For our second Feminist Friday, we have the privilege of profiling Prof. Jodi Lazare, Assistant Professor at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University.
Prof. Lazare came to the Schulich School of Law as the 2014-2015 Schulich Fellow and then as a part-time faculty member before being appointed an assistant professor in 2017. Her current research examines the practice of judicial reliance on the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, including the underlying theoretical bases of the spousal support remedy, comparative understandings of post-marital obligations across provincial lines, and the legitimacy of judicial reliance on non-legislated instruments. Prof. Lazare has worked in both small and large private practice. Prof. Lazare completed her articles as a law clerk to the Honourable Mr. Justice Michael Moldaver at the Supreme Court of Canada.
The qualities I admire most in a law professor are… Empathy, open-mindedness, approachability and a sense of humour
The best time of day for writing is… First thing in the morning – with a cup of coffee and a quiet house
My feminist heroes are… Too many to choose from, but Henry Morgentaler easily comes to mind
Right now I am working on… A paper exploring cultural and legal attitudes toward spousal support in Quebec
Right now I am reading… The Break, by Katherena Vermette
And I wish I were reading… More fiction
I would recommend that all IFLS readers read… “Intersecting Challenges: Mothers and Child Protection Law in BC” by Judith Mosoff, Isabel Grant, Susan B Boyd, Ruben Lindy (recently published in the UBC L Rev)
A song I love that doesn’t get enough airplay is… Dump the Guy ASAP, by Lisa Leblanc
If I wasn’t a law professor, I would be spend my time… Rescuing dogs and cats and writing op-eds
The biggest difference between private practice and academia is… Intellectual Freedom (I think – I have not spent much time in private practice)
The biggest takeaway from my time clerking at the SCC is… Don’t underestimate the weight that sits on judges’ shoulders
Thank you, Prof. Lazare!