When Elizabeth L. Thomson, LLB’74, BCL’75, accepted her offer of admission from McGill’s Faculty of Law, she would never have guessed that she would go on to pursue a career in international corporate law in Asia. Decades later, she told McGill how well the BCL/LLB program had prepared her for her unexpected career by enabling her to use both Common Law, which is practiced in Hong Kong where she is now based, and Civil Law, which is one of the sources of Chinese law.
The Faculty’s distinctive BCL/LLB program is one of the reasons why today, a thriving community of McGill alumni has established itself in the city dubbed the Pearl of the Orient. Spanning over a mere 1,104 square kilometers (roughly two and a half times the Island of Montreal), the metropolis is one of the world’s most significant financial centers and trade ports, making it a vibrant hub for international corporate law.
On May 10, Assistant Dean of Strategic Planning Véronique Bélanger, BCL’91, LLB’91, LLM’99, met with McGill alumni and legal professionals in an intimate cocktail, kindly hosted by Eddie Look, BCL’97, LLB’97, and his colleague Herman Pang, Bsc’05, in the offices of law firm Tanner De Witt. A few months prior, Dean Robert Leckey had held a similar event on the occasion of his first visit to the region as Dean of Law.
Over cozy drinks and nibbles, Bélanger shared various initiatives of the Faculty in Asia (including the McGill-Shantou program that was beginning the following week), the latest news from Chancellor Day Hall, and recent innovations in the BCL/LLB curriculum. The group discussed the many ways alumni can help support the Faculty, from philanthropic giving to helping mentor students, providing internship opportunities, or hosting exchange students.
The evening concluded with the assurance that, wherever they are, alumni can keep their McGill connection alive. Whether by staying connected through social media, meeting students traveling to the region, reconnecting in Montreal at Homecoming, getting together with local alumni in Hong Kong, or sharing their love for McGill with potential students, alumni everywhere can take part in the truly international McGill experience.
The Faculty is grateful to Ms. Elizabeth Thomson for her support, and to Alvin Chung, McGill University’s Head of Alumni Relations and Advancement in Asia, for his invaluable help organizing the event.
Alumni relocating in Asia or traveling there for business are warmly invited to contact Alvin Chung for career guidance, or to be put in touch with local McGill alumni.