Written in 1998 to commemorate the formal sesquicentennial of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, this was designed to be an ‘armchair’ history book. Divided into thematic chapters, the book includes many primary sources, photos, poems, songs and graphics that help illuminate the Faculty’s legacy.
Someone at http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/McGill_University_Faculty_of_Law was kind enough to state thusly: “For a highly-informative as well as enjoyable history of the Faculty of Law, consult “‘A Noble Roster’: One Hundred and Fifty Years of Law at McGill” (McGill University, 1999), by Ian C. Pilarczyk. This work is divided thematically rather than chronologically, making it an unusual example of this genre.” I hope you will agree!
‘A Noble Roster’: 150 Years of Law at McGill
(Montreal: Martineau-Gelfand, 1999)
Chapter I: “The Listful Lure of Legal Lore”
Chapter II: Profiles from McGill’s Past
Chapter III: “What A Lonely Business It Was To Be The Only Woman”
Chapter IV: Social Snapshots of McGill Through The Ages
Chapter V: The Peripatetic Faculty: The Many Homes of McGill Law
Chapter VI: «Mes souvenirs sont les meilleurs!» (Memories of McGill)
Chapter VII: The Social Contributions of McGill Law
Ian,
Excellent Web Site. I wouldn’t change a thing.
–Erika
thanks Erika, that’s nice of you.
hi Ian– you don’t know me, but I’m a grad of the IASL and I recently came across your book while I was packing up to move back to the U.K. I admit I hadn’t looked it at when I was first given it, but I had a new-found appreciation for it as I was reading through it last week. I really was struck by the structure, the stories and the interesting use of graphics and sources in it– it was a somewhat unusual book but I think it probably has something for everyone! At any rate, I looked you up on the internet because I wanted to drop you a line to say ‘good job’ and thank you for what was probably quite a daunting project–it will be a great souvenir that I will happily put on my coffee table when I’m back home. Ciao, James
Hello James! Thank you for the kind words. My hope was indeed that it would be a ‘something for everyone’ type of armchair history, rather than the usual sort of potted history tome that law schools often put out. I did have quite a bit of fun with it, although I must admit it did delay my doctoral work quite a bit. Still, I’m proud of it and when someone like you takes the time to write me an email, it certainly makes it all worthwhile! Perhaps McGill will ask me to update it one of these days– who knows? Best wishes, Ian
Hi, Dr. Pilarczyk,
My professional research interests intersect at the crossroads of law and historical sociology in 19th c. Montréal.
Just wanted to drop you a line to tell you that I have read and enjoyed many of your articles and your book, “A Noble Roster”, which is one of my most prized personal library items. It was very helpful to me in reconstructing the early years of our alma mater, particularly from the perspective of the law students attending classes “on the Mountain” at that time.
Best Regards,
Kathy C. Provost, M.A., B.C.L./LLB
McGill Law Class of 2010
hi Kathy– many thanks for the kind words! They are most appreciated. I am glad that you enjoyed the book and I admit it was a labor of love for me, although I would probably do things a little differently now–but I enjoyed making it a non-traditional history book. I know that John Hobbins continues to work on articles related to the Faculty’s history, and his dedication is a true gift to McGill.
I would love to hear more about your areas of research, so if you have a moment please drop me a line! thanks again.