UM Today | Faculty of Law
November 24, 2025 —
On the day he was to receive an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Manitoba, celebrated alum L. Kerry Vickar [LLB/80] first made a stop in the basement of Robson Hall. There, he was welcomed by law students and faculty in the bright, modern home of the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic, a space filled with offices, boardrooms, collaborative work areas and even two sound-proof conference booths.
This was his third visit in as many years since the clinic’s completion, and this time he brought two business colleagues to show them how his support helped to create an unforgettable, hands-on learning environment that is transforming the student experience.
The story of how Dr. Kerry Vickar made possible a business law clinic at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law never loses its impact. On his first day of articling, Vickar was asked to draft a contract and realized he didn’t know the first thing about where to start. Law school at the time didn’t teach such things.
Vickar tells the story of how he discovered how little practical experience he had when fresh out of law school.
Years later, engaging with former Dean of Law and UM Chancellor Emeritus Harvey Secter’s office about his desire to give back to his alma mater, he focused on ensuring his donation would create something that truly serves others. Through their discussions, Vickar saw how he could use his early experiences and subsequent business success to create the very kind of clinical learning experience he once wished he’d had and help to ensure today’s students gain mentorship, real-world experience and confidence for the future.
This year, Vickar and colleagues Molly McGuire and Jeff Gifford heard an update on the clinic’s activities from Yvan Guy Larocque, Clinical Counsel, and Nick Slonosky, Instructor and Supervising Lawyer, followed by stories of personal experiences shared by six of the clinic’s students.
Larocque shares details about the L. Kerry Vickar Business Law Clinic’s accomplishment with Vickar and his business colleagues Jeff Gifford and Molly McGuire.
The visitors were impressed to hear the impact of the clinic’s work as well as the work of the Manitoba Legal Clinic for the Arts, in which the students further help artists throughout Manitoba with legal matters including Contracts, Intellectual Property, Business structure, and other business-related issues that also affect regular business clients.
In his presentation, Larocque shared that because of Vickar’s vision, the clinic:
- Provided over 10,000 hours of pro bono legal advice and public legal education
- Engaged in over 700 files
- Provided real-life client opportunities to over 100 law students
- Was the only clinic in Western Canada to receive an ISED IP Clinic Grant (in both 2024 and 2025)
- Helped reimagine clinical education at Robson Hall
- Connected law students with practicing lawyers to gain unparalleled experience while still in law school
Following the presentation, law students Gilad Stitz, Paul Chorney, Jessie Canard, Tina Lerner, Vanessa Smith and Travis Dech each shared anecdotes of the experiences they were having, learning – already – to be fully professional business law practitioners, under the expert guidance and supervision of Larocque and Slonosky, two seasoned and award-winning lawyers.
Third-year law student Tina Lerner shares her clinical experiences with Vickar and colleagues.
While clinic staff and students were eager to thank Vickar for his vision, he was quick to redirect the praise. He commended the Faculty of Law’s leadership – Dr. Richard Jochelson, along with Slonosky and Larocque – for turning that vision into a meaningful and lasting reality.
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