Queen's Law at 50 - Prairie Style

Photo By Monique de St. Croix

Neil McCrank, Law ’69, Dean Bill Flanagan, Jo’Anne Strekaf, Law ’80, and the Honourable Peter Lougheed, LLD’96.

Continuing the celebration across the country, around eighty alumni and former faculty joined the Queen's Law at 50 reception and dinner in Calgary. The event, held on May 10, 2007 at the Grand, was hosted by Neil McCrank, Law ‘69, a former Chairman of the Alberta Energy and Utilities Board, and included speeches by Dean Bill Flanagan and the Honorable Peter Lougheed, former premier of Alberta and a former chancellor of Queen's University.

For the Queen's Law alumni in Alberta, the event was a welcome opportunity to gather together. "While we all practise law in southern Alberta, we don't always see each other in the same room at the same time," said McCrank. "It was an opportunity to rub shoulders with people we don't see regularly, but people we share memories with."

After an introduction by McCrank, Peter Lougheed talked about the many linkages between Queen's University and Alberta, and demonstrated his long-standing support and interest in the law school and its alumni.

"He had the effect of emphasizing the role lawyers play in the development of policy in the legal system," said Phil Ponting, Law ‘72, a lawyer at McLennan Ross LLP.

Guests such as Bennett Jones LLP partner Jo'Anne Strekaf, Law ‘80, also enjoyed reminiscing with fellow alumni about experiences in law school, not only talking with people from their own year, but from other generations as well.

"It was particularly special to have retired Alberta Provincial Court Judge Brownlee in attendance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Queen's law school as he was a member of the first graduating class," she said.

Robert Nelson, Law ‘05, enjoyed the speeches, the company of his fellow alumni, and meeting some of the new students who will be attending Queen's Law in September.

"In my opinion Queen's is offering a legal education experience unique from any other in the country," said Nelson. "I am continually learning how important it is to have an active and diverse alma mater. I recently have taken a job in the United Arab Emirates only to find that a Queen's Law ‘04 grad is working at the same law firm. In my experience, Queen's [has an] unrivaled global reach."