Dean Kristen Boon reminded graduates at last June’s Convocation that when someone goes to law school, “in a way, everyone else in the family does too.”
Although she was referring to the support system needed for law school, for some graduates, Fauteux was literally a family affair.
We are excited to launch a new initiative: FTXFAM, which will highlight law school alumni stories of multi-generational and family connections, the tales told by parents and their children, brothers and sisters and even grandparents who enrolled in the Common Law Section.
And some of those familial connections reach right to the Supreme Court of Canada and to the top of uOttawa itself!
Chancellor Claudette Commanda is a 1997 graduate while her son Frankie Cote, JD ‘12, is also an alum.
The Right Hon. Richard Wagner, PC, Chief Justice of Canada, is a 1979 graduate of the Civil Law Section who received an honorary doctorate from uOttawa in 2019.
The Chief Justice explained that “My father worked in Ottawa at the time, and my sister was already enrolled in social sciences at the University of Ottawa. My father had also completed his degree in philosophy there.
“These family ties with the University certainly influenced my decision to pursue my studies in law there.”
Chief Justice Wagner’s father, Claude Wagner, was a judge, Quebec cabinet minister, federal MP and senator.
His daughter, Catherine Wagner, LLL '06, LLB '07, is now Director, Learning and Organizational Development at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada.
“My family history has been tied to this institution for several generations,” she explains.
“For me, it represents much more than a place of learning: it’s a legacy, a continuity and a source of pride. By pursuing my studies there, I became part of a tradition of service, reflection and commitment to society.”
The Charron–Goulard–Poliquin Family
In another example, the Honorable Louise Charron, a former Supreme Court Justice and professor at the Faculty, graduated in 1975 and her son Gabriel Poliquin, LLB ’10, recently joined the Faculty as Director of the Certification in Common Law in French (CCLF) program.
Charron explains that “my brother-in-law, Guy Goulard, who is a graduate of Osgoode Hall, (and former Supreme Court registrar and family court judge) was the first member of my family to study law. Guy is married to my sister, Charlotte. I was the first to study law at the University of Ottawa.
“Guy’s two daughters, my nieces Brigitte Goulard (LLB ’87) and Natalie Goulard (LLB ’93), followed in my footsteps, as later did my son, Gabriel Poliquin.
“Three grand-children of Guy and Charlotte, Charlotte Paquet (LLL ’24), Léo Paquet (LLL ’25) and Nicolas Boivin (LLL ’25, JD ’19), also completed their law studies at the University of Ottawa.”
Charron said she chose uOttawa because of its location.
“I’ve always loved Ottawa and during my time in high school in my native town of Sturgeon Falls, I had every intention of living there.
“Being the first in my family to study at Fauteux, this decision was not influenced by the academic choices of my loved ones. In any case, I had no desire to follow in the footsteps of my brother-in-law Guy, who studied in Toronto. Toronto was too big and too Anglophone for me. My dream was to live in Canada’s capital.”
She was a lecturer in the French Common Law Section from 1978 to 1985, when she joined the Faculty as an assistant professor, a position she held until 1988 and her appointment to the bench.
Charron’s niece, Natalie Goulard, said there was never any doubt she would go to uOttawa.
“It was the only law school I applied to. I felt at home there. I’m sure that having family members go there influenced my decision, just as it influenced my children’ choices. It’s a real family tradition!”
The Labrosse Family
Retired Ontario Court of Appeal Justice Jean-Marc Labrosse, LLB ’60, heads another Fauteux family.
Daughter Michèle Labrosse, LLB ’94, has had a 32-year family law career and serves as alternate chairperson of the Ontario Review Board, while son Marc Labrosse, LLB ’94, is now a judge of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice after a long career with the Ottawa law firm of Vice and Hunter.
Grandson Martin Robertson, JD ’16, is a practising lawyer at Sicotte Guilbault and grand-daughter Claudia is a 3L.
“Of course, the fact that several family members had completed the common law program in French played a role in my decision,” said Robertson.
“However, other factors also played a major role: my family lived in the area, and I finally had the opportunity to live near them, not being a native of Ottawa; I was able to study in French; and I had been admitted into a program (JD) that was a double degree, applicable in both Canada and the US.”
The Giroux Family
But it’s hard to top the Giroux clan.
Michel Giroux (LLB ’86) was the first of his family to study at Fauteux; he graduated from the Faculty in 1986. He then went to France to complete a D.E.A in political science at the Sorbonne. By the way, that’s where he met well-known Faculty professor Yves Le Bouthilier, and the two have remained fast friends to this day.
Michel obtained his doctorate in law from the Université de Poitiers and has been a professor in Laurentian University’s Law and Justice program since 1988.
Michel’s younger brother, Francois Giroux (LLB ’89) graduated from Fauteux in 1989. François was taught by Me Robert Paris, the first president of the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO) and his future father-in-law!
François’ career has focused mainly on politics; he has served in various positions, including as the current chief of staff to Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister for Public Safety.
Jacqueline Loignon graduated from the Faculty in 1992. During her first year, she met Marc Giroux (LLB ’92) who had decided to follow the path set by his two brothers and study at Fauteux.
Jacqueline and Marc, who started going out together during their first term, were married in 1995. Jacqueline went on to earn a master’s degree in law from Fauteux. In 2011, she was appointed to serve as a judge on the Ontario Court of Justice, while Marc was appointed Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada in 2017.
Two members of the next generation of this extended family are also Fauteux alumni.
Eve Loignon-Giroux (Jacqueline and Marc’s daughter) and Vincent Giroux (François’ son) also graduated from the Faculty in 2022.
Eve is currently senior communications advisor to Dominic Leblanc, who is President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy, while Vincent is a provincial Crown Attorney here in Ottawa.
“These six members of the extended family are happy to have benefitted from this top quality education in French in common law and consider themselves fortunate to be members of the vast Fauteux family,” explains Marc.
The Henrie Family
Well, maybe the Henrie family can top the Girouxs!
They count François Henrie, LLL ’87, LLB ’88, his wife Lise Lafrenière Henrie, LLB ’89 (who met at the Faculty) along with their daughter Caroline Henrie, JD ’17 as well as Lise’s brother, Gérald Lafrenière, LLB ’92.
Add to the list François’ brother, Pierre-Paul, LLB ’91, his wife Martine Valiquette LLL ’92 and his daughter Véronique Henrie, JD ’22, LLL ’24, and sister, Dominique Henrie LLB ’99, LLM ’05.
François Henrie, who is a vice-chair of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, explains that “Lise and I wanted to study common law in French. Lise was from Manitoba, and I completed the National Program after finishing my first year of civil law at McGill University.
“Caroline chose the Faculty of Law at uOttawa because it was one of two universities that offered a common law program in French, and it was located in her home city. She also appreciated the fact that it was the same law school that her parents had attended.”
A native of Ottawa, Pierre-Paul Henrie completed two undergraduate degrees at the University of Ottawa—in science and economics—before pursuing his law studies at the Faculty of Law.
“My years at uOttawa made me appreciate the bilingual and cultural environment, the academic setting, and the city itself—its green spaces, proximity to lakes, countryside, and mountains. Above all, being close to my family meant I never felt the need to study elsewhere.”
He fondly recalls the many discussions and exchanges with classmates in the second-floor atrium at Fauteux, as well as countless breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at Fathers & Sons, a longstanding gathering place for law students.
“But my greatest memory is meeting Martine while she was studying civil law—a meeting that took place nearly 35 years ago and led to 32 years of marriage.”
Véronique Henrie grew up in Gatineau, where she completed her primary and secondary education before earning a bachelor’s degree in psychoeducation at the Université du Québec en Outaouais.
“The fact that my parents, uncles, aunts, and cousin all studied at the University of Ottawa definitely influenced my decision. Since my father studied in Common Law and my mother in Civil Law, I was interested in both. The National Program offered by uOttawa made that option particularly appealing.”
Although much of her law studies took place during the pandemic, Véronique looks back on the experience positively.
“I built strong connections with my classmates and experienced a real sense of solidarity. Those moments taught me the value of teamwork, perseverance, and mutual support, even in challenging circumstances.”
She currently works in a management and supervisory role at Mont-Tremblant Resort and plans to pursue an MBA in the future.
The Bolger Family
The Bolger family counts six uOttawa law graduates.
“Before I started my legal studies at the Faculty of Law, only my brother-in-law was a lawyer (also a uOttawa grad),” said David Bolger, LLL ’86, LLM ’02, who spent 22 years at the Department of Justice Canada and nine at uOttawa in labour and employment law, including helping steer the Faculty through COVID-19.
“He and my sister went on to have four sons, three of whom graduated from law school at uOttawa and two of those boys are now married to lawyers. That makes six uOttawa law graduates (including my daughter Katie) in our family.”
Katie Bolger, JD ’24, who now works in employment law, said all her family members who had attended the University said “the faculty was wonderful and that the program was superb.
“Furthermore, I’m a proud Franco-Ontarian who had the privilege of studying in my native language in the French common law program, which also influenced my decision.”
The Seaborn Family
Claire Seaborn graduated in 2014, 33 years after her mother Jan de Pencier Seaborn, LLB ’81.
“I chose uOttawa because of the public law focus and bilingual programs. My mom being an alumna and the proximity to my parents’ summer home both helped seal the deal!” said Claire, now at Torys LLP, where she is counsel for the Infrastructure and Energy Group focused on environmental regulatory matters and advancing major projects, after serving five years as an advisor to cabinet ministers in Ottawa.
There’s even a grandmother–grandson Fauteux connection.
The Hepner-Stensholt Family
Alex Hepner is currently a 3L and began law school 44 years after his grandmother Ellen Stensholt graduated in 1979.
“Growing up, Ottawa always felt like a bigger city that I wanted to be a part of,” Alex explains.
“My grandmother Ellen spoke fondly of her time at Fauteux, and that left a lasting impression. Her experience definitely influenced my decision. It felt like continuing a family tradition while also carving my own path.”
Ellen went on to a lengthy career with the federal government and her son, Richard Hepner, is also a lawyer, with William, Alex’s brother, also in law school, but at Dalhousie.
She said if she had any influence at all on her son and grandsons becoming lawyers, it was that she used to tell them all bedtime stories based on tort cases.
“I remember telling my son Richard the facts of the case that was basis of the law of negligence. I don't remember the name of the case, but the facts were that a cricketer had hit a ball over the wall that surrounded a cricket field and had hit and injured a pedestrian walking past the cricket field.
“I asked my then eight-year-old son if it was the cricket player’s fault that the guy walking past had been injured. My son said it depended on whether or not the cricketer knew that someone might be walking past the cricket field at the time, which of course was the basis of the principle of foreseeability in the law of negligence.
“Then years later, I told this same story to my grandsons who are both currently in law school. It just goes to show that much of common law is just common sense that even an eight-year-old can figure out.”
Do you have a Fauteux family story to share? Let us know on social media or email us at [email protected].