Lakehead Welcomes Dr. Margaret Isabel Hall as Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law

Dr. Margaret Isabel Hall, an accomplished legal scholar, educator and academic leader, will join Lakehead University as the new Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.

 

Dr. Hall comes to Lakehead from Simon Fraser University (SFU) in British Columbia, where she is a Professor in the School of Criminology, holds the Professorship in Applied Legal Studies, and serves as Director of the Master of Arts in Applied Legal Studies program. She is also Special Advisor for Legal Studies to the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

 

“I am delighted to be joining Lakehead University, the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law community, and the broader community of Thunder Bay,” says Dr. Hall. “The warm welcome I have already received has been remarkable, and I have been very impressed with the Faculty of Law’s commitment to excellence and innovation in legal education.”

 

Dr. Hall brings extensive experience in legal education, academic leadership and law reform. She also brings firsthand experience helping to build a law school and describes herself as a “builder” — an approach that has shaped much of her academic career.

 

Before joining SFU in 2019, Dr. Hall was an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, British Columbia, where she was one of six founding full-time faculty members. During her time there, she contributed to the development of the new law school through teaching and service across areas including curriculum, faculty appointments, clinical programming and experiential learning.

 

Dr. Hall has also worked extensively in law reform, including as a staff lawyer with the British Columbia Law Institute and as the founding Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law.

 

Her current research spans tort law, health law, medical assistance in dying, wills and incapacity planning, mental capacity, vulnerability and legal theories of states of mind. She is a co-author of Canadian Tort Law and The Law of Nuisance in Canada and has an extensive record of research, publication and academic collaboration in Canada and internationally.

 

“Dr. Hall brings a strong record as an educator, scholar and academic leader, along with the valuable experience of having helped build a law school from its earliest days,” explains Dr. Gillian Balfour, Provost and Vice-President (Academic). “ She understands the importance of community and the distinctive role a law school can play in the region it serves. I look forward to working with her as the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law continues to build on its strengths and its commitment to Northern Ontario.”

 

Dr. Hall’s experience and interests align closely with the law faculty’s distinctive approach to legal education. The Faculty’s curriculum is grounded in three mandate areas: Aboriginal and Indigenous Law, Environmental and Natural Resources Law, and Sole/Small Town Practice. Indigenous law and justice are integral to the Faculty’s teaching, learning and research, and she sees opportunities to build on the work already underway in collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations.

 

“The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law stands out among Canadian law schools for its commitment to Indigenous law and justice, and I am grateful for the opportunity to build on the excellent work of former Deans and faculty in collaboration with local First Nations communities and Indigenous organizations,” Dr. Hall says. “Developing support for Indigenous law students and for interdisciplinary research in collaboration with local communities and organizations are key areas of interest.”

 

Dr. Hall also sees the Faculty’s strong connections with the communities it serves as an important part of its identity and future.

 

“The special strength of a smaller law school located outside of a large metropolitan area is the opportunity to develop a strong community within the law school, and between the law school, the local legal community, alumni and the broader community,” she says. “That sense of community supports student success in law school and beyond, and helps foster an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. I look forward to learning from faculty and students and working together to nurture that spirit within a strong and supportive academic community.”

 

Dr. Hall holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in History from the University of British Columbia (UBC), a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University, and a Master of Laws and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies from UBC.

 

Dr. Hall will begin her appointment as Dean of the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law on January 1, 2027. Dr. Elizabeth Birmingham will continue to serve as Interim Dean until Dr. Hall assumes the role.