Queen’s Law Clinics has taken another step forward with the appointment of Karla McGrath, LLM’13, as its first Executive Director. While continuing to serve as Director of the Family Law Clinic, she will also now oversee the school’s five clinical programs and streamline them by implementing common policies and procedures when appropriate.

“Securing a fantastic space on the top floor of a downtown office building has brought all the clinical programs together,” explains McGrath, referring to legal aid and the business, elder, family and prison law clinics. 

“This co-location has created tremendous opportunities for all five clinics to share resources and learn from one another so that we can better serve their dual goals: access to justice and providing superior experiential learning opportunities to students. To date we've done an excellent job of that but all the great ideas beget more great ideas so the next logical step was to make the coordination of that effort the responsibility one person.”

McGrath, who holds a JD from the University of Kentucky in addition to her LLM from Queen’s, has been called to the bars in both Ontario and New York. From 2008 to 2015 she acted as an Independent Chairperson presiding over disciplinary court proceedings at federal penitentiaries in the Kingston area. Her private practice has focused on family law and included seven years litigating for a local children’s aid society.

“Being in a position to improve access to justice on both an individual and a systemic level has been an important part of my law practice for nearly 20 years now,” McGrath says. “As the founding director of the Family Law Clinic, I have been able to develop a unique program that is integrated with its community partners. Now, as Executive Director, I have the opportunity to do even more. There is tremendous demand for the services that we provide – both from the community members seeking legal services and the students seeking the experience.”

McGrath adds that the opportunity to work with Queen’s Law students is a privilege. “It is so rewarding to be here with them as they spread their wings as legal professionals. They all bring so much energy and enthusiasm to their tasks and, while I know it sounds terribly cliché, they really do keep me young.”

By Anthony Pugh