Daniel Jutras was named the new dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University last week for a six-year term that will end in 2016.
Jutras has served as interim dean since last July when his predecessor, Nicholas Kasirer, was appointed to the Quebec Court of Appeal. Jutras joined McGill’s law school in 1985, becoming an associate professor in 1991 and a full professor in 2001. His teaching and research interests are in civil and comparative law, with a focus on the law of obligations and civil procedure.
He left McGill in 2002 to serve as executive legal officer for Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin. But in 2004, he returned to teaching at McGill. From 2005 to 2009 he was also counsel with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.
According to Pascal Zamprelli, McGill law’s communications associate, reaction around the school has been positive.
“So far there has been a very good reaction,” he says. “Students are responding well to the fact that he is an internal candidate and he knows the McGill system very well.”
Jutras said he is looking forward to his new position.
“At McGill, creativity and innovation have defined the education we offer students for decades — offering a program that is unique in its conception of legal education, as well as adaptive to the changes in our modern world.”
