An Ontario judge, a national Indigenous law leader and a BC corporate solicitor have joined the Queen’s Law Dean’s Council. They’re ready to give advice on the school’s strategic directions, as well as help with its efforts in fundraising, alumni network expansion, and student recruitment and placement. 

“At Queen’s Law, I received a terrific legal education and met people who have become lifelong friends,” says Justice Darla Wilson, Law’84 (Artsci’81), of the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. “Over the years, I’ve realized how very lucky I was to have attended this strong academic school.” 

Since last September she has been spending two days a week on campus while on a year-long study leave from the court to work on a project. “Being back at Queen’s Law has been wonderful and I have seen how the law school has grown since I was a student. So impressive!” exclaims Wilson, who has been a member of the Moot Advisory Council for the past six years. “I was honoured to be asked to join the Dean’s Council and I welcome this opportunity to give back to the law school that has done so much for me.”

Appointed to the Superior Court in 2007, she has led two teams of civil judges in Toronto and now sits on the Board of Directors of the Ontario Superior Court Judges’ Association. Prior to her bench appointment, she was a partner with Lawson McGrenere LLP, where she practised civil litigation exclusively. 

Jaimie Lickers, Law’07, is a partner in Gowling WLG’s Hamilton office and national leader of the firm’s Indigenous Law Group. An experienced litigator, she advances First Nations’ wealth, economic development, autonomy and rights, and has appeared before the Supreme Court of Canada on landmark cases. Among several honours, she was named one of Canada’s “Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers” by Canadian Lawyer in 2019 and received a 2017 Lexpert Zenith Award celebrating the advancement of women who have demonstrated excellence and thought leadership in the legal profession. Prior to practising law, she worked for the Chiefs of Ontario and the Aboriginal Institutes’ Consortium.

“During both my undergraduate and my legal studies, Queen’s always felt like home to me,” says Lickers. “As a student, I benefited from many alumni who so generously volunteered their time and experience, thereby making Queen’s a great place for students to learn and grow. Now that I have some experience of my own, I want to give back to our wonderful Queen’s Law community. I am looking forward to working with Dean Mark Walters (Law’89) and the whole Dean’s Council to help continue to ensure that Queen’s is a welcoming and diverse space for students to begin their legal careers.”

Allan McGavin, Law’12 (Com’08), a corporate lawyer with Farris LLP in Vancouver, advises owners, directors and executives of both public and private companies across a variety of industries. His primary areas of legal practice are corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and securities compliance. McGavin, a former student manager of the Queen’s Business Law Clinic, now serves as a member of the school’s BC Alumni Council and as President of the Queen’s University Alumni Association’s Vancouver Branch. In his home city, he also speaks regularly at technology accelerator programs on the legal aspects of building and scaling emerging growth companies.

“My time at Queen's Law was formative, thanks to passionate professors and collegial classmates,” says McGavin. “It’s exciting to see how the school has developed since my time there, and I want to keep that going strong for future generations of students.”

By Lisa Graham