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Faculty of Law Class of ‘74

The students who graduated alongside Justice James Ogle from the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s Faculty of Law in 1974 were competitive “but not ruthless,” he says with a chuckle.

Still, when Ogle and his classmates caught wind that their 20-year reign as the class that had created the most significant endowment for a student bursary for their law school might be challenged, they rallied. And they rallied big.

Ogle has chaired the Class of ‘74 Bursary committee since its creation at their 30th reunion in 2004. During their 50th reunion in 2024, the class came together not just to reminisce, but to reaffirm their commitment to supporting future legal professionals. Through a renewed fundraising campaign — driven in large part by committee member and classmate Gordon Hoffman, KC, ’74 LLB — the bursary has nearly doubled in size, and has now received nearly $240,000 in contributions to date.

More than a financial milestone, the gift reflects the class’s desire to give back in a meaningful way — helping students overcome financial barriers and pursue careers that strengthen ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s legal system.

It’s a gift that will open doors for students who need it most. Designed to support law students in financial need, the bursary helps ease the burden of tuition and living costs — which have risen sharply since the 1970s.

The bursary has simple criteria. It assists a student in any year of law school who has satisfactory grades and a demonstrated financial need.

Ogle believes we need more lawyers in criminal, family and pro bono law — tough areas of practice that may not deliver huge paycheques, especially early in a career. “If this bursary allows someone from a financially challenged background to go into one of those three areas of law, then Hallelujah.”

He and his classmates know just how much the cost of a legal education has changed. They also know how much opportunity they enjoyed, launching their careers during ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s economic boom.

“We have been fortunate and well served,” he says. “We lived at a good time in the 1970s, we went to a good university and we got out at a good time to have great careers.”

Indeed, the Class of 1974 includes an impressive roster of judges and community leaders. Ogle himself is a former assistant chief of the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Court of Justice, Criminal Division in Calgary. Peter Royal became one of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s foremost criminal defence lawyers. And Andy Sims, KC, is former chair of the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ Labour Relations Board, to name just a few. The late Justice Cecilia Johnstone was president of both the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and national branches of the Canadian Bar Association; the late Phyllis Smith was the first woman president of the Law Society of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥.

The Class of 1974 was also the first to complete all three years of law school at the then-brand-new Law Building. Its generous space meant more students were accepted to the law school than previously, and many of those were from out of town. Many were new to Edmonton, and the cohort naturally leaned on one another and established the famed collegiality U of A Law still celebrates today.

That spirit is now matched by a deep sense of responsibility.

“We have an obligation to support the school that was instrumental in our having successful lives,” says Ogle.

As the ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ continues to grow, so does the need for student support. Through the Shape the Future campaign, gifts like this help ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their financial background. The Class of 1974’s generosity will ripple far beyond the law school, strengthening ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s legal system and communities for years to come.