“During my time at law school I was taught by inspiring and passionate professors who contributed to my understanding and appreciation for the law,” said Stern. “I am pleased to support the expansion of the faculty while at the same time paying tribute to the many outstanding contributions of the Chief Justice. My gift is also intended to assist the law school in moving to the next level as an educator and contributor to society.”
The establishment of a new faculty position in the area of Constitutional Law was made possible thanks to a generous $500,000 donation from Mr. Ron Stern, alumnus of the Class of 1972. This funding will be matched by the investment income generated from the Allard Faculty Recruitment and Retention endowment. Stern’s donation is made in honour of The Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, P.C. Chief Justice McLachlin is the longest serving Chief Justice of Canada, and the first woman to hold that distinguished position.
Chief Justice McLachlin graduated as the gold medalist in her class at the University of Alberta, and practiced in Alberta and British Columbia before joining the law school at UBC in 1974 as a tenured Associate Professor. After teaching at UBC for seven years, Chief Justice McLachlin began a meteoric rise through the judiciary. In April, 1981 she was appointed to the Vancouver County Court. Over the course of the next seven years, she was appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia, followed by the British Columbia Court of Appeal, was subsequently appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and finally as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. On January 7, 2000 she was appointed Chief Justice of Canada by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
Mr. Stern graduated from the Law School at UBC in 1972. He practiced law for approximately 15 years as a partner of a leading Canadian law firm, with an emphasis on corporate and commercial law and various social interest matters. Mr. Stern is the founder and president of Stern Partners. He has been involved in all aspects of Stern Partners’ activities and acts as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for some of the group’s operating companies. Mr. Stern serves, or has served, on a variety of corporate and community boards, including the Vancouver Airport Authority, the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, the Vancouver General Hospital and University of British Columbia Hospital Foundation, the Vancouver Symphony Society, the Canadian Council of Israel and Jewish Advocacy, and Science World British Columbia. Since 2010 he has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council at the Allard School of Law.
“The Allard School of Law thanks Mr. Stern for his very generous gift which will build expertise at the law school and enhance the law school’s ability to teach the very best students,” said Dean Catherine Dauvergne. “Mr. Stern’s gift is a tremendous example of the transformative change that can be achieved through new investments in people and programs.”