University of Ottawa Law Professor Adam Dodek appointed Chair of CanLII's Board of Directors

The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) has announced that University of Ottawa Faculty of Law Professor Adam Dodek has been appointed as the new chair of its board of directors.

Professor Dodek is a full professor at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law (Common Law Section).   He has taught public law, constitutional law, legal ethics, professional responsibility, torts, and a seminar on the Supreme Court of Canada.  He served as vice dean research from 2012-14 and as dean of the Common Law Section from 2018 until he stepped down in June 2021. His scholarly work focuses on public law, constitutional law, and legal ethics. He has authored and edited ten books and over 50 academic articles and book chapters.

Dodek graduated from McGill University and Harvard Law School and received a Fulbright Scholarship to study Israeli constitutional law while clerking for the Supreme Court of Israel. He practised law in San Francisco and clerked for the US Court of Appeals before returning to Canada to clerk for Justice Claire L'Heureux-Dubé at the Supreme Court of Canada.

Called to the bar in Ontario, Dodek practiced at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and later served as senior policy adviser, director of policy, and chief of staff to Ontario's Attorney General. He holds an LLM from the University of Toronto. He has held various governance and advisory roles, including positions with the Law Commission of Ontario and the Canadian Commission on Democratic Expression.

According to uOttawa, Professor Dodek’s appointment as chair of CanLII’s board of directors enables him to support CanLII’s mission of making Canadian legal information accessible to everyone, reinforcing the principle that access to the law is a fundamental right.

CanLII was established in 2001 by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Initially an online database for current legal materials, CanLII has expanded into a repository containing judicial decisions and legislative documents from all Canadian jurisdictions. The platform offers legal professionals across the country access to legal information at no cost.

Professor Dodek previously served on CanLII’s Board from 2016 to 2018 and more recently. Throughout his career, he has been recognized for his dedication and contributions to legal scholarship. Notable accolades include the Canadian Association of Law Teachers’ Prize for Academic Excellence, the Law Society Medal from the Law Society of Ontario, and the Walter Owen Book Prize.

In a social media post, Dodek said, “Honoured to take over as chair of this great organization CanLII.”

Dodek’s appointment succeeds Crystal O'Donnell's eight-year tenure as chair.