The CCLD is a national body that coordinates dialogue on legal education, research, accreditation, and collaboration amongst the deans of Canada’s 25 law schools. Its overarching objective is to support legal education and scholarship in Canadian law faculties on issues of mutual concern, including accreditation standards, relations with the legal profession, the judiciary, and public institutions.
Dean Boon succeeds Martin Phillipson, Dean of the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan, who has held the role since 2022. Dean Phillipson served at a particularly difficult time, coordinating dialogue amongst deans through the return to in-person teaching following the pandemic and during campus unrest in 2023-2024.
Dean Boon brings extensive experience in academic leadership to this national role. Since joining uOttawa in April 2023, she has emphasized inclusive collaboration as the cornerstone of her leadership. In preparing the next generation of legal leaders, she is focused on three pillars: Experiential Learning, Entrepreneurship and Technology. Her vision for the Faculty is rooted in community-building and a commitment to equity, diversity, and reconciliation. She has actively prioritized initiatives that ensure students receive a truthful and critical understanding of the Indigenous experience in Canada, and the complex role of law in shaping that history.
An expert in international law and contracts, Dean Boon served for 15 years as a law professor in the United States. During that time, she was Associate Dean for Faculty Research and Development, leading institutional efforts in experiential learning, clinical programs, and faculty development. Her legal career began as a Litigation Associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP in New York. She also clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada and served as a visiting academic in the legal bureau of Global Affairs Canada.
The CCLD operates through a five-member Executive Committee, composed of the President and regional representatives from the Western, Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic regions. Daily operations are overseen by Executive Director Brigitte Pilon, who is also a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law.
“I am pleased to welcome Dean Boon as our new president. In the course of her work with the CCLD, she has proven to be hard-working, insightful and collegial,” says Professor Pilon.
“I am confident that Dean Boon will prove to be an excellent steward for the CCLD, representing the interests of all member faculties on both the local and national stage.”
Professor Brigitte Pilon
— Executive Director, Council of Canadian Law Deans
“It is often a challenge to understand and appreciate the differing challenges, ideas and perspectives of the member faculties. Over the last two years, she has demonstrated a keen understanding of the myriad of issues facing legal education,” adds Pilon.
As President, Dean Boon will guide the Council’s efforts to deepen inter-institutional cooperation, foster national dialogue across Canda’s legal academic landscape, and advance bilingualism. She will also act as a resource and mentor to new deans and coordinate ongoing conversations about legal education in a rapidly changing higher education landscape. Central to her mandate is leading national dialogue on the integration of technology within law faculties to ensure students are equipped for the evolving demands of legal practice.
“I am honoured to take on this role and look forward to working with my colleagues across the country as we navigate the shifting terrain of higher education,” says Dean Boon. “One important ongoing conversation involves law and technology, and how we ensure that students are fully prepared for modern legal practice.”