More than 250 guests gathered to celebrate the kick-off to Western Law’s 50th anniversary year at the Western Law Alumni Dinner on April 14 at London’s convention centre.
The event honoured Community Legal Services Director, Doug Ferguson ’81, with the Alumni Award of Distinction.
Doug Ferguson
Michael Ignatieff, interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, was the guest speaker at the event. In his remarks Ignatieff praised Ferguson as “someone who has taken the law down to the people, where it is needed the most.”
In accepting his award Ferguson said “he has the best law job in Canada.
“Every day I get to teach eager, bright young people and most of all, we have the opportunity to serve people in need,” he said. “Our students help them, and in doing so become not just better lawyers, but better persons. They learn what it means to give back to the community. My goal has been to turn CLS into the best student legal clinic in Canada, and with thanks to the outstanding work of Jason Voss, Margaret Capes and Sue Latta, and our support staff, Viv and Lynn, I think we have reached our goal.”
Western’s President Paul Davenport, acknowledged the role Western Law has played during its five decades.
“Western Law has evolved and matured into one of North America’s leading law schools,” he noted. “It is a leader in curricular innovation, and in internationalization. It is a place where each year students come from across Canada and around the world to be taught by some of our country’s best scholars. And its graduates – many of you who are here this evening – through their professional lives make Canada a better place in which to live. All of us at Western are proud of the law school and what it has accomplished.”
Western Law thanks Michael Lerner ’72 for chairing the dinner and Lerners LLP for its generous sponsorship of the event.