Law History Profiles

“Having come from a very hardworking family that was disrupted by my father and his siblings being forced into residential school, and subsequently, me and my siblings ending up in foster care, then later residential school, I didn’t understand what was happening. I didn’t understand the mechanisms that were at play that resulted in children, at times, being homeless, or not having parents, a community, or guidance,” says Judge Tina Dion.

“Too many people in BC face legal issues without the benefit of legal advice,” says Craig Ferris, QC, FCIArb. “As lawyers, we have a duty to help fix this problem.”

“To me, law school wasn't just about reading cases, books, and case law,” says Harjit Sangra. “Law school teaches you a way of thinking, analyzing, organizing, attacking, and hopefully solving problems, which gives you a tremendous footstool to pursue your dreams.”

“I’m passionate about corporate culture, diversity and inclusion, and how organizations can make a positive impact in communities,” says Emiko Ando, General Counsel at BlueShore Financial Credit Union. Emiko has made it her mission to help organizations do just that.

Gigi Chen-Kuo, LLB 1990, was named interim CEO of TransLink beginning in February 2021, after a long record of service to the organization in executive leadership and in-house counsel roles. In January, we had the chance to ask Ms. Chen-Kuo a few questions about her career path and law school experience.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

In 2019, the Honourable Justice Joe Williams (LLM Hons, 1988) made history as New Zealand’s first Māori Supreme Court judge. An accomplished expert in Indigenous law, he has served in various judicial roles: first, on New Zealand’s specialized Indigenous courts (the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal), then the High Court, and Court of Appeal. He is of Ngati Pūkenga, Waitaha and Tapuika nation.

James Struthers (JD 2017), at a crossroads in his career, pursued law school for the intellectual challenge and the ability to contribute to society. Now, as founder of macushlaw and 253 Columbia, he is helping rethink how lawyers work and provide their services to the public.

Founded in 2020, macushlaw specializes in corporate, commercial and real estate services to SMEs, non-profits, and Indigenous groups and individuals. The macushlaw team prides itself on providing affordable and approachable legal services without sacrificing quality.

When Jeremy Dong was quite young, a family friend shared with him a story of his dad, Barry, acting on their behalf on a pro bono basis to help save their life savings. Barry would never tell such stories himself, but for Jeremy, these stories—where the law was used to make the world a little better—were great motivators for him.

“Social movements need more access to lawyers,” says lawyer and mediator Katrina Pacey. This realization, her passion for social justice and desire to fill this gap, motivated Katrina to pursue a law degree.

After growing up in Kingston, Ontario and earning a bachelor’s degree in political science from McGill University, James Reid knew he wanted to go to law school and knew he wanted to do it on the West Coast.

“I was so excited to be in Vancouver. Just the vibe of Vancouver—it felt very new and fresh,” he said. “It just felt, at least at that time, like it was the place to be … young people like me just seemed to be moving there.”

The Allard Law History Project sat down with Anna Fung, QC in the summer of 2020: listen to the full interview. As of 2021, she is Deputy Chair of the BC Utilities Commission, Chair of the BC Unclaimed Property Society, and a Director of the BC Council of Administrative Tribunals.

Nicco Bautista and Maria Kim-Bautista both immigrated to Vancouver as children. They are both the first people in their families to attend law school and have both established themselves as successful lawyers in the city.

Now, they’re sharing a simple yet powerful message with law students of Asian heritage: “You belong.”

The couple first became acquaintances during their time as undergraduates at UBC. They later reconnected when Maria transferred to the Allard School of Law after completing her first year at the University of Alberta.

Shawnee Monchalin graduated from the Allard School of Law in 2020 and is one of four students completing her articles at the Vancouver offices of Miller Thompson LLP in 2020-2021.

During her time in law school, Monchalin was the Vice-President of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association (ILSA) as well as its representative at the Allard Women’s Caucus. She also competed on the Allard rugby team.

Bob Dick, QC graduated with a Bachelor of Laws Degree from UBC in 1966. Soon after, he became a partner at the Prince George law firm Wilson King, where he practiced until he retired in 2014.

During his nearly 50 years in practice, Dick held a wide variety of roles, including being retained as City Solicitor for Prince George for more than 30 years as well as a number of positions with the Canadian Bar Association.

Dick was recognized with the Queen’s Counsel designation in 1986 and was elected president of the Law Society of British Columbia in 1991.

Chris Heslinga earned his JD from the Allard School of Law in 2012 but soon found himself back on campus.

After a brief time in private practice, the Campbellford, Ontario native returned to the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (LSLAP) where he now helps students handle client matters, oversees legal decision-making and teaches students how to think and practice like lawyers.

Lorna Strong’s story is a lesson in hard work, open-mindedness and adaptability.

Strong, who graduated from the Allard School of Law in 1998, entered law school after an Applied Sciences degree from UBC and a brief career as a nurse. At that time, her two daughters were just four and five years old. Despite the challenges she faced in balancing the rigour of law school with parenthood, Strong remembers her time as a student fondly.

When Andrew Halper graduated from the Allard School of Law in 1981, little did he know that his degree would lead him to live and work around the world.

After a stint in Vancouver as a Crown Counsel and then in private practice until 1989, Halper joined the Canadian diplomatic service, working in Ottawa and Hong Kong, and then at the Canadian embassy in Beijing between 1991 and 1994.

Nigel is a Gitxsan-Cree lawyer at White Raven Law. He’s also the lead dancer with the Vancouver-based Indigenous dance troupe Dancers of Damelahamid, a scholar and a teacher of law, as well as a father to two young children – and just three years out of law school.

From her first year of law school, Carly Stanhope has shown a commitment to addressing issues around access to justice through countless hours of volunteering and taking on numerous roles both within and outside the Allard School of Law.

Recent graduate Jordan Leigh Lacroix is currently working as a Legal Aid in South Africa through the CBA Young Lawyers International Program. The program places young law graduates and lawyers in internships with overseas organizations working in law reform, human rights and access to justice. 

Tell us about the work that you’re currently doing in Cape Town, South Africa.