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]

McGill University Faculty of Law
Faculté de droit de l'université McGill  (French)
TypePublic
Established1848 (1848)[1]
DeanRobert Leckey
Academic staff
98
Students652[2]
Location
Montreal
,
Quebec
,
Canada
CampusUrban
Languages
  • English
  • French
Websitemcgill.ca/law
Old Chancellor Day Hall is one of the buildings which house the Faculty of Law of McGill University.

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
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
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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

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

Political figures

Miscellaneous

See also

References
  1. "History of the Faculty of Law to 1968". McGill University. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  2. LSAC - JD: Canadian Law School Profiles Archived 15 March 2015 at the Wayback Machine. 2013. Retrieved 2014-04-30.
  3. "Top Law Schools in 2017". QS World Rankings. 13 March 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  4. "Top Law Schools in 2016". QS World Rankings. 24 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  5. QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016 - Law QS Top Universities, Retrieved 21 August 2017
  6. . Macleans http://www.macleans.ca/education/uniandcollege/2013-law-school-rankings/. Retrieved 22 August 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016 - Law". QS World Rankings. 17 March 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  8. "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2015 - Law". QS World Rankings. 22 April 2015. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  9. "QS World University Rankings by Subject 2013 - Law". QS World Rankings. 30 April 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  10. "McGill adopts JD designation for common law degree". McGill University Faculty of Law News. 27 November 2019.
  11. R. Macdonald, "The National Law Programme at McGill: Origins, Establishment, Prospects" Dalhousie Law Journal, 1990: 13: 211-363.
  12. https://www.mcgill.ca/iasl/
  13. http://scholar.smu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3150&context=jalc
  14. John Cobb Cooper
  15. Morissette, Yves-Marie, "McGill's Integrated Civil and Common Law Program" J. Legal Educ., 2002: 52: 12-28.
  16. "The next phase of legal education", "Law Focus Online, June 2015"
  17. Strauss, Peter, "Transsystemia—Are We Approaching a New Langdellian Moment? Is McGill Leading the Way?" J. Legal Educ., 2006: 56: 161-171.
  18. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 July 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  19. "IASL".
  20. "MJSDL".
  21. "Cinq McGillois pour la Cour suprême du Canada". McGill Faculty of Law. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  22. "2018 Supreme Court Clerks". McGill Faculty of Law. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  23. "Seven Clerks for Seven Judges". McGill Faculty of Law. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  24. "Six Supreme Law Court Clerks". McGill Faculty of Law. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  25. "The 2013 Canadian Maclean's Law School Rankings". Macleans. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  26. "Clerks". McGill Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  27. "Former Clerks". Center for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  28. "The Faculty of Law places 22nd worldwide in QS World University Rankings". Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  29. "Blind McGill Law student says school failed to accommodate disability"
  30. "Blind law student takes McGill to Quebec Human Rights Commission"
  31. "Blind student accuses McGill of failing to properly accommodate disabled students"
  32. https://airlinegeeks.com/2016/01/23/the-frontier-model-history-hubs-and-more-revenue/; https://www.denverpost.com/2007/09/06/frontier-appoints-new-chairman/; https://aviationweek.com/lund-retires-chairman-frontier; https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/containers/fix066/921929/000092192902000016/frontierproxystatement.htm; https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1351548/000106880007001305/form10k.htm; https://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=7895028&page=1
  33. "Bidding farewell to Roderick A. Macdonald (1948-2014)". Retrieved 28 August 2015.
  34. "Vol. 1 R.G. 37: THE FACULTY OF LAW" Archived 28 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine, The Archival Records of McGill University
  35. Ian Pilarczyk, "Chapter 1, p. 27", A Noble Roster: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Law at McGill
  36. "Professor Nicholas Kasirer completes extraordinary deanship", McGill University News and Events, 2 June 2009
  37. "Daniel Jutras named Dean of Law at McGill ", McGill University News and Events, 17 February 2010
  38. "Robert Leckey named Dean of the Faculty of Law", McGill University News and Events, 22 April 2016
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  41. "The Honourable Marie Deschamps",Supreme Court of Canada
  42. "The Honourable Morris Fish",Supreme Court of Canada
  43. "The Honourable Clément Gascon",Supreme Court of Canada
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  45. "The Honourable Charles Doherty Gonthier",Supreme Court of Canada
  46. "Prime Minister announces appointment of the Honourable Nicholas Kasirer to the Supreme Court of Canada".
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  48. "The Honourable Sheilah L. Martin",Supreme Court of Canada
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  51. Federal Court of Canada
  52. "Abbott, Sir John Joseph Caldwell",Dictionary of Canadian Biography
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  54. "History of McGill University: 1821-1875",About McGill

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