Profiles

If you’re a current JD student or alumnus reading this, chances are that Elaine Lenki Borthwick reviewed your law school application. For the last 30 and some years (over 40 years total at UBC), Elaine has served as the law school’s Director, JD Admissions. From a former Prime Minister and numerous justices and judges, Elaine has admitted several generations of British Columbia's legal profession to law school. Her personalized approach to recruitment, and leadership in improving processes, has ensured we continually attract the highest caliber of students to the Allard School of Law.

Since being called to the British Columbia bar in 1966, Mitchell Gropper, QC has been a leader in the business law world.

After earning his BA and LLB from the University of Saskatchewan, Mr. Gropper spent 28 years at the Vancouver offices of McCarthy Tétrault LLP where he served as Managing Partner from 1988 to 1990. In 1998, he joined Farris LLP where he currently practices as a senior member of its business and corporate law group. He also holds an LLM from the London School of Economics and Political Science.

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.

Jane Shackell was just 20 years old when she entered the Allard School of Law in 1981, after completing three years of her Bachelor of Arts in political science at UBC.

Beyond the “impressive” faculty and course offerings, her first impression was that of a strong sense of community among students, one which would only grow stronger in her three years at the school.

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.

Professor Tony Sheppard spent more than 50 years with the Allard School of Law before retiring in June of 2020.

After earning a Bachelor of Arts in English and Economics from UBC in 1964, Professor Sheppard went on to an LLB from the school in 1967. Once he completed his articles with Guild, Yule and Company, he was called to the British Columbia bar in 1969 and appointed as an Assistant Professor at UBC that same year. Professor Sheppard became an Associate Professor in 1972 and a full Professor in 1976. He also holds an LLM from the London School of Economics.

Andrew Gay, QC is a partner at Gudmundseth Mickelson LLP where he practices litigation with an emphasis on government liability, regulatory disputes, professional discipline, commercial litigation, and tort litigation. He is also an expert in the area of judicial review of administrative decisions.

For eight years, Mr. Gay was involved with the Allard School of Law as an Adjunct Professor, teaching an upper-year seminar on government liability—an idea that was first suggested by then-government lawyer and now-British Columbia Supreme Court Justice Karen Horsman.

Professor Pitman Potter retired in June 2020 after 30 years at the Allard School of Law. He joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1990, before being appointed to associate professor in 1992 and full professor in 1999. During his time with the law school, Professor Potter served in a number of leadership roles, including as Director of Chinese Legal Studies. He held the position of HSBC Chair in Asian Research at the Institute of Asian Research at UBC, where he was also the Director from 1999 to 2008.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Christopher Hiebert had heard of the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic, a program offered by the Allard School of Law at UBC, long before he became a law student. He lived in a single-room occupancy hotel in Gastown, a block from the clinic’s front door.

He was intrigued. “The clinic inspired the idea that I could do something as a lawyer that wasn’t typical,” Mr. Hiebert says. Once he decided to become a lawyer, the Allard School of Law was the only law school he applied to – with the specific intent of working with the clinic.

Nico McKay is an Associate at the Vancouver office of Miller Thomson LLP (“Miller Thomson”). The core focus of his legal practice is litigation and he works closely with both the Commercial Litigation and Insurance Litigation groups at Miller Thomson. McKay’s litigation experience includes appearances before the Provincial Court of British Columbia, the Supreme Court of British Columbia, and the Civic Resolution Tribunal.

Associate Professor Hoi Kong (inaugural Rt. Hon. Beverley McLachlin, P.C., UBC Professor in Constitutional Law) joined the faculty in 2018.

“Each person has a different perspective that is so incredibly valuable and I am so grateful for the friends I have made.”

Lisa Guidi participated in the Allard Law History Project Student Survey in 2016. The Project intends to track Ms. Guidi's career and build upon this historical record in the future. Her responses as a student are below:

Why did you choose to do law? 

“Whatever I end up doing, I know that I’m privileged to have had the opportunity to go to law school, so I feel an obligation to develop my strengths to their fullest potential in order to better help others.”
Robert Mason participated in the Allard Law History Project Student Survey in 2016. The Project intends to track Mr. Mason's career and build upon this historical record in the future. His responses as a student are below:

Why did you choose to do law? 

Rumana Monzur has completed law school with much more than a JD degree. After surviving a brutal attack in her native Bangladesh which left her blind for life, her decision to go to law school while learning to live without sight was itself a study in patience - with a steep learning curve. But her persistence and passion remain unabated four years later. With an expanded horizon of interests and a new outlook on life, Monzur has hardly slowed down...