University of Alberta Alumni Awards honour three law graduates

Each year the University of Alberta recognizes the achievements of a group of inspiring alumni. The 2021 Alumni Award recipients — who were celebrated in a March 16 ceremony at the Winspear Centre — include three University of Alberta Faculty of Law graduates.

“Our alumni have earned a strong reputation for positively serving the legal profession, the judicial system and the community at large,” said Dean Barbara Billingsley. “That reputation is readily borne out by the many and varied contributions made by each of the 2021 Alumni Award recipients from law. We are very proud to see these three individuals being recognized with these awards and we extend our warmest congratulations to each of them.”

The Hon. C. Adèle Kent, ’77 LLB — Alumni Honour Award

One of the hallmarks of The Hon. C. Adèle Kent’s distinguished legal career was her work with the National Judicial Institute (NJI), where she designed and planned education programs for Canadian judges. First as a volunteer and then as the NJIs Chief Judicial Officer, she implemented changes that included training on issues surrounding race, gender and unconscious bias.

An Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench justice for 27 years, Kent also became recognized as an expert in judicial ethics. She took a particular interest in medical ethics, publishing a book called Medical Ethics: The State of the Law.

Reflecting on the beginnings of her legal career, one of the memories that has stayed with Kent the most is the collegiality she experienced at the Faculty. “The friends that were made in the first months of first year have lasted a lifetime,” she said.

She also praises her former professors for the quality of instruction they provided. “There were very few subjects that I did not enjoy,” she said. “Even where it was tough slogging (like tax), the profs made it a great adventure.”

As Kent now pursues her next great adventure — retirement — she says it is humbling to be recognized with an Alumni Honour Award. She also offers up some words of wisdom for those about to embark on their own careers in law.

“I would encourage young lawyers not to become too set in a career path too soon,” she said. “If you do choose a more traditional path, use your legal knowledge in volunteer opportunities to help others.”

Melynnie Rizvi, ’95 BCom, ’99 LLB — Alumni Honour Award

When Melynnie Rizvi left the U of A with degrees in both business and law, she couldn’t have imagined the unique and impactful career path that she had ahead of her.

“I wanted to go to law school for as long as I can remember, as I was always fascinated with the impact that a legal system has on the culture of a society,” Rizvi said, noting that the connection between rules and culture applies to the business world as well.

These interests led Rizvi, now based in California, to a successful career in employment law. She eventually expanded her role to include leadership positions for corporate diversity, equity and inclusion programs. After several years with SurveyMonkey, where she launched the company’s social impact initiative SurveyMonkey for Good, she currently works for Shutterfly.

For Rizvi, this evolution of her career has allowed her to put her legal education and skills to work in an area where she can help “build positive and inclusive workplaces as well as strengthen diverse communities.”

Silicon Valley may seem worlds away from Edmonton, but Rizvi still has friendships and fond memories from her time as a student — including her participation in Law Show every year. As an Alumni Honour Award recipient, Rizvi says she is “hugely honoured and humbled” to be recognized by her alma mater.

“The U of A gave me the education and skills to help me get to where I am today,” she said. “It is incredibly rewarding to know that in some way, however large or small it may be, my work makes others’ lives better.”

Kristen Hagg, ’05 BSc (Kinesiology), ’12 JD — Sports Wall of Fame

Kristen Hagg’s impressive journey as a former student includes two degrees and multiple successes as an athlete with the Pandas hockey team — including four national championships and two prestigious trophies given to top female athletes. She was also named Canada West’s Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and scoring leader.

When Hagg decided to enter law school after playing elite women’s hockey in Canada and internationally, she says the University of Alberta was “by far” her first choice. “I really enjoyed my courses and instructors,” she said. “It was particularly cool to learn Torts from Lewis Klar, as it had always been a big area of interest for me.”

Hagg is now enjoying success in her law career as a partner at HMC Lawyers in Calgary, where she practises general litigation with a focus on insurance litigation. But she still looks back on her time on campus as a significant part of her life. “[It created] the foundation of who I am today,” she said. “To have the institution that meant so much to me come back and say that I meant something to them is more special than I can really put into words.”

* Photos by Ryan Whitefield