It’s About the People

Ask any Faculty of Law grad to think back on their experiences in law school and you might get a few talking about their favourite classes. Most, though, will talk about whom they met and the experiences they had along the way.

May You Never Lose Touch

Submitted by Clifton Purvis, ’89 LLB

I went to law school at the U of A and I graduated in 1989. A classmate of mine, Thomas Achtymichuk, ’89 LLB, was my moot court partner in first year. We developed a friendship but then grew apart as the years went on after graduation. I went into a criminal law practice and Tom developed a strong civil practice.

Recently our careers have come together again. We have both been appointed as justices to the Edmonton Region Division of the Alberta Court of Justice. From friends and colleagues and moot court partners in first-year law school, we went on to very, very different careers but came back together and now sit as brother judges in the same court. It feels like we’ve come full circle!

Long May You Play

Submitted by Roberto Noce, KC, ’91 LLB

Once a year, under the cover of darkness — and dubious legality — we students transformed the law library into Augusta National Golf Club. (Imagine if Augusta had dusty books and fluorescent lighting.) After hours, students would sneak in, set up an 18-hole putting course among the stacks and tee off in what became known as the “sanctioned” Johnny Weir Library Golf Tournament.

The tournament is no longer a thing, and fortunately no windows were broken, at least in the three years I was there. Thankfully, this all happened before the invention of camera phones and social media.

May Your Late Start Last

Submitted by Kristan McLeod, ’04 LLB

I started law school at 32 after having two kids and quitting my job. I was nervous. Was I doing the right thing for myself and my family? Was I going to be a dull student, trying to catch up after a decade-long crush of technological change? Most importantly, would I find any friends?

Well, we supposedly “mature” students in our 30s, 40s and 50s spotted each other straight away, like dogs in a park. We didn’t exactly bark at each other across the lecture hall, but pretty close. We sidled up to each other without embarrassment for the neediness, inquired about how everyone was handling child care, formed study groups that wouldn’t interfere with family dinnertimes, and gave each other tips on how to get through. We celebrated each others’ successes, helped each other cope with difficult balancing acts and discussed how to find jobs.

My group remained a source of reliability and encouragement into my legal career. They gave me a sense of community, and showed me that success in law, like anything, doesn’t depend on adhering to a prescribed route and is usually a group project.