A Scholar, Teacher, and Now Justice

After nearly two decades at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, Eric Adams is trading the title of professor for justice following his appointment to the Court of King's Bench of Alberta last month.

“This appointment is a fitting recognition of Eric’s scholarly accomplishments and his dedication to the legal profession and public service,” says Dean Fiona Kelly. “Eric has been a valued member of our faculty and his contributions as a scholar, teacher and colleague have been exceptional. While we will miss him greatly, we take pride in seeing one of our own take on this important role.” 

Justice Adams joined the Faculty of Law in 2007. An award-winning teacher and scholar, he has inspired generations of students while becoming recognized as a national expert in Canadian constitutional law and legal history. 

His scholarly work includes nearly 40 articles and book chapters. Most recently, he co-authored the well-received book Challenging Exile: Japanese Canadians and the Wartime Constitution, which provides a legal-historical analysis of the injustices faced by Japanese Canadians during the 1940s.

Beyond his teaching and research, Justice Adams also served in several leadership positions, most notably helping the faculty navigate the tumultuous years of the COVID-19 pandemic in his role as Vice Dean. 

“Personally, I am very grateful for the many years that I have worked alongside Eric, and especially for his extraordinary support and hard work when he served as Vice Dean during my tenure as Dean,” says longtime colleague Barbara Billingsley, who led the faculty from 2020 to 2024. 

“Eric’s appointment to the Alberta Court of King’s Bench is a gift to the administration of justice in Alberta and in Canada,” she adds. “I say that because, in addition to being exceptionally knowledgeable in the law, he is unfailingly fair-minded, principled, and collegial. Of course, for all of those same reasons, Eric’s appointment is also a great loss to the Faculty of Law. We are now down a brilliant and caring professor, a prolific scholar, and a sought-after advisor and administrator.”

As we congratulate Justice Adams and wish him well on the next step of his distinguished career, we asked him to share a few parting thoughts with us.  

Looking back on your time in the faculty, what stands out to you most? What impact or contributions are you most proud of?

It’s difficult to try and encapsulate my nearly 20 years at the Faculty of Law. Over that time, I’ve been fortunate to write many scholarly articles and book chapters, as well as a recently published book, sat on dozens of committees, given hundreds of presentations across Canada and around the world, and fielded close to a thousand media interviews. My time as Vice Dean coincided with the massive disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and so many of those challenging moments stand out too. 

I suppose, however, when I look back, it’s the people I remember best. I taught nearly 2,000 students over my time and so many of them have left lasting impressions on me. I’ve also had the good fortune to work with dozens of faculty members who have become my mentors, colleagues, and friends. 

I suppose I’m proudest of the fact that I worked hard in all aspects of the job. I always aspired to be the best teacher, scholar, public commentator, and colleague that I could.

How do you think your years as a legal scholar and educator will shape your work as a justice?

Frank Scott, the constitutional scholar and poet, was fond of saying that the state was a work of art that was unfinished. I think of the legal system in similar fashion. It is a very human institution with its combination of rules and aspirations, principles and pragmatism, and, yes, maybe even a little poetry, or at least a metaphor or two. As a legal historian and constitutional scholar, I carry with me a deep respect for our legal past, and a healthy recognition of the moments when justice has failed. In modest ways, I hope I can be a part of a legal system that draws upon the best traditions of law and its ideals to keep building and rebuilding a commitment to doing justice.  

As you begin this new chapter, what core principles or priorities do you expect will be central to your approach as a justice?

Law professors do a lot of talking but I’m eager to transition to a role of active listening. I know I have an awful lot to learn in my new role, but I’ll try and approach this new responsibility in the same way that I conducted myself as an academic these past two decades by working hard, learning from the people around me, not being afraid to wonder if I might be wrong sometimes, and trying to reflect the best principles of fairness and justice so that we might live together well. At any rate, I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying my best.