Most recent print edition: Jul 28

– Last updated: Today

• About Us
• |
• Contact Us
• |
• Advertising
• |
• Submissions

News

New Dean of Law announced

Amber Yake - News Editor

A new Founding Dean of Law and finalizing the agreement with the University of Calgary has put TRU’s Law School even closer to it’s completion.

Former Attorney General of Saskatchewan and the current Dean of the University of Manitoba’s Law School, Chris Axworthy, is the New Founding Dean of Law at TRU.

“It’s a rare opportunity to build a Law School from the ground-up,” Axworthy said. “It is particularly attractive to do so in a vibrant community like Kamloops with such a forward looking and dynamic university as Thompson Rivers University with the support of the University of Calgary.”

Axworthy is expected to start on May 1.

“The role of the dean is to lead the law school and work with senior people at the university to get that going,” said John Sparks, TRU general counsel and corporate secretary.

According to Sparks, Axworthy will have to look at hiring faculty and preparing the library right away.

“One of the first things he’ll have to do is hire the faculty that we’ll need for the first year students when they arrive,” he said. “The library will also be one of the first things that he will have to look at as this will be the first law school library built in the electronic age and they’ll have to decide exactly what we do and don’t need in terms of a collection.”

Axworthy is also a former Member of Parliament and Saskatchewan Member of the Legislative Assembly and justice minister, he was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2000.

“We are extremely pleased that TRU’s founding Dean of Law has the credentials and experience of Chris Axworthy,” said Ulrich Scheck, TRU provost and VP academic. “We are not only excited about what he will contribute to TRU academically, but also about the expertise he will offer as we establish our Law School in partnership with the University of Calgary.”

Sparks explains that the process of looking for a founding dean of law was a lengthy one.

“We started the search process for the new dean a few months back, we developed a position description, hired a search firm and did a national search,” he said. “We did have a great deal of interest and we’re exceptionally pleased to get a dean with the background and experience of Chris Axworthy.”

In addition to the new Dean of Law, the curriculum license agreement with the University of Calgary has been finalized.

“This is an historic agreement and we are very proud to be part of it,” Sparks said.

The TRU School of Law will build capacity for access to legal services in rural communities in the BC interior and Peace River region in BC and Alberta. The first law students will start in September 2011 with the application process beginning this fall.