Right Place, Right Time (Page 2)

After his departure from the Council, offers flooded in from across the world, including prestigious appointments in the United States. Given the opportunity to consult for the Department of Justice in Ottawa and assist in the domestic implementation of international human rights law, Leuprecht came to Canada and also accepted part-time visiting professorships at McGill and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Two years later, Leuprecht was surprised to be offered the deanship at McGill's Faculty of Law. Intrigued, his only hesitation was in ensuring that he didn't get in the way of qualified internal candidates. When several possible candidates urged him to take the position, he accepted.

			Some faculty activities around the world McGill is a partner in the President's Centre for Private Law in Russia, which is drafting a new civil code for the Russian Federation. The Faculty offers training to Chinese judges as part of a project sponsored by the Canadian International Development Agency, and in Vietnam it provides services to the Ministry of Justice to train judges, lawyers and civil servants in the methodology of comparative law. McGill graduates played a large part in the formation of the Faculty of Law at Ethiopia's Haile Selassie I University. Students first came from Ethiopia to McGill to study law because their legal system was based on a civil code of French origin, and by the late 1960s, many of the country's highest posts were held by McGill alumni. As part of its commitment to global human rights, McGill offers students the opportunity each year to participate in human rights internships in developing nations. The students assist non-governmental organizations in preparing draft legislation and prepare reports on issues such as aboriginal rights and child labour. Students also receive financial assistance from McGill to organize their own internships, and some have worked with the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Democracy and Development in the Republic of Georgia, the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance, and the Palestinian Peace Project.

From Leuprecht's perspective, the Faculty of Law was a historical "home" for human rights, having produced such luminaries as Professor John Humphrey, BCom'25, BA'27, BCL'29, PhD'45, LLD'76, the first director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights and original drafter of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and the legendary civil libertarian and constitutional lawyer, Professor Frank R. Scott, BCL'27, LLD'67. The Faculty's work continues with Professor Irwin Cotler, BA'61, BCL'67, Member of Parliament and chair of the McGill-based International Human Rights Advocacy Centre, and a new generation of professors such as former dean Stephen Toope, BCL'83, and René Provost.

Among its other activities, the Faculty offers internships where students work with human rights organizations in countries such as Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Colombia, and sponsors lectures and workshops in addition to its advocacy work at the local, national and international level.

Leuprecht was also impressed by McGill's contributions to global scholarship, and he remains particularly enthusiastic about its unique trans-systemic programme. Introduced in 1999 after several years of consultation among faculty, students and alumni, the heavily revamped curriculum explores the common and civil law systems side-by-side in true comparative fashion. Previously, students spent the first part of their program studying one system, then switched over to study the other. They could also opt to obtain a degree in either civil or common law and to graduate after three years. Students must now complete degrees in both systems, although they can still choose whether to do so in three or four years.

As Leuprecht points out, some eighty percent of the world's citizens live under one of these two legal systems, and McGill's role can only grow in importance as the world becomes increasingly unified: "Our curriculum strongly projects the Faculty into the future and onto the international scene, and graduates who receive a first-class education in these two legal systems will be able to make remarkable contributions in their professional life."

Indeed, McGill's approach is in keeping with Leuprecht's philosophy towards legal education, the purpose of which, he says, is to do more than "merely train technicians, but teach our graduates to think globally and critically, to be leaders in society and promoters of justice."

Even as the dean concedes that the new programme is extremely demanding on students and faculty, he is heartened by signs that the bold gambit is proving successful. Already, Leuprecht says, he is "struck by the intense interest and curiosity that our curriculum is provoking around the world." And competition to enter the Faculty (already among the keenest in North America) continues to grow. "The deans of other law schools complain of the decrease in applications across the country," he says, pausing to smile before adding, "but ours keep increasing." These developments, says the dean, are "strong confirmation that we are indeed on the right path."

While McGill's programme brings special rewards, it also imposes unique challenges. Trans-systemic teaching requires a professoriate familiar with both legal systems, and such people are scarce. The retirement of professors who were hired at the time baby boomers entered university means that the fierce competition for first-rate academics will only get worse.

The programme also places heightened demands on McGill's library collections. Referring to the privately built Nahum Gelber Law Library, the dean has said, "Now that we have a beautiful building, we need to fill it up." But finding money for collections is not always easy. "The conditions and environment here, financially speaking, are not always ideal," admits Leuprecht, whose fundraising priorities also include greatly increasing the number of endowed chairs in order to help hire and retain the professors it takes to teach an exacting curriculum.

Leuprecht is enthusiastically pursuing other goals for the Faculty. "I see McGill as a lighthouse of critical and global thinking about problems of law and justice," he says, "and I plan to consolidate and expand our reputation as one of the world's leading law schools."

The dean has made impressive strides during his first year; most notably, laying the groundwork for a new Institute of European Studies which will be up and running in 2001. A joint venture between McGill and Université de Montréal -- "I'm very ecumenical, and favour inter-university cooperation, particularly in a city like Montreal" -- the new institute will provide a prime opportunity to promote McGill's international outlook and expand its offerings in European Community law. Seed money for the Institute has been given by the European Commission, and the dean hopes it will attract further funding from other sources in the years ahead.

The challenges of a revised curriculum, a United Nations appointment and the newly created Institute of European Studies are not enough to deter Leuprecht from imagining still more possibilities. Ever the idealist, he dreams of amalgamating all of McGill's various human rights activities to form an Institute for Human Rights, and becomes increasingly animated as he discusses the possibilities for expanded scholarship and advocacy work that could result from such a centre.

"McGill has a fascinating legacy in human rights, and we should do everything possible to continue to live up to this legacy," he says. As he enters the second year of his deanship, it's obvious that Peter Leuprecht has come to feel at home at McGill. It's equally clear he will ensure that McGill remains a home for human rights.