AV俱乐部

Tracing familiar paths down University Avenue on Sept. 30, alumni from the classes of 鈥�66, 鈥�76, 鈥�86, 鈥�91, 鈥�96, 鈥�06, and听鈥�11 climbed the stairs to the second floor of AV俱乐部鈥檚 Student Union Building to attend the Schulich School of Law鈥檚 2016 East Coast Lawbster Party, the first of many events arranged to celebrate the annual Law Alumni Reunion Weekend.

In the atrium of the McInnes Room, an eager alumnus in a grey suit greeted new arrivals with the same question: 鈥淐lass of 鈥�86? Class of 鈥�86?鈥� Scanning names, he fished a fair selection of colleagues from a sea of 鈥�76 and 鈥�91 tags 鈥� the years with the largest turnout. Regardless of grad year, classmates from as far as Singapore, Australia, and the U.K. were excited to reconnect in the traditional Maritime way 鈥� over lobster and drinks.

In the dining room, guests were greeted by Schulich School of Law Dean Camille Cameron. 鈥淓vents like this one are a very warm and welcome opportunity to bring our graduates together from near and far. They give each of you a chance to catch up with one another and the rest of us the chance to meet you or meet you again, and hear about the interesting careers you have built for yourselves.鈥�

Dean Camille Cameron and third-year student Bart Soroka, president of the Law Students' Society.

As guests helped themselves to salad, coleslaw, and roasted potatoes, bright-red lobsters were brought out by the bucketful. CBC journalist and alumnus ('86) took the stage during dessert. 鈥淚 see a look of puzzlement on some faces,鈥� he began. 鈥淪ome of you are not quite sure who I am and why I鈥檓 speaking to this group. That鈥檚 fine. Hopefully that鈥檒l become clear. There鈥檚 a second group of you who have only seen me on TV, and up until tonight 鈥� if you鈥檙e not a member of the class of 鈥�86 and haven鈥檛 seen me in person 鈥� you鈥檙e saying, 鈥楳an, he is a lot shorter than I thought.鈥欌��

Hanomansing kept the crowd laughing. 鈥淲hy did Dal get the one guy who came to law school not planning to be a lawyer, didn鈥檛 article, who never worked a day in law in his career...Why is he speaking at the Dal Law Alumni dinner? That鈥檚 a good question,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was wondering the answer to that, too.鈥�

Hanomansing had two criteria when it came to choosing a law school. One: it had to be a national law school, which AV俱乐部 has been since 1890. Two: it had to be located in a small city in the Maritimes. 鈥淧retty clearly Dal was going to be that choice,鈥� he said.

AV俱乐部 was the only place he applied, and he never opened his acceptance letter 鈥� our school was the only choice he wanted to make. After all, said Hanomansing, 鈥淲here else in the world do you learn to rattle off Latin phrases with a Nova Scotia twang?鈥�

CBC journalist and alumnus Ian Hanomansing ('86) was the event's guest speaker.

As a student, Hanomansing took judicial remedies from a young professor named Tom Cromwell (aka The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, newly retired Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada) who brought in an antique toy car to teach his class about special damages. 鈥淚 remember that moment clearly, and I remember that concept even more clearly 30 years later,鈥� said Hanomansing.

Today, he contends that AV俱乐部 law grads feel connected to what鈥檚 going on in the world because old and new professors alike are prominent public figures. He mentioned , renowned for his expertise in family law, and , a cyberbullying expert. These people help the law school garner the national profile it deserves, he added.

鈥淵ou make a lot of na茂ve choices where you鈥檙e 21, 22 years old, but when I look back at my decision to come here, I realize it was the right choice,鈥� said Hanomansing. 鈥淲e鈥檝e all taken different paths to get to this university and we鈥檝e followed different paths since then, but we share a few basic things 鈥� we are a little older now, we鈥檙e a lot wiser, and we couldn鈥檛 be prouder to be alumni of this great law school.鈥�

After Hanomansing's address,听Donna Franey, president of the AV俱乐部 Law Alumni Association, introduced this year鈥檚 recipient of the Weldon Award. Stewart McInnes (鈥�61) of Halifax, said Franey, was a man with a concern for humanity and a want for positive change who exemplified the values embedded in the Weldon Tradition. 鈥淗e put his heart and soul into everything he believed in. He was a doer, a pragmatist 鈥� the kind of 鈥榬oll up your sleeves and get to work鈥� kind of guy.鈥�

McInnes died of heart failure last year in Halifax at age 78. His daughter Sarah McInnes, a fourth generation AV俱乐部 law grad, accepted the award on his behalf. She opened her remarks by saying that she and Hanomansing had something in common 鈥� she never opened her acceptance letter, either: 鈥淚 got home and my father had already opened it.鈥�

Sarah McInnes ('04) accepted the Weldon Award on behalf of her father, Stewart McInnes.

McInnes described her father as a lawyer, politician, volunteer, fundraiser, and philanthropist. He served on as many as 64 boards and community organizations, received the A.J. Sandy Young Award for Great Contribution to Sport in Nova Scotia, and was voted AV俱乐部 Alumnus of the Year in 1998. 鈥淢y father wasn鈥檛 only committed to causes he cared about. He was passionate about his community as a whole and about the people in it. That鈥檚 the story I鈥檇 like to contribute.鈥�

Chronicling her father鈥檚 love of gardening and unwavering commitment to his family, McInnes paused, briefly overcome with emotion. Former Schulich Law Dean Kim Brooks encouraged her to continue with a bolstering cry of, 鈥淕o Sarah!鈥� to which everyone in attendance applauded. Looking into the faces of her supporters, McInnes said: 鈥淔or my father, public service was not an obligation. Being able to contribute to his community, his province, and his country was a privilege. To be a member of this profession is a privilege.鈥�

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