Four faculty members at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law earn tenure and promotions

Four faculty members at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law have been awarded promotions that come into effect July 1, 2022.

Assistant Professor Tamar Meshel has been promoted to the rank of associate professor with tenure, Associate Professors Cameron Jefferies and Ubaka Ogbogu have been promoted to the rank of professor, and Chris Samuel has been promoted to associate lecturer.

TAMAR MESHEL

"I am very grateful to the Faculty for its vote of confidence in me,” said Meshel, who joined the Faculty of Law in 2018.

“The generous support over the past few years of my wonderful colleagues and fantastic students has made the path to tenure very enjoyable. This is hopefully just the beginning ‘of a long journey of teaching, research, and service at the Faculty.’”

Meshel earned her JD from the University of British Columbia and went on to complete an LLM and SJD from the University of Toronto. She specializes in the areas of international water law and domestic and international arbitration.

Her recent research has spanned crypto trading disputes and international commercial and investment arbitration.

Prior to teaching, Meshel practised international commercial arbitration and served as deputy counsel at the International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. She also acted as legal advisor to the Jerusalem Arbitration Center in Israel and Palestine.

CAMERON JEFFERIES

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have a career teaching and researching issues that I am passionate about,” said Jefferies. “I’m grateful for the opportunities and support provided by my colleagues.”

An expert in international and domestic environmental law, Jefferies holds a bachelor of laws from the University of Alberta, as well as a master of laws and doctor of juridical science, both from the University of Virginia. 

He joined the Faculty as an assistant professor in 2012 after serving as a research associate and sessional lecturer with the Health Law Institute.

Jefferies is the author of Marine Mammal Conservation and the Law of the Sea and co-author of Tort Law, sixth edition.

He teaches environmental law, international environmental law, basic oil and gas law and oceans law and policy. 

UBAKA OGBOGU

“The University of Alberta Faculty of Law has been my academic home since I arrived as a LLM student from Nigeria, and it is especially gratifying to reach this milestone in a place I call home,” said Ogbogu.

“And of course, I'd like to thank everyone who accompanied and supported me on the journey, including colleagues, students and staff.”

Ogbogu holds undergraduate degrees in law from the University of Benin, Nigeria, and the Nigerian Law School. After completing his LLM at the University of Alberta, he earned his doctorate from the University of Toronto.

An expert in health law, Ogbogu studies the ethical, legal and societal implications of novel and emerging biotechnologies. His recent publications have included work on media portrayals of essential services during pandemic, as well as the ethics of payment for future COVID-19 infection studies.

In addition to his scholarly work, he has led or participated in national and international policymaking initiatives and task forces. 

CHRIS SAMUEL

"So many people have helped me to achieve this accomplishment, particularly all of my current and former writing fellows,” said Samuel.

“I'm fortunate that our faculty is filled to the brim with talented, hard-working students — it makes my job as a lecturer much easier."

Samuel obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Alberta and completed his LLB at the University of New Brunswick in 2010. He is now pursuing his LLM at the U of A.

He began teaching as a sessional instructor and moot coach with the Faculty in 2014. Samuel now serves as the director of legal research and writing and oversees the Faculty’s competitive mooting program.

Prior to joining the Faculty, he worked as a crown prosecutor with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada and has appeared before the Provincial Court of Alberta, the Court of Queen's Bench of Alberta, and the Alberta Court of Appeal.