Two chairs to begin terms in July
Two new endowed chairs will begin their terms in the University of Saskatchewan College of Law (USask Law) on July 1, 2025.
Patricia Barkaskas, Law Foundation of Saskatchewan H. Robert Arscott Chair
Patricia Barkaskas begins her term on July 1, 2025 and will serve in the college until December 31, 2025. She is an associate professor at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia.
"I am delighted to be joining the college as the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan H. Robert Arscott Chair. Along with teaching the first offering of Métis Law at the college, I will be spending my time developing a public legal education toolkit on using Indigenous laws in practice. The aim is to provide a resource for anyone, including Indigenous peoples and communities, to guide conversations and engagement, as well as promote understanding about Indigenous legal orders and the work of revitalizing Indigenous laws. This is especially significant for law students who, as future leaders of their Indigenous Nations, lawyers, policy makers, politicians, and judges, will work with Indigenous legal orders, including their own, within the landscape of a multi-juridical Canada that acknowledges Indigenous laws."
About Patricia Barkaskas: Patricia Barkaskas is a Métis lawyer and educator who is currently an associate professor at the Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. She previously held the positions of Strategic Advisor to the Dean for the National Centre for Indigenous Laws and Associate Professor (limited term) in the Faculty of Law at the University of Victoria from (2022-2024), as well as Academic Director of Indigenous Legal Studies (2021-2022) and Academic Director of the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic (2014-2022) at Allard Law. Her current and future teaching and research interests include Indigenous laws, access to justice for Indigenous peoples, and decolonizing and Indigenizing law.
Barkaskas has practiced across a broad spectrum of law, including in the areas of child protection (as parent's counsel), criminal, family, as well as civil litigation and prison law. She has spent over a decade working closely with Indigenous peoples in their encounters with the Canadian legal system and worked for Residential school survivors as a historical legal researcher for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. In addition, Patricia has written Gladue reports for all levels of court in BC.
Barkaskas holds an MA in History, with a focus on Indigenous histories in North America, and a JD, with a Law and Social Justice Specialization, both from the University of British Columbia.
Michael Milani, KC (LLB'80), Estey Chair in Business Law
Michael Milani KC begins his term on July 1, 2025 and will serve in his role until December 31, 2025. He is currently chair of the executive committee of McDougall Gauley LLP.
"I am delighted, and honoured, to be returning to the College of Law in my second term as the Estey Chair in Business Law. My appointment during the fall 2022 academic term confirmed that my views of the college were unchanged since my graduation in 1980. It is a first-class institution, of which its alumni can be very proud. I intend to integrate my practical experience in commercial transactions with the course content I will teach. I am developing a symposium that will bring together leaders in academia, private practice and industry for a critical examination of current security and lending issues."
About Michael Milani KC: Michael Milani is currently chair of the executive committee of McDougall Gauley LLP. He has a wealth of experience from his broad banking law, insolvency, and commercial practice, including related litigation, and has appeared before all levels of court in Canada including the Supreme Court of Canada. His research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals in Canada and internationally. He is recognized in peer-ranking directories, in a variety of practice areas.
Milani is a former president of the Law Society of Saskatchewan, and a former president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Milani is the chair of the Law Reform Commission of Saskatchewan. He is a Fellow of the Insolvency Institute of Canada and a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) in 2001.
Milani has been actively involved in his community, including as President of the United Way of Regina and Chair of the Board of the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
He served as the Estey Chair in Business Law at the College of Law during the 2022 fall term.
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