Law and Arts graduate honoured for generosity to McGill

The Hon. James Grant, BA’58, BCL’61, has been selected by the Faculty of Law for one of its most prestigious alumni awards – the James A. Robb Award. Named after the great McGill volunteer James Robb, BA’51, BCL’54, this award is intended to recognize law graduates who have shown exceptional generosity to the McGill community.

“Jim Grant is above all a community person,” said McGill Law Professor and departing Dean, Nicholas Kasirer. Speaking to dozens of Grant’s close friends, family members, and colleagues at the University Club on June 15, 2009, Kasirer called the event “truly a family affair” due to the many ties linking attendees. Grant’s good friend and fellow law alumnus, Senator David Angus, BCL’62, presented the award. Also present  was Jim Robb – for whom the award is named, and with whom Grant shares double McGill degrees, as well as a long and successful career at Stikeman Elliott. In addition, numerous lawyers from Stikeman Elliott’s Montreal office came to show their support for their firm’s retired partner and Chair emeritus.

Grant is recognized as a leading practitioner in corporate commercial law, finance and securities, and mergers and acquisitions. He was summoned to the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada in 1996, and is a member of the Montreal, Quebec and Canadian Bar Associations, as well as the American and International Bar Associations.

Yet despite the inherent pressures of a successful legal career, Grant has continued to support McGill, the arts community, the legal community, and the charitable sector. He has served as director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Montreal General Hospital, as a member of the MUHC Foundation’s Executive Committee, and as co-chair of the MUHC Campaign Preparatory Task Force.

At McGill, Grant is a member of the Scarlet Key Society to promote student leadership, the Red Birds Ski Club, and is a friend to both McGill hockey and football. In particular, Grant has demonstrated great loyalty to the Faculty of Law.  As an original member of the Faculty Advisory Board, he has served five successive deans. “We have all learned how to take advice from Jim Grant – a man of carefully chosen words.  He has truly been a model volunteer,” said Kasirer.

“I couldn’t be happier to complete my deanship in celebration of Jim Grant – one of McGill’s favourite sons, and one of her most loyal servants. As his dearest friend David Angus has reminded us, Jim Grant always encourages people to bring out the best in others, as he has been doing himself for members of the McGill community for fifty years.”

Top photo: James Grant, BA’58, BCL’61, with James A. Robb, BA'51, BCL'54, for whom the award was named. Photo credits: Claudio Calligaris