On a chilly November evening in Toronto, alumni, faculty and staff shared warm memories over wine and canapés about their time at Queen’s Law. The school, together with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, hosted this inaugural reunion for graduates of the Queen’s unique MIR/JD program.

In addition to enjoying good company and catching up with old friends, alumni were eager to hear the latest news from Queen’s Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace (CLCW), the largest workplace law research centre in the country.

Professor Kevin Banks, Director of the CLCW, spoke about the Centre’s research goals and future direction, and Trish Appleyard, Associate Director of the CLCW and an MIR/JD graduate herself, updated attendees on outreach initiatives to introduce students to labour and employment law as a practice area.

The program combines a Master’s in Industrial Relations with a Law degree and graduates go on to work primarily in areas of labour and employment law. Only a few students are admitted each year into the program, which began in 1997.

“The MIR/JD program has provided me with the opportunity to supplement my legal studies with further understanding of human resources management, collective agreement administration and labour relations,” says Ryan Plener, MIR’14/ Law’16. “The added bonus of interacting with successful professionals allows me to broaden my knowledge and maintain personal relationships for future years."