Get to know the Schulich School of Law

Dal News

Get to know the Schulich School of Law

Pop-up lecture

Canadians believe strongly in the rule of law, and when a crime has been committed, they count on the courts to get decisions right and hold the right person accountable for their actions. But even with modern forensic evidence and the testimony of objective experts鈥攖he courts can get it wrong. Sometimes, the wrong person is convicted and spends time behind bars for a crime they did not commit. How does this happen? How can we stop this from happening? What happens to the lives of those who鈥檝e been wrongly convicted?

Rob Currie is known for his expertise in Canadian and international criminal law 鈥� both as a professor at the Schulich School of Law for 15 years, and as a sought-after speaker and media commentator. On Tuesday, September 8, Professor Currie will be giving a pop-up lecture on wrongful convictions and performing his song 鈥�,鈥� which conveys the sad story of Romeo Phillion, a Canadian who was wrongly convicted of a 1967 murder and spent 31 years in prison before being exonerated on April 29, 2010, his seventy-first birthday. Throughout his incarceration, Phillion maintained his innocence and so never sought parole.

Date: Tuesday, September 8

Time: 12 p.m.

Location: Front lawn of Ralph M. Medjuck Building (H BUILDING) 5410 Spring Garden Rd., Sexton Campus
RAIN LOCATION: Ralph M. Medjuck Building (H BUILDING) 5410 Spring Garden Rd., Sexton Campus, Rm HB2

Storify

As the first week of #KnowYourDal wraps up, we look online (specifically, to Twitter and Instagram) to learn more about the recent work, research and accomplishments in our Schulich School of Law.

Dean's video

Schulich School of Law Dean Camille Cameron answers our questions in this video interview.&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;nbsp;

Feature story

5 Things You Didn鈥檛 Know AV俱乐部 The Schulich School of Law

For more than 130 years, AV俱乐部鈥檚 law school has been known for being the first university-based common law school in Canada, and for its reputation for high academic and professional standards and commitment to unselfish public service. But did you also know鈥�

The law school has its own postage stamp
The law school has been called a 鈥渂rain-export factory鈥�
The faculty, students, and staff who work and study in the Weldon Law Building are commonly called 鈥淲eldonites鈥�
The law school is the sixth 鈥淪chulich鈥� school
The law school has long worked to be a place where everyone feels they belong

Read the full story on Dal News

Photo gallery

Get to know some of the faces at the Schulich School of Law.

鈥淚 started working at the Athletics & Recreation Department (Dalplex) in 1990 as a secretary for the varsity coaches. I was a month shy of my 19th birthday. I came to the law school in 1992 as secretary to numerous faculty. In 2000 I began working with the Associate Dean, Academic, and the Director of Finance & Administration, and in 2011 I began working solely for the Director of Finance & Administration. Some of my co-workers have been here as long as I have and are like family to me. All of my major life milestones have happened while I鈥檝e worked at Dal: I met my husband, bought a house, and had two children. Two days after my first child was born, I brought her to work to show her off to the faculty and staff; she鈥檚 in Grade 12 now. In high school I didn鈥檛 have the best grades, so I鈥檓 proud that in 1995 I earned a Business Management Certificate from Henson College, and last October I received my Certificate in Financial Management from Dal鈥檚 College of Continuing Education. I appreciate that as an employer, Dal encourages you to pursue professional development. As a host family for the Nova Scotia International Student Program, I truly enjoy the diversity on campus. I hope that the international students at Dal are sharing their cultures with the Canadian students and having a unique experience studying here.鈥�

Tiffany Coolen-Jewers, Financial & Administrative Assistant

鈥淚 graduated from AV俱乐部 Law School in 1998. I started teaching Evidence there part-time in 2000 when I was in practice, then started full-time in 2002. I was nervous on my first day in front of a class 鈥� I was really keen on teaching, but having been a student there, I knew the standard was very high. The best advice I鈥檇 give a new teacher is not to be afraid to say 鈥業 don鈥檛 know鈥� in the classroom. If a student's question is on point, tell them you鈥檒l track down the answer 鈥� and be sure to do it! If it鈥檚 a little further afield, encourage them to pursue the answer on their own. I鈥檓 a better teacher now because I鈥檝e learned to reach the students where they are: they鈥檙e intelligent non-lawyers, and I have a stronger sense of where the beginning point is for them. The best days are when students tell me that something I've said to them made a light bulb come on or impacted how they view the law.鈥� Professor Currie sidelines as a musician and sang 鈥淩omeo鈥� from his new CD, Take Me Back, during his wrongful convictions pop-up lecture on Tuesday, Sept 8.

Rob Currie, Associate Professor of Law, Director of the Law & Technology Institute

鈥淚 started working at the law school faculty in 1979 on a part-time basis while continuing my education. In 1981 I went full-time in various positions in Admissions. I was here in 1985 when the fifth-floor library was destroyed by an electrical fire. I remember seeing smoke as I walked to the Weldon Law Building and being stopped by a police officer, who said I wouldn鈥檛 be going to work that day! I鈥檓 most proud that I鈥檝e worked up to the position I鈥檓 currently in, which is tailor-made for me. Over the years, the Deans at the law school have supported me in growing my career path. We have a lot of long-time employees, and that speaks volumes about Dal as an employer. The law school鈥檚 alumni and student body have also grown over the years. I鈥檝e made so many friendships and connections with the students that I can go anywhere in the country and run into a graduate 鈥� we鈥檙e the most national law school in Canada, with the highest number of students studying here from other provinces. I鈥檝e attended lots of weddings of law students who met here. The Schulich Law community is tightly knit, even after people graduate. My two daughters went to Dal, and one of them is coming back to do a second degree. Dal has a lot to offer in terms of education, professional development, and benefits.鈥�

Rose Godfrey, Director of Admissions and Outreach

鈥淚 studied electrical engineering at the University of Ottawa and then law at McGill. I took a tax law course as an elective and thought it would be dry, but I loved it. Tax is all about fairness and how we structure society, and so there are fascinating policy issues that underpin tax law. After graduation, I clerked at the Tax Court in Ottawa, where I got to see first-hand how tax affects people from all over Canada and in all walks of life. I had lived in and visited lots of places in Canada, but I had never been to Halifax before I moved here with my wife and son to start the master's program at the Schulich School of Law. What attracted me to Schulich Law was the depth and breadth of expertise in tax law and policy. Now I鈥檓 doing my PhD research in tax and also teaching both our introductory tax course and our Sale of Goods course to upper-year law students. Schulich has a great vibe because it attracts such diverse and talented students. I love that I get the opportunity to help them explore something they鈥檙e interested in or open them up to something they aren鈥檛. My advice to new graduate students is that our program is intense and it鈥檚 going to be hard work, but you should take advantage of the amazing generosity of the faculty and our knowledgeable law librarians. It鈥檚 also important to support and encourage your fellow grad students, especially during the tough moments.鈥�

Colin Jackson, PhD candidate and part-time faculty member

鈥淚 completed my BSc in marine biology and oceanography at Dal in 1994, which led to a job at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. I loved it but realized I didn鈥檛 want to work in a lab long term. While I was at BIO, I saw a brochure about the marine and environmental law program at Dal, which is what motivated me to apply to AV俱乐部 Law School. I graduated with my law degree in 1999 and practiced as a civil litigator for 12 years, with a sub-specialty in maritime law. In 2011, I joined the Schulich School of Law as Assistant Dean, Student Services. I was attracted to the position because of the opportunity to support students and the personal interaction it offers; I felt that I could be a good resource for students. I help students with a range of issues, from the big picture of figuring out what to do with their law degree down to the nitty-gritty of preparing for job interviews. One of the biggest challenges is managing students鈥� expectations in a demanding job market. I try to be really direct and realistic about how careers evolve. Many students want to know what they can do besides work at a big law firm, so I help them visualize the steps they need to take to develop the skills they need for the career they want. My favourite day of the year is convocation. There鈥檚 a reception at the law school beforehand; the students and their families are there, along with faculty and staff. There鈥檚 a festive atmosphere 鈥� it鈥檚 a big victory for not only the students but also for everyone who supported them.鈥�

Sarah Kirby, Assistant Dean, Student Services

鈥淏efore I graduated from AV俱乐部 Law School in 1994, I was an ICU nurse at the old Halifax Infirmary. My dream was to attend med school, so I started by taking some science courses at Dal. I also took political science, which talked about the law, and I got excited about it. I鈥檓 not sure exactly when I decided to be a lawyer, but I do remember my first day of law school. I was excited and scared at the same time! I was 39 and a single parent, and I wasn鈥檛 sure I could do this. In my third year of law school, I was lucky enough to spend four months working at AV俱乐部 Legal Aid Service. I loved everything about it 鈥� so much so that I came to work here in 1997 and never left! I am a member of the Millbrook First Nation, and I grew up in high-poverty communities in Halifax. One of the best parts of my job is being able to give back to my community and other communities. For me, it鈥檚 all about service; that is what I was brought up to believe. It鈥檚 not always your typical law practice 鈥� although I鈥檓 a lawyer first, we sometimes help our clients in a different way than I would if I was at a large private law firm. I also love the law-reform aspect, because our mandate is to make positive changes for those living in poverty. One of my biggest accomplishments is in guiding parents who have had their children taken away so they can do what they need to get their children back. I go home at night feeling like I did a good job and the best I could for my clients.鈥�

Heather McNeill, QC, lawyer, AV俱乐部 Legal Aid Service

鈥淚 started working at the law library 25 years ago. My first job was on contract to replace books lost in the 1985 fire, which destroyed the law library on the fifth floor of the law school. The damage was so bad that they had to demolish the entire floor. They built the new Sir James Dunn Law Library adjoining the Weldon Law Building. I was then hired permanently as the bibliographer to order the books and periodicals from all over the world. Twelve years ago, I started working as the IT specialist. Students might ask how to print a document or fix a software problem, or maybe their flash drive won鈥檛 work in their laptop. My busiest time is in the fall, answering questions and helping new students get settled. My best advice is to finish your paper the day before it鈥檚 due and have it printed, because printer demand is high on the due date and a printer might be down. I鈥檓 interested in art and design, so I鈥檓 most proud of rehanging the donated artwork in the law library so it shows better. There鈥檚 a huge variety of art in the library 鈥� everything from framed pictures and architectural drawings, to furniture and sculpture, to rugs and a woven tapestry. A former professor donated 139 framed photographs of Nova Scotia wildflowers that he took himself. I feel art should be where people can see it. I believe the artwork beautifies the building.鈥�

Stephen Murray, IT Support Specialist, Sir James Dunn Law Library

鈥淚鈥檓 currently completing my doctorate at Yale Law School and also teaching contract law at Dal as a Schulich Fellow. My research asks how the emerging 'Science of Happiness' can be used to improve constitutional law. For example, if we can measure the cumulative impact of being stopped and searched by the police, we can begin to understand how constitutional rights can be experienced differently depending on whether you are, for example, an African-American teenager in Missouri or a Caucasian businessperson in New York. As a Schulich Fellow, I鈥檒l be spending a year getting valuable law school teaching experience and working on publishing parts of my dissertation. I took one of my first law school classes, international law, at Dal when I was a master鈥檚 of development economics student 10 years ago; it was then that I first starting getting interested in the subjective well-being research that underscores part of my current project. That law class was taught by Professor Emeritus Hugh Kindred, and I just moved into his old office, so it really feels like I鈥檝e come full circle. But returning to Dal didn鈥檛 involve moving back to Halifax 鈥� I鈥檝e been living here since 2010 and have been a member of the Nova Scotia bar since 2011. What I like about the Schulich Law faculty members is that they鈥檙e actively engaged in the legal community 鈥� on issues like equality and the regulation of lawyers in Nova Scotia 鈥� and not just focused on teaching and research. I鈥檓 really excited to interact with the Schulich Law students and to be part of the broader Dal community. In the winter I鈥檓 giving a public 'Mini Law School' talk and I welcome members of the community to attend.鈥�

Benjamin Perryman, Schulich Fellow

鈥淚鈥檝e been working at Dal since 2005. I floated everywhere at first, then I was at the Rebecca Cohn Arts Centre and the Clinical Research Centre. I鈥檝e been at the Schulich School of Law for five years. I feel like I鈥檓 the caretaker of the Weldon Law Building. It鈥檚 old, but it doesn鈥檛 have to look its age; I want it to look the best we can possibly make it. I鈥檓 a determined person, and I like things to be done properly. My attitude is that there鈥檚 always a way of doing things better. I鈥檝e made a lot of changes since I started here, like getting bigger garbage cans for the classrooms so garbage wouldn鈥檛 spill onto the floor, and fixing the gap between the floor and the elevators so that it would be more accessible for someone using a wheelchair. One of the best things about working here is the people 鈥� the students, faculty and staff are friendly. My favourite time of year is convocation. I spend six or seven weeks waxing the floors, cleaning the carpets and dusting. Some people say it鈥檚 a lot of work for one day, but the law students who are graduating have been here day and night for three years. It鈥檚 an important day 鈥� they鈥檙e bringing their mothers, fathers and grandparents and taking photos in the building. I want them to be proud of where they studied.鈥�

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