Chief Justice of Ontario George R. Strathy speaking to our law students.
Chief Justice of Ontario George R. Strathy speaking to our law students.
Announcement: Gilbert Deschamps
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University is pleased to announce the appointment of Gilbert Deschamps, in the new position of Director of Indigenous Relations commencing on September 26, 2016. "This new position and the addition of Director Deschamps will add tremendously to our efforts in recruitment, admissions and retention of Aboriginal and Indigenous students," says Dean Angelique EagleWoman. "The motivation for this position was originally brought forward as priority by the distinguished members of our Aboriginal Advisory Committee. We are so pleased to have such a qualified and well-connected lawyer join our Faculty of Law in this important position."
Most recently, Mr. Deschamps served as a Band Councillor at the Red Rock First Nation (Lake Helen Reserve) of Ontario. In that position, he participated in the portfolios on: Justice and Policy, Education, and Band Administration. He has also maintained a legal practice focusing on family and criminal law. He has a depth of prior experience serving as a policy analyst for several Indigenous-focused companies including the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association in Ottawa, the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa, and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in Gatineau, Quebec.
Director Deschamps earned his Juris Doctor from the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law in Vancouver and his Bachelor of Arts in Social Anthropology at Lakehead University. He states that he has had, "a longstanding interest in attracting more Indigenous people to the field of law. I believe that the future lies in re-establishing self-determination and self-government for the Indigenous people of Canada. As a result, we will need more legally trained graduates to help establish our own justice systems." As he steps into the role of Director of Indigenous Relations, he will be the primary outreach professional to Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit communities with a particular focus on the North.
Media Advisory - Two LLDs to be presented at Toronto Call to Bar ceremony
Law Society to call members of Bora Laskin Faculty of Law's first graduating class
TORONTO, Sept. 20, 2016 /CNW/ - Two extraordinary legal professionals will each receive honorary Doctor of Law degrees, honoris causa (LLD) from the Law Society of Upper Canada at the Call to the Bar ceremony at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto on September 23, 2016. This special Call to the Bar ceremony will include Lakehead University's first graduating class from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law.
New Faculty Hire - Daniel Dylan
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University is pleased to announce the appointment of Daniel Dylan, as an Assistant Professor, commencing August 1, 2016. “We are excited about the contributions Daniel will bring as our newest faculty member,” says Dean Angelique EagleWoman. “He understands communities in the North and is an excellent fit with our three mandate areas: Aboriginal/Indigenous law; Natural Resources and Environmental Law; and Sole Practitioner/Small Town Law with the integrated practice curriculum.”
Daniel has most recently served as Legal Counsel for the Government of Nunavut Department of Justice in the Legal and Constitutional Law Division. Since April 2012, he has gained legal experience working on Aboriginal, environment, mining, natural resource, sustainable development and wildlife matters. He is the President of the Canadian Bar Association, Nunavut Branch and has served as a committee member on various topics for the Law Society of Nunavut. In June 2011, he was called to the bar in Ontario. Following that in January 2012, he was called to the bar in Nunavut.
As part of his depth of legal experience, he has served in several judicial clerkships. From July 2011 to April 2012, he served as a clerk to the Honourable Justice Donald J. Rennie, Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario (now of the Federal Court of Appeal). From August 2010 to July 2011, he served as a clerk to the Honourable Justice Douglas R. Campbell, Federal Court in Ottawa, Ontario. From January 2010 to May 2010, he served as an externship judicial law clerk to the Honorable Judge David McKeague, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Lansing, Michigan. In 2011, Daniel received his Masters of Laws (L.L.M.) from the University of Ottawa, Faculty of Common Law where he also received his (Bachelor of Laws) L.L.B. in 2010. In addition, he attained a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Michigan State University College of Law in 2010. From Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Daniel received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree with High Honors in Political Science in 1997.
Daniel brings experience in teaching in the areas of human rights, social justice, Aboriginal issues and the law. His legal scholarship has focused on a variety of issues, such as: traditional knowledge governance in Nunavut, the duty to consult in overlapping land areas for protection of wildlife, and intellectual property. His practical experience and scholarly interests will inform his classes in the areas of contracts, evidence, professional responsibility and natural resources.
Class of 2016 graduates from Bora Laskin Faculty of Law
Congratulations to our first class of graduates, who convocated on May 27, 2016 from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law at Lakehead University! We are proud to have 58 new alumni of our program.
There was a law ceremony in the morning for students and their families. Graduates were welcomed with a prayer and drum by Elder Isabel Mercier, addressed by our new Dean Angelique EagleWoman, and addressed by Dr. Mariette Brennan, one of the founding faculty members. Warren Mouck addressed his classmates as the valedictorian. The full video of the ceremony can be viewed here.
We were also very honoured to also have Senator Murray Sinclair speak to the class (pictured below) - he has met the class in a number of visits to the school and is a strong advocate of our program. 
In the afternoon, the class from the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law convocated along with the Faculties of Business, Engineering and Medicine, at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.
Jean Charest was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Laws and spoke to the graduating classes. As he said in his address: "This day is for you. For your family and friends, for the Faculty members of your departments and for all of you this is a very special moment. You are the first in Canada to graduate from an Integrated Practice Curriculum in the Faculty of Law. You are the first students to graduate from this university and from any Canadian university that I know of, with training that has prepared you to serve the people of northern Canada and of northern Ontario in particular, with specialized training in small and sole practice of law, natural resources based law, and Aboriginal and Indigenous law. You have been chosen. Chosen to be the advocates of social justice, chosen to support and lead economic development. You have been chosen because you are already, at this point in your life, leaders in your community."
The full afternoon convocation ceremony can be viewed here. The 2016 Convocation Booklet/Program can be viewed here.
We wish our graduates all the best as they move forward in their careers across Ontario and Canada. As Dean EagleWoman said in her address to the class:"We hope you take some of the legacy of Chief Justice Bora Laskin with you as you graduate. When you are called to service, we hope you will gladly and willingly answer the call. With the courses and knowledge you have gained here, we hope you will join in the local, provincial, and national conversation on Aboriginal rights and quality of life. As natural resource projects are developing, we hope you will feel confident in bringing in your perspectives on what you have learned here. And we hope you are always dedicated to access to justice in northern Ontario."
Professor MacLean recognized by Ontario's Research Matters
Professor Jason MacLean's column on climate change and sustainability is being recognized by the Ontario Council of Universities Research Matters initiative. His column can be seen at:
And the specific tweet link is here:
https://twitter.com/OntarioResearch/status/672067849247055873
Congratulations!
Faculty of Law's Response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released the summary of its final report on June 2, 2015, professors, students and staff at Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in Thunder Bay, Ontario were encouraged to see the recommendations related to teaching Aboriginal law at Canadian law schools.
Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Recommendation 28:
We call upon law schools in Canada to require all law students to take a course in Aboriginal people and the law, which includes the history and legacy of residential schools, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Treaties and Aboriginal rights, Indigenous law, and Aboriginal-Crown relations. This will require skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution, human rights and anti-racism.[1]
We are Canada’s youngest law school, about to welcome our third cohort of 60 students, and we place a strong emphasis on Aboriginal issues throughout our program.
Local Aboriginal leaders and communities were instrumental in establishing this law school in northern Ontario with its focus on northern issues. Our Faculty has a tripartite mandate – small firm practice, Aboriginal legal issues, and natural resource/environmental law – and our curriculum continues to develop in these key areas.
All of our students take three mandatory courses on Aboriginal legal issues. In first year, students take a semester-long course called Indigenous Legal Traditions, which examines the laws and legal traditions of various Indigenous nations, with an emphasis on the Anishinaabe and the Métis nations. It is taught from an Indigenous perspective, focusing on Indigenous peoples’ own laws, worldviews, and understanding of their treaties with the Crown. One objective of the course is to analyze the impact of residential schools on Indigenous laws. To this end, excerpts from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s interim report, They Came for the Children, have been required reading. Going forward, these will be replaced with excerpts from the Commission’s final report.
All students in first year also take Aboriginal Perspectives – an experiential learning course that gives students the opportunity to begin to immerse themselves in Indigenous worldviews. An Anishinaabe elder offers teachings over a number of weeks, discussing talking circles, smudging, and Anishinaabe perspectives. Similarly, a Métis knowledge-holder explains the unique history and perspectives of the Métis Nation. We also bring in a broad range of guest speakers on Aboriginal issues, including residential school survivors who discuss their personal stories of the impact of intergenerational trauma. In this course, students supplement class sessions with direct engagement with Indigenous culture, for example by participating in Lakehead University’s Pow Wow, Fall Harvest, medicine walks, ceremonies, sweat lodges, and many other such events.
Finally, in second year, all students take a full-year course on Aboriginal peoples and the law, which examines Canadian law pertaining to Aboriginal and treaty rights. Going forward, this course will also deal with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
We build Aboriginal issues into the rest of the curriculum where appropriate, such as Gladue principles in criminal law. We also endeavor to offer a range of upper year electives for students interested in learning more about Aboriginal legal issues.
We have more work to do, though. We want to improve on our Aboriginal Perspectives course, continuing to strengthen our relationships with Indigenous communities in our region, and focusing on the specific recommendation of “intercultural competency”. We aim to incorporate all aspects of Recommendation 28 into our curriculum. We are committed to providing a first-rate legal education – both Canadian and Indigenous – to all of our Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
For full course descriptions referred to above, please see Indigenous Course Offerings
New Faculty Hire - Miriam Cohen
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law is pleased to announce the appointment of Miriam Cohen, as an Assistant 
Professor, commencing July 1, 2015.
Miriam comes to us from the International Court of Justice in The Hague, where she has worked as a staff lawyer since January 2011. Prior to this, Miriam worked at the International Criminal Court and at an international law firm in Montreal. Miriam is currently completing her doctoral studies with Leiden University, having received the Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies award for doctoral studies. She will defend her thesis entitled “Civil dimensions of international criminal justice” later this year.
Miriam received her Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Harvard Law School in June 2009, [recipient of the Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship and John Peters Humphrey Scholarship] a Master of Laws (LL.M.) from Cambridge University, UK in June 2008 (public international law and criminal law) and [recipient of The Right Honourable Paul Martin Sr. Scholarship] as well as both a Master of Laws (law and technology and business law) and LL.B. from the Université de Montréal, 2010 and 2006 respectively.
Miriam’s primary teaching and research interests include human rights, environmental law, public and private international law, international criminal law, alternative dispute settlement, international organizations, criminal law and procedure and comparative law. Miriam’s publications have appeared in law journals in Canada, the United States and Brazil. Miriam is a member of the Quebec Bar since 2009.
Lakehead Legal Services opening soon!
The Bora Laskin Faculty of Law is proud to announce that in June, our Lakehead Legal Services clinic will open to clients, to offer legal assistance to low-income members of the Thunder Bay community.
Lakehead Legal Services clinic will be staffed by four (4) students during the summer, very closely supervised by experienced lawyers. Second and Third year students will be able to take a clinic credit course as part of their academic legal training.
Initial areas of practice will include minor (summary) offences in criminal law and more serious provincial offences.
Clients must meet pre-determined financial eligibility guidelines, which are set by Legal Aid Ontario.
Eligibility for service will also depend on the nature and complexity of the legal issue.
Keep an eye on the Legal Aid Clinic webpage for updates.
To hear more about the clinic, listen to an interview with Director Kimberley Gagan and 3rd year student Ryan Green on CBC Radio. www.cbc.ca/player/Radio/Local+Shows/Ontario/Superior+Morning/ID/2665803073/
You can also see an interview on TBT News - scroll to 12:52 on this link: www.tbnewswatch.com/video/2Pwse_AuDyI/TBT_Newshour_-_April_29,_2015
Lakehead Law students raise $400 for First Nation maple syrup producers
From CBC News Thunder Bay:
The Indigenous Law Students Association at Lakehead University raised more than $400 for the Fort William First Nation Maple Syrup Harvesters at a pancake lunch on Tuesday.
Maple syrup producers on Fort William First Nation, in northwestern Ontario, are getting some financial help from the Indigenous Law Students Association at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.
The association raised $400 through a pancake lunch.
A member of the Fort William First Nation said the donation will help get the sugar bush operation up and running.
"We have a lot of trees that we can tap, but we have very little equipment to do that,” Damien Lee said.
“Each bucket and tap assemblage costs about $10, so to do 60 of those is going to be $600."
In addition to buying equipment, Lee said they'll use the money for firewood, gas for transportation, and anything else that might be needed to work in the sugar bush this year.
Pancake lunch organizer Samantha Ramage said about 70 people attended the event, which "exceeded expectations."
"The reason why we chose the sugar bush fund is because it complements what we've learned in our schooling so far around indigenous legal traditions,” she said.
“We've learned so much about how indigenous legal traditions are drawn out from the land in many cases."
Ramage said they also wanted to make a statement that they acknowledged the indigenous legal traditions that existed before contact and that continue to exist today.
'Giving back'
Lee said the law students' initiative to maintain good relations with the community is an excellent illustration of his culture’s ideology.
“We hosted them and now they're giving back to us, and that to me is a perfect example of Anishinabek law in action," he said.
Ramage said she hopes the event will be the start of a continuing relationship between the Indigenous law students and Fort William First Nation.
See full article and hear the audio: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/lakehead-students-raise-400-fo...