Heather Heavin
Acting Associate Dean, Academic

• LLM (Harvard)
• LLB (Saskatchewan)
• BSc (Saskatchewan)

Heather Heavin joined the College of Law in 2003, having taught at the College previously in 2001 on a term basis. Her research has focussed primarily on international and domestic trade and business law, and more recently in areas of risk assessment. She is the Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, and recently help establish the CREATE Justice research centre at the College of Law. Heather chairs the Graduate Studies Committee at the College of Law, and serves on various committees at the University of Saskatchewan, including the Governance Committee of University Council, The Forensic Centre for Behavioural Science and Justice Studies, and Operations Committee for the SSRL (Social Science Research Laboratory).

Heather clerked to Chief Justice E.D. Bayda of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal (1996-1997), and practised law with the firm of MLT (now MLT Aikins) in their Regina office (1997-2002). Heather completed her LLM at Harvard (2003), her LLB (Magna cum laude, 1996) at the University of Saskatchewan (Gold Medalist) and her B.Sc. (Honours) in 1992, also at the University of Saskatchewan. Heather has been the recipient of the LSA Teaching Award (2007) and Provost Teaching Award (2014). 

Prior to accepting the Associate Dean position with the College of Law, Heather undertook a joint appointment with the Johnson-Shoyama School of Public Policy, teaching in the Masters of Public Administration program. She also co-chaired (with M. Bowden), the ‘Building of our Future’ committee, leading to the construction of the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan addition to the College of Law in 2007. Heather has served on the executive of the Saskatchewan Branch of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), the Board of Directors for SaskEnergy as well as chairing or serving on other community organizations.

In 2016, Professor Heavin, along with her colleague Professor Michaela Keet, were awarded the Gonthier Fellowship by the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice for their project on Ligation Risk Analysis.

• Business Organizations I 361.3
• Business Skills and Risk Management 498.3
• Contracts 201.6
• Commercial Relationships 302.3
• International Commercial Transactions 402.3
• International Trade Law 460.3
• Law Review 490.3
• Oil and Gas Law 455.3
• Secured Transactions 303.3

M. Keet, H. Heavin and S. Sparrow, “Valuing Indirect Litigation Costs for Organizations”, submitted, April, 2018 (32 pages)

H. Heavin and M. Keet, “Litigation Risk Analysis:  Using Rigorous Projections to Encourage and Inform Settlement”, Journal of Arbitration and Mediation, forthcoming (21 pages)

M.Keet and H. Heavin, “Assessing Client Interests and Process Costs in a Litigation Risk Analysis”, peer-reviewed book chapter in Costs of Justice (Farrow) book, forthcoming (15 pages)

M. Keet, H. Heavin and S. Sparrow, “Anticipating and Managing the Psychological Cost of Civil Litigation”, (2017) 34(1) Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice 73.

H. Heavin and M. Keet, “A Spectrum of Tools to Support Litigation Risk Assessment:  Promise and Limitations”, (2017) 15 Canadian Journal of Law and Technology 265.

M. Keet and H. Heavin, contribution on “Risk Analysis” to Martha Simmons, Mediation Advocacy (Emond Montgomery, 2017 release) (4 pages) 

H. Heavin and M. Keet “Risk Analysis: A Methodological Approach to Early Case Assessment in Litigation and Settlement” Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ) Civil Justice and Economics: A Matter of Value Conference, October, 2016 online at: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/research/research-papers/

H. Heavin, “Informed Decision-Making:  Professional Responsibilities and Case Assessment”, Law Society of Saskatchewan Continuing Legal Education:  Ethical Negotiations Seminar, May, 2014.

H. Heavin and R. Hansen" 'Objective Assessment of the Facts' : a Principled Approach to WTO Appellate Body Review of Panel Fact-Finding" (2014) 14 Asper Review of International Business and Trade Law, 14: 189 (31 pages).

H. Heavin and M. Keet, “Skating to Where the Puck Will be: Exploring Settlement Counsel and Risk Analysis in the Negotiation of Commercial Disputes” (with Heather Heavin). (2013) Saskatchewan Law Review 76:2.

R. Hansen and H. Heavin, "What's 'New' in the New West Partnership Trade Agreement? The NWPTA and the Agreement on Internal Trade Compared" (2010) Saskatchewan Law Review, 73(2): 197 (38 pages).