“We had a great time at Homecoming!” exclaims Elaine Wu, Law’03 (Artsci’98, MIR’00), one of about 200 Queen’s Law alumni who returned to Kingston to celebrate a milestone reunion this year. “It’s always wonderful to reconnect with classmates and reminisce about our time together at Queen’s Law. I was also very impressed with all the improvements to the law school!”   

Wu’s fellow Law alumni came from across Canada and from as far away as China and South Korea to gather on campus and in central Kingston. Both areas were bustling with activity – and Queen’s colours – on the beautiful fall weekend of October 19-22.  

“Walking around the law school and downtown and was a literal trip down memory lane,” says Elle Morris, Law’08. “It was so nice to see old haunts mixed in with new places, and spending time with old friends laughing about good times from the past.” For returning grads from this year’s earliest reunion class, Law’63, those friendships started 58 years ago. 

Homecoming 2018 saw Law’68 classmates join the distinguished Queen’s University Tricolour Guard. To mark the occasion of their 50th anniversary reunion, Dean Bill Flanagan presented medals to the 11 members in attendance, including former Dean Denis Magnusson and James Simmons, QC. “I very much enjoyed the 2018 Homecoming and mixing with colleagues of 50 years before,” says Simmons.  

Four Law’93 grads – Jin Choi, Sheila Colman, Emily Steed and Frank Walwyn – participated in a panel titled “Leverage Your Queen’s JD.” On their 25th anniversary, they shared with students their paths to top positions in different types of careers. This panel, moderated by classmate Professor Art Cockfield, will be featured in an upcoming story. 

Over the weekend, Law alumni took part in several activities. Homecoming kicked off with a get together at the Grad Club on the Friday evening. The next day, grads checked out the downtown Queen’s Law Clinics, cheered on their Gaels football team at Richardson Stadium, and toured the home building of Queen’s Law. 

Student tour guides showed alumni all the extensive upgrades that provide a first-rate facility for today’s law studies. “It was difficult to re-orientate myself with respect to the law school as it once was,” says Simmons. “The extensive improvements are grand.”      

Those improvements could be seen everywhere, as Wu remarked, “from the upgraded classrooms and student lounge to the new Learning Commons that was formerly the basement of the law library.”

Dean Bill Flanagan presented his “State of the Faculty” address, giving grads an update on Faculty programs, teaching innovations and other successes. These include a 95 per cent placement rate for JD students, a 30 per cent expansion in faculty numbers over the past five years, and a new online Graduate Diploma in Legal Services Management. 

“I found the Dean’s address very informative and spoke with him afterwards,” says Simmons. “I confirmed my complete support of the introduction of courses that specifically educate students in the business of law in addition to the practice of law. It is encouraging that this has become an important part of the available learning through the law school. It is probably equally important that it is available at large. [The school’s plan is to open enrollment in the Legal Services Management diploma program to practising lawyers everywhere starting in the spring of 2019.] “I intend to follow it up. It is likely that I will commend it to others with whom I practice in Northern Ontario.”
 
Late on the Saturday afternoon, alumni reconnected with fellow grads from all years, as well as with faculty and staff in the school’s William R. Lederman Law Library. Afterward, alumni continued celebrating with their classmates at private dinners in Kingston’s finest venues. 

See more pictures in our gallery and download them from our Facebook page.

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