Queen's Law at 50 - A Weekend of Social Justice

Photo Credit: Sarah Buski

Louise Binder, Law '73 and HLL.D. '01, delivers the endnote presentation for the Queen's Law Alumni: Leadership in Social Justice Symposium at the University Club on Saturday, February 10, 2007.

Law students, buried in stacks of books that teach theoretical legal concepts, can often lose sight of the broad array of possibilities that their law degree can provide. On February 9th and 10th, 2007, a diverse array of speakers gathered at Queen's Law to remind students of the importance of thinking outside established theory, and setting goals for themselves that reach past the boardroom walls.

As part of the Queen's Law at 50 celebrations, the Queen's Law Alumni: Leadership in Social Justice Symposium featured two days of speakers whose combined life work impact all areas of the law, with a particular focus on criminal, international, health, government, family, humanitarian, human rights and gender law. The Symposium, a student initiative wholly endorsed by faculty and staff members of the Faculty of Law and the University at-large, aimed to focus on the road less traveled in the practice of law. The broad goals of the Symposium committee were to spark interest and focus on the practice areas of advocacy, activism, equity and diversity.

Events throughout the weekend were packed with students and faculty alike, eager to hear the unique perspective each speaker brought from their chosen fields of work. As the final clink of dishes sounded in the University Hall at the closing Banquet Dinner, all present and all attending raised their glasses to the success of the weekend.

On February 9th, 2007, the first day of the Queen's Law Alumni: Leadership in Social Justice Symposium drew to a close with a presentation by the keynote speaker, Diana Buttu, followed by an informal reception in Wallace Hall. Born in Canada, Ms. Buttu completed her law degree at Queen's University in 1993. After briefly practicing, Ms. Buttu continued her pursuit of education and moved to the United States, where she obtained a Ph.D. in refugee issues from Stanford.

Ms. Buttu's studies in this area brought her to the Middle East in 2000, where she became the legal adviser and spokesperson with the Palestinian Liberation Organization on Peace Negotiations. Her work with the PLO gave new meaning to the process of negotiation in the context of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR); Ms. Buttu is renowned worldwide for her diligence and success in this difficult legal field.

For almost an hour, Ms. Buttu captivated her audience with tales of her work in the Middle East and her impressions on the process of negotiating for peace. She spoke freely about the hurdles faced by a young female lawyer in such arduous circumstances and the manner in which she overcame them, allowing all present to share in her experiences and respect the niche she has carved for herself in the difficult area of peace negotiations. Her talk concluded with a boisterous question and answer period, where eager Queen's Law and undergraduate students posed difficult and probing questions. Ms. Buttu responded to each with a grace and an honesty that reflected both her integrity and obvious perseverance.

Lucy Wells, Law ‘08, and Eleonore Morris, Law ‘08, the Co-Presidents of the Queen's Law Alternative Dispute Resolution Club, were honored to publicly thank Ms. Buttu for coming such a distance to speak about her work in the area of ADR.

"Skills like mediation and negotiation are essential for the successful resolution of any conflict, inside the courtroom or not," said Eleonore, "Having alumni who have achieved the degree of success that Ms. Buttu has in this field come and speak to students in law today is invaluable, because it highlights to us the importance of the basic skills that will one day allow us to become great lawyers."

Part of the effectiveness of Ms. Buttu's talk was in her delivery; she spoke to those present as if they were all old friends. "Ms. Buttu spoke openly and candidly [to us] about her experiences," said Lucy. "It was so interesting to hear how she ended up with the career she has - especially for students today. It was reassuring to hear from someone who, during law school, had no idea what she wanted to practice, but is now someone at the forefront of her field."

The endnote presenter for the Queen's Law Alumni: Leadership in Social Justice Symposium was Louise Binder, Law ‘73 and HLL.D. ‘01, a Canadian HIV-positive lawyer turned AIDS advocate. Ms. Binder captivated her audience during the closing dinner with an impassioned discussion of the surprising and incredible path her career has traveled along. She encouraged her listeners to approach any future endeavours with passion and pride. "It's not about what you do, but about how you do it," said Ms. Binder. "Your constituents must believe you have only their best interests at heart, and that belief MUST be true."

Ms. Binder suggested that anyone interested in AIDS advocacy contact the Canadian AIDS Society, which should be able to assist in guiding interested parties towards particular societies or communities that could best use their dedication and assistance.

Ms. Binder is hopeful that with time, HIV-positive people (and HIV-positive women in particular) will be empowered with strong and equal stature and economic circumstance within society. She advocates education and understanding as the building blocks to ensure the basic rights of humanity to life and health. But Ms. Binder warns that the excuses upheld within society in general are difficult hurdles to get over. "Culture does not explain suffering," said Ms. Binder. "It may, at worse, provide an alibi."

Law Students' Society President Jill Daley, Law ‘07, was delighted to thank Ms. Binder on behalf of Queen's Law for her inspiring presentation. "Having Ms. Binder as the endnote presenter for the Symposium was truly incredible," said Jill, "Ms. Binder provided a passionate and engaging perspective on leadership, advocacy and service to one's community. While Ms. Binder discussed these concepts within the context of her personal life experiences she encouraged students to become equally engaged in whatever area of the law they are interested in pursuing."

The Symposium closed with a semi-formal dinner and dance attended by students, staff and alumni alike. The evening event had a relaxed and fun social atmosphere, and many of the Symposium attendees reflected on the incredible array of speakers and the stories they shared throughout the weekend.

"It's fascinating to think of all of the opportunities that arise with an LL.B.," said Eleonore. "Before I came to law school, I had, as most students do, a very narrow perception of what it means to be a lawyer. At this point, I have come to realize that there is no single definition of ‘lawyer.' Every student, armed with a love for the law, and a bit of ambition, is capable of making an impact no matter where or in what they choose to practice."

For more coverage and pictures of the Queen's Law Alumni: Leadership in Social Justice Symposium, see http://law.queensu.ca/events/queensLaw50Events/
socialJustice/socialJusticeSymposiumEvents.html and http://law.queensu.ca/events/queensLaw50Events/socialJustice/
photosSocialJusticeSymposium.html. Also, please see the story about the Symposium's two career panels at http://law.queensu.ca/news/symposiumCareerPanels.html.

This event was supported by a Grant from the Law Foundation of Ontario.