Thompson River University (TRU) Faculty of Law has announced its incoming faculty who will come from across Canada and around the world. They will be teaching at Canada’s newest Law School and will help to shape what will be a truly unique law school.

TRU Faculty of Law will be the first new law school in Canada in 35 years, and the first ever outside of a major urban centre. Students will have close interaction with faculty, and they will focus on important and growing areas of the law including First Nations, Natural Resources and Energy law.

“Not only am I impressed by their credentials, I’m proud of the diversity of the group,” said Alan Shaver, TRU President and Vice-Chancellor.  “They embody the global nature of TRU and Kamloops.   Their scholarly interests are important  to our region and to the world.  The TRU Faculty of Law is off to a great start with excellent faculty such as these teaching our students.”

“This is a very diverse faculty group. Our professors have practiced and taught in Canada and internationally at the highest level,” said Chris Axworthy, Q.C., founding Dean. “Our faculty includes experienced and lauded professors of law, as well as newcomers who will bring energy to shaping our programs. I think our students will have excellent experiences learning from this team.”

Faculty, listed alphabetically, includes:

Dr. Ken Cooper-Stephenson. Dr. Cooper-Stephenson is a well-known tort expert. He holds degrees from London University (LL.B & LL.D) and Cambridge (LL.M). He taught previously at the University of Saskatchewan, Bond University (Australia) and James Cook University of North Queensland (Australia).

Margaret Isabel Hall. Professor Hall is a former Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law at the British Columbia Law Institute. She holds degrees from the University of British Columbia (B.A, LL.M, Ph.D candidate) and Queen’s (LL.B). Previously she taught at the University of British Columbia and the University of Saskatchewan Native Law Centre.

Sharon Mascher Professor Mascher is an expert in environmental and resource law. She holds degrees from the University of Calgary (LL.B & LL.M). Previously she taught at Victoria University Wellington (New Zealand), University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Western Australia, where she also served as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law.

Dr. Richard Frimpong Oppong Dr. Oppong is an expert in international economic law, comparative law and private international law. He holds degrees from the Ghana School of Law (LL.B & B.L), Cambridge (LL.M), Harvard (LL.M), and the University of British Columbia (Ph.D). Previously he taught at Lancashire Law University (United Kingdom) and served as a Killam Post-doctoral fellow at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University.

Janna Promislow Professor Promislow is an expert in First Nations Law. She holds degrees from the University of Alberta (B.A. Hons), University of Victoria (LL.B), York University (LL.M & Ph.D candidate). Previously she taught at Osgoode Hall (York University) and the University of Alberta where she served as Executive Director of the Centre for Constitutional Studies, and the University of Victoria.

Micah Rankin Professor Rankin has practiced law in Vancouver and clerked for British Columbia Court of Appeals. He holds degrees from Simon Fraser (B.A) Sciences Po (Dp. Int), University of Victoria (J.D) and is a candidate at the University of Toronto (LL.M). His current areas of research are constitutional law and property rights.

“I look forward to working with this group of excellent lawyers and teachers. It isn’t every day that you get a hand in molding a new Law School,” continued Axworthy, a long-serving former Federal Member of Parliament, and former cabinet minister in Roy Romanow’s Saskatchewan government.

Thompson River University recently unveiled plans for the new home of the Faculty of Law. The revitalized Old Main will be a stunning building that echoes the topography of the BC Interior, in particular taking inspiration from A. Y. Jackson’s painting Mount Paul of the Kamloops horizon.

Full biographical information can be found at www.tru.ca/law/faculty