UNB Law

10/08/2026

🎤 Join us on Thursday, October 22, for the 47th Viscount Bennett Memorial Lecture

We are pleased to welcome The Hon. J.C. Marc Richard, former Chief Justice of New Brunswick, as this year’s distinguished speaker.

His lecture, "Democracy Under Strain: The Rule of Law and the Responsibility of the Legal Profession," will examine how the rule of law is eroded and why Canada cannot afford complacency. It will explore the responsibility of the legal profession—and those preparing to enter it—to safeguard judicial independence, sustain public confidence, and ensure that power remains subject to law.

📅 Thursday, October 22, 2026
🕔 5 to 6 p.m. (Reception will follow in The Hon. Dominic LeBlanc Student Lounge)
📍 UNB Law, Mary Louise Lynch Room (Rm 2A/B)

Register to attend: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/xxSE4a8buS

10/07/2026

📣 Become an alumni mentor! 👥

Our Alumni Mentorship Program (AMP) has seen incredible interest from our 1L students this year, and we’re looking for more alumni to step forward as mentors. That means we need you!

If you graduated in 2025 or earlier and have completed your articling, we’d be delighted to welcome you to the program.

The AMP is coordinated by our Counsellor & Wellness Advisor, Nat Perry, and provides a meaningful way for alumni to guide and support current students (in-person, or virtually) as they navigate law school and begin building their careers.

Your main role as the mentor:
✅ Share knowledge about your experience in the field of law;
✅ Act as a resource for professional conduct in the field of law;
✅ Encourage and support your mentees career and leadership development through engagement and goal setting.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor and making an impact, please reach out directly to Nat at [email protected].

Help us continue to strengthen the UNB Law community—one mentorship at a time.

10/02/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of Dr. Karen Pearlston.

Karen joined UNB Law in 2001. She was a dedicated scholar, teacher and advocate whose career was deeply rooted in a commitment to social justice and gender equality. Her scholarship explored the legal history of women, gender and the family, as well as le***an legal history and the relationship between q***r activism and law reform.

Beyond her academic work, Karen devoted countless hours to advancing women’s equality, reproductive justice and abortion access in New Brunswick. Her contributions to these causes were recognized with the inaugural Minister’s Award for Excellence in Championing Gender Equality - VIVE Everyday Champion Award (2021).

Karen’s commitment to her community extended to many organizations and initiatives, including Fredericton‘s pro Palestine community, Fredericton Pride and the Looking Out for Each Other Project, which supports families of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls.

She leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of scholarship, advocacy and service. She will be deeply missed by her former colleagues and by the many students, community members and friends whose lives she touched.

Please join us in remembering Karen and extending our thoughts to her family, friends and loved ones.

Learn more about her remarkable career and lasting legacy:

Karen Frimet Pearlston, born 15 November 1958, daughter of Maryline and Harvey, died peacefully at her home in Ekpahak / Fredericton, NB, on 18 September 2026 at the age of 67. Karen is survived by her beloved partner of 36 years Joan Lillian Headley, her sister Enna, brother Phillip, niece Esther,....

09/30/2026

'Ciw Wasisok | Mi'guwetelamanej mi'juwaji'g | Remembering the children

Today, the UNB community comes together in remembrance, reflection and learning as we honour residential school Survivors and commemorate the children who never returned home. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is an opportunity to recognize the lasting impact of Canada’s residential school system on Indigenous children, families and communities, and to reflect on our shared responsibility to advance reconciliation.

Join us today at 10 a.m. for the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Ceremony at the Richard J. Currie Center on the Fredericton campus or the Hans W. Klohn Commons on the Saint John campus.

The ceremony will also be available online:

Content warning: This event relates to Residential Schools and deal...

09/29/2026

Special Lecture w/ the Hon. Barbara Baird

The University of New Brunswick Faculty of Law is pleased to invite you to a special lecture featuring the Honourable Barbara L. Baird (LLB’76), recently retired from the New Brunswick Court of Appeal.

📅 Date: Thursday, October 15, 2026
🕓 Time: 5 to 6 pm
📍 Location: UNB Law, Mary Louise Lynch Room (2A/B), reception to follow in the Hon. Dominic LeBlanc Student Lounge
🔗 Register: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/ZSQ2MesR3u

The Hon. Barbara Baird will reflect on her journey through nearly five decades in the legal profession, from entering law school in 1974 to the rapidly changing legal landscape of today. She will explore the evolution of legal practice, the experience of women in the profession, landmark legislation and cases, and the impact of emerging technologies and AI, while offering her thoughts on the future of law and the importance of ethical practice.

We hope you will join us for what promises to be a memorable evening with one of New Brunswick’s most distinguished members of the judiciary and a proud UNB Law alumna.

09/28/2026

HAPPENING TODAY: Join us for the launch of the Canadian Observatory on the Rights of the Child.

📅 Monday, September 28, 2026
🕓 5 to 6 p.m.
📍 UNB Law, Mary Louise Lynch Room (2A/B)
🔗 Register to attend: https://lnkd.in/g9CPnti4

👩‍💻 If you can’t attend in person, join us virtually via Zoom:
https://unbvirtualclasses.zoom.us/j/88928594936
Meeting ID: 889 2859 4936
Passcode: 008386

The Observatory on the Rights of the Child is a partnership established in 2025 between the Law faculties of UNB and the Université de Moncton. The Observatory acts as a research hub for the advancement of children’s rights across Canada, primarily by advocating for the implementation of the general measures that are recommended by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

The launch event will highlight the Observatory's vision for advancing children’s rights in Canada, share findings from its first major research project, the New Brunswick Child Rights Data Monitoring Report 2022-25 commissioned by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, and announce NB Law Foundation funding to improve access to justice for children throughout New Brunswick.

09/22/2026

📚 Getting a head start on their legal careers

Our first-year students recently spent the day with Career Services Officer Martha McClellan (JD’12) and members of the Articling & Placement Committee for a practical careers workshop designed to help them get a head start on the recruitment process.

Students worked on their resumes and cover letters, learned about recruitment cycles and timelines for legal careers across the country, and received valuable advice on navigating the early stages of their legal careers.

A big thank you to Martha and the members of the Articling & Placement Committee for sharing their time, expertise and guidance with our newest students!

09/17/2026

🎙️ Understanding Indigenous rights in Canada

What does the Government of Canada’s recent decision regarding NunatuKavut Indigenous rights mean under the Constitution?

Prof. Nicole O'Byrne joined Sakib Ibn Rashid Rhivu on CBC's Labrador Morning to discuss the legal questions surrounding the decision and what comes next for NunatuKavut.

🎧 Want to hear the full interview? Search “Legal expert weighs in on next steps for NunatuKavut” on CBC's homepage.

09/17/2026

🎙️ Understanding Indigenous rights in Canada

What does the Government of Canada’s recent decision regarding NunatuKavut Indigenous rights mean under the Constitution?

Prof. Nicole O'Byrne joined Rashid Rhivu on CBC's Labrador Morning to discuss the legal questions surrounding the decision and what comes next for NunatuKavut.

🎧 Listen to the full interview: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-31-labrador-morning/clip/16237367-legal-expert-weighs-next-nunatukavut

09/16/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Matthew Pearn (LLB’11) on being named President of the CBA New Brunswick Branch / ABC Division du Nouveau-Brunswick for 2026–2027!

We were honoured to welcome Matthew back to UNB Law to represent the Canadian Bar Association at our recent Dean’s Welcome, where he spoke to our incoming class about the work of the CBA and the important role it plays in supporting the legal profession.

It was wonderful to have one of our alumni back in the building to welcome the next generation of UNB Law students and share his experience and perspective with the Class of 2029.

We look forward to another year of working closely with Matthew and the CBA-NB and wish him all the best in his new role!

Read more: https://nb-cba.org/news/matthew-pearn-of-whitehead-miles-allen-llp-begins-his-2026-2027-term-as-cba-nb-president/