Alumni

• Alumni Magazine 2021-2022

On September 18^th, 2019, almost 50 years to the day after Robson Hall, the Faculty of Law building on the University of Manitoba’s Fort Garry Campus was officially opened, nearly 150 alumni, faculty members, students and staff gathered to mark the occasion.

The Manitoba Law School’s physical move from its traditional home in the downtown law courts building on September 15^th, 1969 also marked a major step in the “Great Transition” in legal education in Manitoba. By locating the law school on campus amongst other Faculty buildings, it was the hope of law school administrators at the time, that new inter-faculty collaborations would be fostered, leading to an enriching academic environment for law students and faculty members as well as the rest of the academic community. Eye-witness accounts of the early days at Robson Hall are recorded in the Manitoba Law Journal’s special edition volume 39(1), titled The Great Transition in Legal Education.

A major part of the building’s 50^th Anniversary celebrations was the opening of a Time Capsule that had been hidden behind Robson Hall’s date stone on the day of the opening ceremony. With great curiosity, alumni, faculty and students had the opportunity to examine the contents upon Dean Jonathan Black-Branch opening the oblong copper box.

Inside was a copy of the long-defunct Winnipeg Tribune from September 15, 1969, a brass doorknob bearing a bison head, taken from the old law courts building, photos of the student body, the academic, administrative and library staff, a document proposing the building’s needs and plans from 1966, an academic calendar of what courses were being taught at the law faculty for the 1969-1970 school year, a booklet commemorating the opening of Robson Hall, and predictions from staff  members of what they thought the world would be like when the time capsule was finally opened.

After guests had a chance to examine and enjoy the contents, Dean Black-Branch replaced all original items, and added photos of current day faculty, staff and students, plus letters to the future from the current community. By way of offering a toast to the law school’s future success, he added a small bottle of Manitoba-made Crown Royal.

Please take a virtual tour of the original time capsule contents below. A photo gallery of the 2019 Homecoming event is here. Photos by Mike Latschislaw.

List of Time Capsule Contents.

Order of Proceedings, Opening Ceremony, 1969.

Predictions of faculty members and staff.

Preliminary programme for proposed law faculty building 1966.

Law Faculty calendar 1969-1970.

The Winnipeg Tribune Sept. 15, 1969.

In May 2011, The UM Faculty of Law announced that it would change the name of our law degree from Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) to Juris Doctor (J.D.) after approval of the University of Manitoba Senate. All past recipients of the LL.B. degree designation now have the opportunity to choose to switch their LL.B. to a J.D. degree designation.

Apply for Designation Change

As of January 6, 2012, J.D. parchments for alumni, who request them will be issued following submission of an application.

The application form, for those wishing to make the designation change, can be printed, filled out and returned to the university’s Registrar’s Office with payment of $75 (subject to annual review). You will be issued a new parchment with the Juris Doctor (J.D.) designation.

Your original LL.B. parchment must be returned before a new J.D. parchment can be issued. If your original parchment has been lost/stolen/destroyed/damaged please also complete the Request for Replacement Parchment form. * Please note: this form along with the application should be submitted at the same time. There is only the one-time fee of $70.

Majority Support

The change is the result of significant consultations with Faculty, Students, Alumni and our broader community, and is in line with trends across Canada. The first student vote, in 2009, revealed a strong desire to change the name of our degree. A second student vote, held in 2010, revealed nearly unanimous support. Alumni from various decades were surveyed, and responded positively, with approximately three quarters in favour of the name change.

Why the Change?

The J.D. designation is felt by many to better represent the fact that law degrees in Canada are almost always second degrees. As well, for Canadian law graduates, there is a competitive advantage to the J.D. title, seen more as a professional degree, over the LL.B. title, more likely to be perceived as an undergraduate degree.

Here you can see the Digital Presentation from the 2020 Homecoming. The video of the event is visible below.

Some of the greatest minds in Canadian legal history have passed through the doors of the Manitoba Law School, known today as the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law. Many quietly went about the business of defending human rights, fighting for equality and freedom from oppression. The legal community holds their memories dear and celebrates their contributions to helping others. We wish to pay tribute to Manitoba Law School and Faculty of Law, University of Manitoba Alumni who have gone before us, leaving incredible legacies for us to remember and strive to do them proud.

Please let us know by email of any errors, omissions or updates to these lists.

*indicates a former professor of the Faculty of Law