Liberal politician, MP for the riding of Louis-Hébert.
- Catherine McKenna (LLB 1999), Liberal politician, MP for the riding of Ottawa Centre, and Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
- Thomas Mulcair (BCL 1976, LLB 1977), former leader of the NDP of the Official Opposition, MP for Outremont, former Quebec MNA for Chomedy and Minister of Environment.
- Joe Oliver (BCL 1964), former MP for Eglinton—Lawrence, Minister of Finance and Minister of Natural Resources.
- Narcisse Pérodeau (BCL 1876), a Quebec politician and the 14th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.
- Kathleen Weil (BCL 1982, LLB 1982), member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Miscellaneous
- Mary Dawson (BCL 1963), civil servant, former Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner of Canada.
- Yves Fortier (BCL 1958, LLD 2005), Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations and President of the United Nations Security Council.
- Donald James Johnston (BCL 1958, LLD 2003), 4th Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Attorney General of Canada from 1984 to 1988.
- Michael Goldbloom (BCL 1978, LLB 1979), Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Bishop's University in Lennoxville, Quebec.
- Hubert Lacroix (BCL 1976), former CEO and President of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
- David Lawee (BCL 1993), partner and founder of Google Capital.
- Annie MacDonald Langstaff (BCL 1914), the first woman to earn a law degree in Quebec, a legal activist, supporter of women's suffrage and an early woman aviator.
- Don Meehan (LLB 1975), founder of Newport Sports agency, which represents several hockey players in the NHL.
- Pierre Péladeau (BCL 1950), founder of Canadian media company Quebecor Inc.
- Richard Pound (BCL 1962, LLD 2009), Canadian swimming champion, lawyer and prominent spokesman for ethics in sport.
- Jennifer Stoddart (BCL 1980, LLD 2015), civil servant, sixth Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
See also
References
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