Sessional Instructors

Sessional instructors play a crucial role in the delivery of our programs. Many of them are our alumni. All of them are leading practitioners in their respective areas. The following sessional lecturers brought practical experience and specialized knowledge into the classrooms during the 2011-2012 Academic Year. 

Information for sessional instructors is available here.

Brett Anderson
Law 527: Basic Tax Law (with Goguen)
Brett has an LLB (with distinction) (Calgary) and was the winner of the William A. McGillivray Gold Medal in Law. He practices in all areas of taxation law with Felesky Flynn.

Rob Armstrong
Law 505: Civil Procedure
Rob has a BA from the University of Alberta and a LLB from the University of Calgary.  He articled with the Court of Queen's Bench and Court of Appeal of Alberta. Rob now practices  with JSS Barristers exclusively in the area of civil litigation focusing on employment matters, commercial litigation, complex multi-party actions and contractual disputes, and professional negligence matters.

Sarah Bagg
Law 519: Jurisprudence
Sarah received her LLB from the University of Calgary in 2006, while on a leave of absence as a PhD candidate in the University's Ddepartment of Philosophy.

Lauren Bell
Law 637: Energy Law
Lauren has both a B.Comm. and an LL.B. from the University of Calgary and was admitted to the bar in 2000.  She practices with the National Energy Board.

E. Wayne Benedict
Law 699: Labour Law
Wayne is an associate with McGown Johnson in Calgary, practicing primarily labour, employment, privacy, human rights, workers compensation and constitutional law.  Wayne is an LL.M (ADR) Candidate (Osgoode Hall), and holds a JD (Distinction) (USask) and a B.HRLR (Great Distinction) (AU). Wayne was an editor of the Saskatchewan Law Review (2004-05) and the Alberta Law Review (2005-06), and he was Law Clerk to The Honourable Mr. Justice Kenneth Mackenzie and The Honourable Mr. Justice Allan Thackray of the British Columbia Court of Appeal (2006-07).  Wayne holds certifications in locomotive operations, building construction, and industrial relations & human resources, and he is former president of a Canadian transportation trade union.

Bina Border
Law 611: Dispute Resolution III: Adjudication

Robin Camp
Law 505: Civil Procedure
Robin graduated from the University of Stellenbosch, with Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws degrees and practised as a Barrister in Johannesburg until 1991. In 1998 Robin emigrated to Canada, re-qualified, and commenced practice in Alberta. He joined  JSS Barristers in 2004, where he is now continuing in the practice of significant commercial litigation.

Michelle Christopher
Law 410.01: Criminal Law and Procedure
Law 663: Dispute Resolution Clinical
Michelle works with the Youth Criminal Defence Office in Calgary.  She has an LLB (Dalhousie) and mediation and alternative dispute resolution training from Osgoode, Harvard  and the Alberta Arbitration and Mediation Society.

Catrin Coe
Law 405: Fundamental Legal Skills
Law 598: Trusts
Catrin is Legal Counsel for the Court of Appeal of Alberta. She holds an LLB (Calgary), MBA (Queen's), and an LLM (Cantab). 

Rhoda Dobler
Law 411: Dispute Resolution I
Rhoda practices with Dunphy Best Blocksom LLP exclusively in the areas of family law, collaborative family law and mediation. She has a BA and an LLB from the University of Calgary and was called to the bar in 1993.

Jennifer Faircloth
Law 553: Insurance Law
Jennifer graduated from the University of Manitoba Law School in 1998 and is a partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG).  her litigation practice has a strong emphasis on insurance, securities litigation, oil and gas litigation and commercial litigation.

Laurie Goldbach
Law 615: Advanced Civil Procedure
Laurie has a BA from the University of Western Ontario and a LLB from the University of Victoria. She clerked with the Ontario Court of Appeal before being admitted to the bar in Alberta and Ontario in 2000. She is currently a litigatore with Bennett Jones.

David Gould, Q.C.
Law 411: Dispute Resolution I
David is a partner in Certus Strategies and a recognized leader in the design and implementation of conflict management and dispute resolution systems and processes including mediation, arbitration and med/arb. 

Michael Greene
Law 698: Immigration and Refugee Law (with Munn)
Michael Greene is partner at Sherritt Greene, a Calgary immigration law firm. He received a BA (Manitoba) and an LLB (Calgary).

Lisa Handfield
Law 619: Estate Planning
Lisa is a tax lawyer with Heddema & Partners LLP.  She obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Distinction and a Certified General Accountants designation before attending law school.  She obtained her LLB at the University of Calgary and clerked at the Tax Court of Canada.

Sandra Hildebrand
Law 693: Student Legal Assistance: Clinical Theory
Law 696: Student Legal Assistance: Clinical Practice
Sandra, a partner in Hildebrand Wilde, graduated from the University of Calgary in 1992. She has volunteered with and worked with SLA since 2003.

Astrid Kalkbrenner
Law 627: International Environmental Law (with Cecelia Low)
Astrid is a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Law.  Her PhD research deals with the analysis and design of compensation funds for activities potentially harmful to the environment.

Maria Lavelle
Law 404.03: Legislation, Administration and Policy
Maria has an LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School and an LL.M. from Columbia University Law School. Before joining the Alberta Law Reform Institute in 2005, she was a legal officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and posted to Canadian Embassies in Syria and Turkey and to the Canadian High Commission in Ghana.

Chris Levy
Law 410.02 Crime
Law 507.01: Evidence
Chris has taught in the Faculty of Law since 1976. He has always been interested in Criminal Law and Legal History, although in the last 25 years he has concentrated more on the fields of Evidence, Procedure and Health Law. Chris retired from the Faculty of Law on June 30, 2011.

Linda McKay-Panos
Law 400.02: Constitutional Law (Fall term)
Law 547: Human Rights Law
Linda is Executive Director of the Alberta Civil Liberties Research Centre, which is affiliated with the Faculty of Law. She holds a BEd, LLB and LLM (Calgary).

Laurie McMurchie, QC
Law 513: Dispute Resolution II
Laurie’s practice emphasizes resolving disputes without court intervention. Her focus is alternate dispute resolution processes, including collaborative family law; lawyer-assisted mediations and negotiations; mediation; mediation/arbitration; and arbitration. Laurie was one of the founding board members for the Association of Collaborative Family Professionals (Calgary).

Laura Mensch
Law 561: Employment Law
Laura holds a BA (Leth.), MPA (Queen's), LLB (Calgary). She is a partner in Gowlings' Calgary office, practicing in the area of general litigation with an emphasis on employment and labour matters.

Ross Mitchell
Law 410: Crime
Ross is Counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada's Economic Crime Group. He has an LLB (Toronto) and an LLM (Edinburgh).

D. Jean Munn
Law 698: Immigration and Refugee Law (with Greene)
Jean practices immigration, labour and employment law and is a partner in Caron and Partners. She has a BA and an LLB (Calgary).

Molly Naber-Sykes
Law 639: Dispute Resolution III
Molly is the coordinator of the Annual Intensive Trial Advocacy Program offered through the University of Calgary's Faculty of Law and the Legal Education Society of Alberta.

Angela Ovens
Law 605: Oil and Gas Contracts
A graduate of the Faculty of Law, Angela's practice has primarily related to natural resources. Having worked at an energy-focused law firm for seven years, Angela is currently studying towards a LLM from Osgoode Hall. Her current research relates to public participation as a means of demonstrating accountability and legitimacy of administrative action. In addition to teaching Oil and Gas Contracts at the law school, Angela co-teaches freehold lease administration to industry participants

Jay J. Park, Q.C.
Law 630: International Petroleum Transactions (with Garret and Bevan)
Jay is a partner, and chair of the Global Resources Practice Group with Macleod Dixon LLP, where he practices oil and gas law. He holds an LLB from Osgoode Hall.

Deborah Petriuk
Law 510: Ethical Lawyering
Deborah joined the Law Society of Alberta as counsel in 2003. Prior to that she was legal counsel at the Court of Appeal of Alberta.

Clifford J. Shaw, Q.C.
Law 581: Unsecured Creditors' Remedies
Law 525: Bankruptcy and Restructuring Law
Cliff practices law with Leon Bickman Brener and provides legal services to financial institutions, trustees in bankruptcy and receivers.  He has a BA (St.FX), LLB (Dalhousie) LLM (Osgoode).

Bryce C. Tingle
Law 410: Legal Perspectives
Law 618: Corporate Finance
Bryce is a partner in Tingle Merrett, with a practice focused on securities and corporate finance for emerging and growth companies. He has an LLB (UofA) and an LLM (Duke),.

Genèvieve Tremblay-McCaig
Law 400: Constitutional Law
Genèvieve currently works as counsel with the Alberta Law Reform Institute. She has a LL.M in administrative and constitutional law and is undertaking an LL.D in health law. Prior to joining ALRI, Genevieve worked as researcher for the University of Montreal's Research Centre for Public Law, and subsequently as professor at the University of Sherbrooke Law School where she taught constitutional law, health law and human rights.

Paul Trotter
Law 533: Wills and Estates
Paul practices tax and estate law in Calgary with Counsel West Law. He obtained his law degree from Queen's University in 1977 and was then called to the bars of Ontario, Yukon and Alberta.

David Venour
Law 594: Aboriginal Law
David is a lawyer with the Department of Justice (Canada).

Diane Volk
Law 607: Legal Research
Diane is Litigation Counsel with the Alberta Securities Commission.

Michael Waite
Law 593: Health Law
Michael is currently a partner in Stones Carbert Waite LLP, where he maintains an active civil and commercial litigation practice. He obtained a BA and LLB (Calgary) and LLM (Alberta). In 2009, Michael was the recipient of the Faculty of Law's Honourable W.K. Moore Award for outstanding commitment and contribution to the U of C Faculty of Law.

Liz Whitsitt
Law 597: International Trade Law
Liz holds a B.Sc. and LL.B. (Calgary) and is currently a PhD student in the Faculty of Law. She has been the editor of International Treaty News. In the spring of 2011, Ms. Whitsitt was awarded the Marc Lalonde Prize for Excellence in International Commercial and Investment Arbitration for her paper on the "Application of Most-favoured-nation Clauses to the Dispute Settlement Provisions of Bilateral Investment Treaties: An Assessment of the Jurisprudence", published in the 2009 Journal of Energy & Natural Resources Law.

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In addition to the full-time faculty and sessional instructors teaching courses in 2011/2012, see also:

Honourary Professors teaching this academic year:

The Honourable Judge A.A. Fradsham (Law 601: Advanced Criminal Law)

Adjunct Professors teaching this academic year:

W.E. Brett Code (Law 507: Evidence)
Gillian D. Marriott, Q.C. (Law 515: Family Law)
J. Owen Saunders (Law 549: International Law)
Elaine Seifert, QC (Law 513: Dispute Resolution II)

Emeriti Professors teaching in 2010-2011:

H. Ian Routhwaite (Law 404: Property; Law 521: Real Estate Transactions)
Pat Knoll (Law 403: Legislation, Administration & Policy; Law 511: Criminal Process)