Queen's Law Journal editors Jason Paquette, Katrina van Kessel, Alexander Hinds and Jessica Toldo, all Law’16, stand beside the plaque commemorating Professor Bernie Adell outside the QLJ office.
Queen's Law Journal editors Jason Paquette, Katrina van Kessel, Alexander Hinds and Jessica Toldo, all Law’16, stand beside the plaque commemorating Professor Bernie Adell outside the QLJ office.

Before a gathering of students and faculty outside the Queen’s Law Journal (QLJ) office on April 21, a memorial plaque was unveiled to commemorate the work of Professor Bernie Adell. As long-time faculty advisor to QLJ and editor-in-chief of the Canadian Labour and Employment Law Journal, he influenced scores of student editors in producing two of Canada's leading scholarly legal publications.

“This year’s outgoing journal boards are the last to have worked with Professor Adell,” says current co-editor-in-chief Katrina van Kessel, Law ’16. “He is the reason both journals exist and it was important for us to ensure future students know who he was and about his contributions.”

Echoing these sentiments is Jason Paquette, Law ’16, a student editor who was the impetus behind the plaque. “I thought it was important that his legacy live on for those who come after us.”

Student editors and volunteers learned a great deal under the mentorship of Adell, a former Dean of Law (1977–1982) who was a renowned labour and employment law scholar. “What struck me was the reverence students had for him,” says van Kessel. “Overwhelmingly they commented on his kindness, his eagerness to help students better their own writing, and his confidence that students could engage with and improve legal scholarship.”

Adell Plaque

“The example he set and his clear passion for the work made me strive to maintain the high standard the journals are known for,” adds Paquette.

Those standards are reflected in the plaque’s inscription: “Bernie’s editing pencil was legendary, and although the experience could be humbling, most authors would agree that their arguments were strengthened by the ‘Bernie-fication’ process. His dedication to and passion for law journals, the Queen’s Law community, and the field of labour law remains unparalleled.”

Under Adell’s direction, the Queen’s Law Journal developed the Canadian Guide to Legal Style, the first of its kind, to set out “best practices in Canadian legal writing, with a view to ensuring clarity, consistency and readability.” The importance of those goals was something he stressed to his students. “What Would Bernie Do?” That’s an old QLJ adage van Kessel still asks herself.

While both journals have published commemorative pieces for Adell, the guide and plaque will be lasting memorials. “Every time a student editor enters the office,” van Kessel says,” they will pass by the plaque and be reminded of the man who had such a large and lasting impact on student editors before them, on the Queen’s Law community and on the legal and academic fields.”

Read more about Professor Adell, who won a 2013 Bora Laskin Award, Canada’s highest honour for contributions to labour law.