Michele Leering, PhD in Law candidate, has received one of the country’s highest civilian honours. Governor General Julie Payette has appointed her a Member of the Order of Canada for her dedication to helping underprivileged and marginalized populations gain access to legal services and the justice system.

Leering, who is also a part-time lawyer and Executive Director of the Community Advocacy & Legal Centre in Belleville, Ont., calls it “an honour” to even be nominated for this award because of those her work is helping. “The award recognizes the value of the community-based justice work being carried out by the staff of Ontario’s community legal clinics and our efforts to ensure equal access to justice, human rights, legal literacy, and the ‘legal health’ of people living on a low income,” she says.

Finding ways to increase access to justice for vulnerable communities, which she believes “is integrally related to legal professionalism,” is Leering’s long-time professional passion and focus. That’s exactly what she’s exploring in her doctoral thesis. She is documenting the imperatives for legal education reform, with a particular focus on the contribution of reflective practice as a professional learning theory that can benefit legal educators, law students, and legal practitioners. 

Her research compares approaches in Canadian and Australian law schools in traditional law and experiential learning courses. Since beginning her PhD studies in 2015, she has presented at approximately 40 conferences and workshops in Canada, Australia, the U.S. and the U.K., and has published three articles on reflective practice in law, as well as an in-depth online article on the importance of the scholarship of teaching and learning in law. 

“Thrilled” to learn of Leering’s well-deserved recognition is Professor Erik Knutsen, one of her thesis co-supervisors. “Michele has worked tirelessly to connect society’s less-advantaged with the law – and has done so literally around the world,” he says. “At Queens Law, her groundbreaking cross-jurisdictional research about legal education digs at the core of how we teach the law and will go a long way to help us better understand how people teach and learn the law. 

“Thanks to Michele’s work, future and current lawyers will have a deeper sense as to the importance of access to the justice system,” Knutsen continues. “Her spark and passion for helping the vulnerable gain empowerment through the law is inimitable and I couldn’t be more proud to know her.”

Professor Sharry Aiken, Leering’s second thesis co-supervisor and a former clinic lawyer herself, agrees. “Michele’s path-breaking contributions to access to justice and law reform have been exemplars,” says Aiken. “Her clarity of vision, passion and driving commitment were apparent from the moment we first met. It has been an honour and privilege to support Michele’s doctoral project, to learn from her and with her. 

“I am just so pleased to celebrate Michele’s appointment to the Order of Canada,” Aiken adds. “It is hugely deserved recognition for a truly remarkable lawyer, scholar, educator and extraordinary human being!” 

Read more about Michele Leering’s research and work experience on our news web page. 

Learn more about our Queen’s Law Clinics that offer local residents free legal services while providing students with a unique hands-on clinical experience in business law, family law, elder law, poverty law, and prison law.