Dean Bill Flanagan (far right), at the Law & Politics panel in Macdonald Hall on Jan. 20, introduces panelists Nathanial Erskine-Smith, MP, Law’10; Tony Clement, MP; Andy Singh, Law’10; Lynne Golding, Law‘87; and Randeep Sarai, MP, Law’01.
Dean Bill Flanagan (far right), at the Law & Politics panel in Macdonald Hall on Jan. 20, introduces panelists Nathanial Erskine-Smith, MP, Law’10; Tony Clement, MP; Andy Singh, Law’10; Lynne Golding, Law‘87; and Randeep Sarai, MP, Law’01.

It doesn’t matter what political party students are active in as long as they are tireless advocates for what they believe in. Students took away this sage advice from the first annual panel discussion hosted by the Law & Politics Club on Jan. 20. That’s when they met practitioners and politicians, including one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s legal advisors and a potential Conservative leadership candidate.

The club’s co-presidents, Kailin Che and Stuart Clark, both Law’17, say the panel gave students an appreciation of how law and political participation go hand-in-hand. “While parts of the discussion explored specific policies and the legislative-making process, the panelists really focused on how lawyers can benefit from having honed political instincts and what unique contributions legal minds can bring to the operation of government.

“We were pleased that everyone walked away with a better understanding of why it was so crucial to be politically active, especially in an era of declining political participation,” they added.

Speaking about the intersection between partisan politics and the legal world were five distinguished panelists: Tony Clement, a former federal and provincial cabinet minister, now MP for Parry Sound-Muskoka; Nathanial Erskine-Smith, Law‘10, MP for Beaches-East York; Lynne Golding, Law‘87, a partner with Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP and former Chair of the Ontario PC’s Audit Committee; Randeep Sarai, Law‘01, MP for Surrey Centre; and Andy Singh, Law ‘10, Deputy Director of Parliamentary Affairs at the Liberal Research Bureau.

Students met with the guests at a reception prior to the event and asked a number of interesting questions after the panel discussion. These included queries about the ability of courts to override democratically elected leaders, how the panelists determined their own political affiliation and how students can find where they belong politically. Che and Clark describe the atmosphere as friendly and informal. “It was great to see students interacting with panelists on equal terms, talking about law school, the recent election and politics in Canada.”

The Law & Politics Club has also organized a trip to Parliament Hill in March. Attending students will be able to attend Question Period and meet with MPs, including those who are Queen’s Law alumni. “A trip like this is a unique opportunity,” the co-presidents say. “Students will get to go beyond the law school bubble and see up close how legal training can help solve important political problems that face our country.”