Lisa Dufraimont: the Newest Member of Queen's University's Leading Criminal Law Program

Photo By Bernard Clark

Professor Lisa Dufraimont joined Queen's Law in 2006.

This is the third of a three-part series featuring new professors who joined Queen's Law in 2006.

Professor Lisa Dufraimont, a Yale University graduate who received SSHRC doctoral fellowships for both her master's and doctoral law degrees began her academic career at Queen's Law in July 2006. The former Ontario Court of Appeal law clerk was also the recipient of the Gold Medal and Dean's Key for her J.D. studies at the University of Toronto.

Dufraimont wanted to pursue a career in academia from her first year of law school. After developing an early interest in criminal law, she became involved with numerous law school activities while attending the University of Toronto. She met with her professors to discuss points of law; she participated in two moots; and she wrote and edited for the Faculty'sLaw Review. Her extra effort paid off, resulting in the publication of three papers written during her J.D. studies: two on Aboriginal rights and one on criminal jury selection. In 2006, five years after receiving a J.D., she completed her doctoral dissertation at Yale on the relationship between evidence law and the criminal jury.

In her first year as an Assistant Professor, Dufraimont taught Criminal Law and Evidence at Queen's. "I was excited to get into the classroom and teach," she said. "I've really enjoyed it."

Mentorship from renowned criminal law professors motivated Dufraimont to choose Queen's. Teaching Evidence in the same term as Professor Don Stuart, one of Canada's leading authorities in criminal law, procedure and evidence, the two often discussed issues and taught a few joint classes where they selected a controversial area of law for class debate.

"The program is already so strong that it is a wonderful place for a criminal scholar to start," said Dufraimont. "To be part of a school where criminal law is valued and is a priority has been important for me. Not only do we have depth in criminal law, but different interests." While her primary interest is in evidence, she is also interested in criminal procedure, the jury system, theory of proof and the adversary system.

Dufraimont credits her positive experience at Queen's Law to the hard work and intelligence of her students. "Queen's students are so enthusiastic and bright that it is just a privilege for me to work with them on a day-to-day basis," she said. "That's my favourite part of the job."

For more information about Professor Dufraimont, see her faculty profile at http://law.queensu.ca/facultyAndStaff/facultyProfiles/lisaDufraimontProfile.html.