Law History Profiles

Kenneth S. Benson was born in Vancouver and attended school on the Westside of the city, graduating from Grade 13 at King Edward High in 1956. He entered the Commerce-Law option at the University of British Columbia, and graduated with his LL.B. in 1962. In order to pay for his university education expenses, he worked throughout university driving trucks for Dairyland Milk Foods.

Nick A. Blom was born and raised in Wassenaar, on the west coast of Holland. At Christmas of his Grade 9 year, he immigrated with his family to Canada, settling in Pitt Meadows in early 1953. He completed high school in Port Moody, and enrolled at the University of British Columbia. He graduated with a BA in Math and Economics in 1959. Being unsure of what to do next, and realizing that a law degree gave the broadest choice of careers after graduation, Blom enrolled in law school and graduated from UBC in 1962.

Justice Lance Finch obtained his law degree from UBC in 1962. Justice Finch, who passed away on August 30, 2020, worked in private practice at Guild Yule for twenty years before becoming a trial judge and ultimately serving as Chief Justice for the Court of Appeal of British Columbia and Yukon Territory between 2001 and 2013. He became a member of the Order of British Columbia in 2017.

Kenneth J. Doolan graduated from high school Kitsilano Secondary in 1952. He attended the University of British Columbia, eventually taking the Commerce-Law option and graduation with his LL.B. in 1962.

He obtained articles under Allan McEachern (as he then was), and practiced law for 21. In November 1984, he was then sworn in as the District Registrar of the Supreme Court siting in Vancouver. Two months later he was sworn in as a Registrar in Bankruptcy. In 1989 he was sworn in as a Master of the Court, and sat as a Master until reaching retirement age in September 2003.

Henry Allen Hope has been elected by his fellow Benchers to serve as the next Treasurer of the Law Society. This is partly because he is the next senior Bencher, but those who know him will realize that it is also because of his not inconsiderable ability and in spite of his not inconsiderable eccentricities. For instance, he owns, and runs, a 600 acre dairy farm on the Blackwater Road, outside Prince George and is, as careful research is able to establish, the only member of the history of the Bar to have been run over by his own tractor, while driving it …

Bradley Crawford, Q.C. earned his LLB from the Allard School of Law in 1961.

Crawford told the History Project that one of his most salient memories from his time as a student was the release of the first-year grade list, which was posted in the law library at that time.

“I found I was in the top three. I nearly fainted with relief.” he said. “I didn’t know I could do that. That is a fond memory.”

He maintained that level of achievement for all three years, earning a Commonwealth Scholarship in the process.

The Honourable Alfred (“Alfie”) J. Scow, OC, OBC, of the Kwicksutaineuk-ah-kwa-mish First Nation on Vancouver Island, was born at a time when Aboriginal individuals were prohibited from entering the legal profession, but went on to become the first Aboriginal person to graduate from a BC law school and the first Aboriginal lawyer in BC to be called to the Bar. In 1971, he became the first Aboriginal BC Provincial Court judge, a capacity in which he served until his retirement in 1992.

Franklin Lew was born December 26th, 1936 to Chinese-Canadian parents. He grew up in East Vancouver. He graduated from law school at UBC in 1961, and established his own practice in Vancouver's Chinatown. He was known as a talented lawyer and a successful business person, and devoted much of his time through activities in his community. He was a good friend to many, a devoted husband to his wife Joan, and an inspiring father to his son Derek, who also became a lawyer.

James (Jim) Horsman, QC, CM has led an extraordinary life, most of which he has dedicated to serving his community. After graduating from law school, Mr. Horsman moved back to his home province of Alberta and embarked on a momentous career in law, politics, higher education, and public service. Mr. Horsman’s can-do attitude and selflessness has led him to take on various roles and his law degree from the Allard School of Law placed him in a position to have a lasting impact on the Medicine Hat community and beyond.

"His favorite client was Harkley Haywood, which sold all manner of hunting and fishing gear," remembers Bryan Baynham, Q.C. "No one received better service nor paid less for their legal advice than the owners of Harkley Haywood."

Terence Crosby O'Brien, or Terry to friends, spent his whole career at Harper Grey LLP (which at the time he was hired for articles was known as Harper, Gilmore, Grey, de Vooght, Levis, van der Hoop, MacKinnon, and Pyper). He practiced general corporate-commercial solicitor work there until his retirement in 1999.

Brian Smith was apparently the first of thirty-three Attorneys General of British Columbia to attempt to delineate publicly the duties of his office. In a paper delivered as the First Annual Hugh Allan MacLean Lecture at the University of Victoria on February 24, 1987 [reproduced in (1988) 46 The Advocate, pp. 255-2621, he reaffirmed the principle that the exercise of the prosecutorial discretion should not be influenced by orders from a Prime Minister, the Cabinet, or anybody else.

Justice Ross Collver moved from Thunder Bay, Ontario in 1954 to study English and History at UBC. He went on to complete his law degree and graduated in 1960.

After working in general practice for several years, Justice Collver began a judicial career that spanned BC’s Provincial, County and Supreme Courts. His many accomplishments include being a dispute mediator for separated parents and a board member for BC’s Lawyers Assistance Program. He humbly describes his career as “rewarding and fulfilling”.

Inger Hansen's father, a Danish civil servant, was adamant that he would not send his only child to university, no matter how smart she was, because she was a girl. So Ms. Hansen found her own, rather circuitous, way to a stellar career. After first coming to Canada in 1950-where she took a job as a cook on a farm in the West-she eventually managed to work her way through to a law degree at the University of British Columbia. That credential led to ground-floor roles in three key areas of public life that have now become an integral part of the national dialogue.

Professor J.C. Smith is an Professor Emeritus at the Allard School of Law. He holds a BA (1953) from Brigham Young University, an LLB from UBC (1960) and an LLM from Yale University (1961). Professor Smith joined the Faculty in 1961, where he has held the titles of Instructor (1961-1963), Assistant Professor (1963-1966), Associate Professor (1966-1969), Professor (1969-1995), and finally Professor Emeritus (1995 – present). He was called to the Bar of BC in 1965. From 1989 to 2002, Professor Smith was the Director of the Artificial Intelligence Research Project at UBC’s law school.

After receiving his law degree from UBC in 1959, Jack Giles appeared for almost 50 years as trial and appellate counsel in courts throughout Canada, in virtually all areas of the law, as well as appearing before federal and provincial tribunals. Both in practice and through his roles in numerous professional and other organizations throughout his distinguished career, he was a leader in advocating a number of important matters, including access to justice, the rule of law, an independent judiciary, civility to fellow members of the Bar and the independence of the Bar.

The Honourable Kenneth F. Arkell recently reached out to the Allard School of Law to enquire about updating his LLB from 1959 to a JD. When asked why he wanted to make the change, he began sharing his fascinating personal journey from RCMP officer to professional football player to judge. Here are just some of the stories from this alumnus with a passion for the law, a penchant for golf, and a great sense of humor.

Benjamin Benito Trevino, Q.C., the greatest lawyer, cook, gardener and fly fisherman ever to come from Brownsville, Texas, Nimpo Lake and, soon, Furry Creek, B.C., is about to become our next Treasurer. He almost didn’t make it this far. This has nothing to do with his penchant for smoking (his extra-large, extra-deep ashtrays are designed to cradle at least three lighted cigarettes while the fourth is being smoked); or for martinis, which are kept pre-mixed, in the freezer, in an authentic Bombay Gin bottle: 2 drops of scotch, a sniff of vermouth, never frozen yet …

Michael Butler graduated from UBC Law in 1959. After articling at a law firm in Calgary, he started working in the Combines Branch of the Department of Justice in Ottawa. He became a trusted policy official in the Privy Council office, working closely with former Prime Ministers Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Trudeau, before working for the Department of Energy, Mines, and Resources, Department of Transport, and Department of Indian Affairs on policy and problem solving. He also worked for the Treasury Board, where he negotiated the federal share of the 1985 Calgary Olympics.

The new Treasurer of the Law Society is Jack L.T. Edwards, Q.C. (The “L” and “T” appear only in the most official of documents, and stand for names unknown to all but a few.) Jack is a commercial solicitor, one of few of that breed to have led the Society ...

Most people will be surprised to know that Bryan Williams, that famous Campbell River fly fisherman, was born (are you ready) in Calgary. Who knows what it was that was put into his genes that made him what he is. Perhaps it was the altitude. One colleague and friend, without reservation, says: “If there were Olympic medals for persistence and tenacity, Bryan Williams would have as many Golds as Mark Spitz.” ...