“Only one law school is consistently noted for its proud and passionate alumni network. That school is Queen’s,” said Stephanie McLoughlin in her Convocation address as Law’18’s graduating student representative. She and her classmates became the newest members of that network on the sunny spring afternoon of June 6. 

Family, friends, faculty and staff filled historic Grant Hall to cheer on 209 JD, LLM and PhD students and honorary Doctor of Laws recipient Douglas Cardinal receive their degrees. 

Cardinal, one of Canada’s foremost architects and an Officer of the Order of Canada, spoke of great strides taken by Queen’s towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and encouraged the new graduates to continue along this path.

The Class of Law’18 has already helped make an impact through the Indigenous Law Students’ Alliance, which aims to increase Indigenous representation in the legal community.  

McLoughlin defined her classmates as being “extremely generous, welcoming and supportive,” as also highlighted by their commitment to charitable causes aiding the local Kingston community and beyond. For example, they were deeply involved with the Queen’s Law Refugee Support Program that assists refugees transition into their new lives in Kingston, and participated in annual events like Lawlapalooza and Med-Law Games that support local charities.

“The Queen’s Law commitment to fostering a supportive community, and reversing the negative depictions of lawyers, has become one of our defining features as a law school, with this graduating class making significant contributions to the advancement of those distinctive traits,” she said to resounding applause. 

Several awards were presented during the ceremony. Law Medals were given to graduates with the highest cumulative averages: Paul Socka, Elana Friedman and Sarah Faber. Jason Mercredi received the Dean’s Key award for best embodying community values, collegiality, professionalism, service and academic excellence.

Following the ceremony, the new graduates and their guests enjoyed a reception in Ban Righ Hall. There, Dean Bill Flanagan presented the Dean’s Scholar to the graduates with the highest third-year averages: Paul Socka (Gold Scholar), Sakshi Sharma (Silver Scholar), and Larysa Workewych (Bronze Scholar).

“We have become a tight-knit group over these three years, but how can we preserve this famous Queen’s Law community after we graduate?” McLoughlin asked. “The camaraderie at Queen’s Law is woven into the fabric of how this school operates. If we stick together, that mutual success can continue into our lives as lawyers.” 

For more photos, check out our gallery.

Watch for a story about LLD recipient Douglas Cardinal later this week.