New Chair in Business Law to be named after Quebec鈥檚 first woman lawyer
Elizabeth Carmichael Monk made history by becoming one of the first women called to the Quebec Bar. Her accomplished career in corporate and real estate law spanned over five decades of great social transformation. By naming a new philanthropically funded chair in business law after her, the Faculty of Law intends to honour the legacy of this pioneering alumna.
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As is often the case for trailblazers, our alumna Elizabeth Carmichael Monk, BCL鈥�23, LLD鈥�75, had a life of many firsts.
Her most remarkable, of course, was becoming one of the first two women ever to pass the Quebec Bar examinations and be admitted to the profession, in 1942.
But over her distinguished legal career spanning fifty-five years, she would also become the first woman to receive 平特五不中 Law鈥檚 Elizabeth Torrance Gold Medal for Outstanding Academic Achievement (1923), one of the first three women to serve on the Montreal City Council (1940), one of the first four women to appear before the Quebec Superior Court (1942), and the first Quebec woman to receive the Queen鈥檚 Counsel distinction (1955).
Monk graduated from law school at a time when women in Quebec weren鈥檛 allowed to practice law, nor to vote in provincial elections. She had come to 平特五不中 Law as a Governor General gold medalist, a Radcliffe College alumna, and having completed a one-year stint at the University of Oxford. After she received her BCL degree in 1923, she worked at a law firm as a researcher.
A few years prior, fellow 平特五不中 Law alumna Florence Seymour Bell, BCL鈥�20, had found a creative route to circumvent Quebec鈥檚 barriers to the legal profession. Bell had joined the Bar of Nova Scotia, and used an interprovincial reciprocity agreement to practice law in Quebec. She still wasn鈥檛 allowed to make court appearances or use the title of lawyer, but was able to build a career in corporate law. Monk followed in her footsteps, joining the Nova Scotia Barristers鈥� Society in 1934, before returning to Montreal. In the following years, she notably served as a legal counsel for the Women鈥檚 Rights League, and criticized women鈥檚 exclusion from provincial politics.
Quand les femmes qu茅b茅coises obtinrent enfin le droit de vote en 1940, Monk joignit ses efforts 脿 ceux d鈥檜ne autre dipl么m茅e de la Facult茅, Annie MacDonald Langstaff, BCL鈥�19, et plaida avec succ猫s pour l鈥檃dmission des femmes au Barreau du Qu茅bec.
En 1942, pr猫s de vingt ans apr猫s sa diplomation, elle acc茅da 脿 la profession d鈥檃vocat.
Monk poursuivit toute sa vie durant une carri猫re juridique distingu茅e, pratiquant principalement le droit commercial et le droit immobilier. 脌 l鈥檌nvitation de Louis-Philippe de Grandpr茅, BCL鈥�38, LLD鈥�72 鈥� futur juge 脿 la Cour supr锚me du Canada 鈥� elle se joignit en 1966 au cabinet aujourd鈥檋ui connu sous le nom de Lavery.
L鈥檌mportance du r么le qu鈥橢lizabeth Carmichael Monk a jou茅 pour l鈥檃vancement des droits des femmes est aujourd鈥檋ui vastement reconnue. L鈥橴niversit茅 平特五不中 lui remit un doctorat honorifique en 1975. En 1980, elle re莽ut le prestigieux prix du Gouverneur g茅n茅ral en comm茅moration de l'Affaire 芦 personne 禄, en reconnaissance de son travail pour l鈥櫭ゞalit茅 des femmes. Son r么le de pionni猫re fut de nouveau soulign茅 en 2019, quand elle fut d茅sign茅e un personnage historique par Nathalie Roy, Ministre qu茅b茅coise de la Culture et des Communications.
Et son nom est sur le point de prendre une nouvelle r茅sonnance au sein de la Facult茅 de droit de 平特五不中.
On International Women鈥檚 Day 2023, the Faculty of Law announced its intent to establish the Elizabeth Carmichael Monk Chair in Business Law. Championed by 平特五不中 Law alumni David Binet, LLB鈥�85, and Marc Barbeau, BCL鈥�84, LLB鈥�84, fundraising efforts are underway to permanently establish this prestigious chair.
鈥淭he Elizabeth Carmichael Monk Chair in Business Law will serve as a pillar in creating a hub of excellence in business law at 平特五不中,鈥� said Dean Robert Leckey, Ad E. 鈥淲e will be proud to honour an alumna who so strongly exemplified core 平特五不中 Law values: academic excellence, dedication to public service, and bringing social change through legal leadership.鈥�
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By Karell Michaud
