Like many of her first-year classmates, Diana McBey, Law’21 (Artsci’18), calls volunteering with Queen’s Legal Aid one of the highlights of her law school experience so far. But for Diana, there’s also a deep personal connection in working with the clinic. That’s how her parents Rod and Kathy met over 40 years ago. This Valentine’s Day, the McBeys not only share their story, but also their insights on how QLA has grown over the years, yet remains true to its core values.
In September 1977, second-year student Rod McBey, Law’79, was eager to continue with his three years on the clinic’s Rural Legal Aid project team. “The project was funded by the Justice Department to bring legal services north of Kingston,” he recalls. “This included assisting duty counsel in the Sharbot Lake and Napanee provincial courts and setting up and staffing clinics in North Frontenac County to collect information to be brought back and dealt with by law students under the watchful and knowing eye of QLA’s lawyer, Joe Dewhurst (Law’66).”
At the September team meeting, new student Kathy Frise, Law’80 (Artsci’77), was also in attendance. For that year when Rod drove the QLA van, she was the volunteer he dropped off at the Verona community hall to set up a clinic there, while he went on to set up another at Snow Road.
Rod and Kathy married in 1983, and had three children who went on to complete undergraduate degrees at Queen’s – Thomas (Sc’11), David (Artsci’13), and then Diana. It’s their youngest who would develop the same passion for law as her parents and would follow in their footsteps.
“I was really attracted to the ability to help others: individuals, organizations, and society at large, and have been inspired by discussions on many topics with my parents and their friends over the years,” says Diana.
Kathy could see it coming. “In high school, Diana enjoyed her grade 12 law course best of all, so it was no surprise when she told us she planned to write the LSAT. I believe she’s made a good choice in matching interests and attributes with profession. Queen’s Law was her natural top choice and I was sure she would love it as much as we did.”
Diana agrees. “Queen’s was always my first choice of law school,” she says. “I wanted to attend a law program that combined academic excellence with a congenial approach and caring community. Queen’s University and Queen’s Law both do this very well. I have seen that they really support students, not just while we are students, but also long afterwards, as alumni.”
Rod is one proud father. “I was really pleased that Diana chose to go to what I consider the best law school for her training,” he says. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Queen’s and found my legal training prepared me really well to deal with complex multi-jurisdictional issues from around the world that I dealt with in my practice."
In September 2018, Diana applied for a QLA volunteer position and now five months into the role, she’s making the most of the opportunity. “I love the experiential learning QLA provides,” she says. “QLA lawyers, staff, student team leaders, and fellow caseworkers are very supportive and provide the opportunity to apply what we learn in class in a practical setting that benefits clients and the community. I’ve learned a lot already, and enjoy the range of files I’ve been assigned.”
Rod can relate to that. “I still fondly remember my first case and my time working with Queen’s Legal Aid,” he says. “I was thrilled to learn that Diana had also joined QLA.”
“I was glad when she told us of her goal to join QLA in first year to start giving back and helping out,” says Kathy. “Diana is happiest when contributing to worthwhile causes and programs.”
“Diana doesn’t discuss the matters on which she is working for privacy reasons,” says Rod, “but I know she is really enjoying the opportunity to work with QLA and is finding it both challenging and fulfilling, as we did.”
During one of their many trips to Kingston, Rod and Kathy toured the new downtown Queen’s Legal Aid Clinics shortly after its January 2015 opening. “Really impressive!” exclaims Rod. “The location is perfect and the facilities excellent especially compared with the old days when we held group meetings in law school rooms or the student lounge. So one thing that has changed are the facilities.”
Kathy, who volunteered with the Rural Legal Aid and the Napanee QLA programs, adds that she was more “on the road” than Diana, whose clinic intake and other duties are Kingston-based. “I understand today’s clinic programs are each supported by specific staff lawyers. Beyond the traditional QLA and Prison Law clinics, Queen’s Law has added Business Law, Elder Law, and Family Law clinics. Students can select upper-year courses in most or all these clinic programs, and some offer summer job opportunities. In addition to the clinics, students in all three years can also apply to volunteer with Pro Bono Students Canada, Queen's Chapter on a dozen or more focus projects. Technology has of course changed – back in the day, we had landline dial phones, typewriters, books, the QLA student’s binder, and the upstairs library photocopier.”
Some things have stayed the same. “Diana is enjoying the QLA hands-on learning and client-facing experiences, as we did,” says Kathy. “The practical skills, knowledge, experience, and confidence gained through teamwork and volunteering in clinics and pro bono projects while in law school are of value to students, clients, Queen’s, and the community.
“Bravo to everyone involved, from the visionary leaders who founded QLA in the earliest days through to all who've expanded and operate the clinic programs to meet client needs now and into the future!”
By Lisa Graham