Dear Beth Podcast Episode 7: Madame Justice Rosalie Abella & Beth Bilson

EPISODE TITLE: “Sweeping Away the Cobwebs”: Madam Justice Rosalie Abella on Justice Advocacy and Social Change (Released July 14, 2024) SUMMARY: For Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella, who served on the Supreme Court of Canada from 2004 to 2021, justice advocacy isn’t limited to the courtroom. It is about channeling one’s skills, knowledge and passion toward creating system-wide change and “sweeping away the cobwebs” of injustice. As a Supreme Court Justice, she oversaw landmark decisions, including an opinion that paved the way for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada in 2004. We also hear perspectives from Indigenous lawyer Eleanore Sunchild KC and Nicole Sarauer, a lawyer and NDP MLA for Regina Douglas Park. And in our letters segment, Beth sits down with her colleague Jamesy Patrick, an Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan College of Law, to discuss her own work advocating for social change and bringing equity and change to the workplace. GUEST/PANELIST BIOS: Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella's legal career has been marked by a series of firsts: she was the first Jewish woman appointed to Canada’s top court; the first pregnant woman appointed to the judiciary in Canada; and the first refugee appointed to the bench in Canada. She graduated from University College in 1967, earned her law degree at the University of Toronto in 1970 and received an honorary degree from the U of T in 1990. Among her many accolades, she was presented with the Rose Wolfe Distinguished Alumni Award in 2019 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to U of T, Canada and the world. In 2020, she was honoured with Germany’s Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit, one of the country’s top national decorations for non-civilians, in recognition of the lessons she has drawn from the Holocaust about the need to protect minority rights and democracy. Since her retirement from the court in 2021, she has been the Samuel and Judith Pisar Visiting Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. In 2023, she received an honourary degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Eleanore Sunchild, KC, an Indigenous lawyer from the Thunderchild First Nation, was called to the Saskatchewan Bar in 1999. She is most proud of her representation of Debbie Baptiste at the Supreme Court of Canada as an intervenor in the case of R. v. Chonan, where elimination of peremptory challenges was upheld. Sunchild obtained a BA in Political Science and studied French immersion at the Faculté St. Jean at the University of Alberta; she earned her law degree at the U of A Faculty of Law. She is sought after for her knowledge of the Indian Residential School system, 60s scoop and the resistance and continuous impact on Indigenous Peoples. Nicole Sarauer, is a mom, pal, lawyer, lover of live music and, since 2016, MLA for Regina Douglas Park. After legal studies in Saskatoon, Nicole returned to her hometown of Regina and worked in private practice and at a provincial charity giving free legal representation to those unable to afford it. She continues to offer free legal aid through Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan. Jamesy Patrick received both her JD (2012) and LLM (2017) from the University of Saskatchewan. Prior to that, she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree cum laude in Dance (2006). Before joining the College of Law as an Assistant Professor in 2022, she practised law in Saskatoon with a focus on child protection matters and Indigenous governance in relation to child protection. PHOTO CREDIT: Photo of Madam Justice Rosalie Abella: Randy Belice for Northwestern Law Creative Commons HOST BIOS: Beth Bilson, KC, PhD enjoyed a career of teaching, writing, deaning, arbitrating, and community engagement that began at the University of Saskatchewan in 1979, and she never ran out of interesting things to do. Beth passed in August 2025. Leah Howie, BEng, BSc, LLB, LLM lives in beautiful Saskatoon with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, and two cats. She loves reading, connecting people, travelling, and spending time outside on the prairies, in the mountains, by the river, and in the boreal forest. She enjoys thinking about ways to improve the law in her work in the area of law reform, and teaching and coaching law students as a sessional lecturer for the College of Law. Brea Lowenberger, BA, JD, LLM is a lifelong learner and collaborator who hopes to leave the individuals and communities she interacts with a bit better than she found them. She is passionate about teaching and implementing design strategies that improve access to justice for Saskatchewan residents through her roles as Access to Justice coordinator, director of CREATE Justice, and sessional lecturer for the College of Law. When she isn’t working, she enjoys adventures with family and friends, travelling, being active, nature, reading, and creating music and art. Premium Beat licence code: XZUEXYCMWMNTCBCT