We share here messages, thoughts and memories of our dear friend, Professor Stephen Smith, who passed Tuesday 29 November 2022, at the age of 64. If you'd like to add your contribution to this page, please email thecomms.law [at] mcgill.ca ( Law Communications Office.)
"I was truly saddened to hear of Professor Smith’s passing. He was my professor for extra-contractual obligations in my first year at the faculty from 2013 to 2014. He exuded civility, patience, and intellectual curiosity, traits that comforted and inspired a nervous and imposter-syndrome-carrying first-year law student. His classes are a very fond memory of mine. As an introduction into the world of law, Professor Smith could not have been more of a welcoming and benevolent presence. My sincere condolences are with his family."
Chantal deSereville, BCL/LLB'17
"It is with great sadness that I read about the passing of Professor Smith. He taught me in my first year “Common Law Contracts” course at McGill, and I often find myself remembering his words, whether it is while reading through a student’s work or reading through a contract. I am certain he has touched the lives of many students; he certainly had a major impact on my way of thinking and learning.
My deepest condolences to his students and colleagues, as well as to his family."
Shaheeza Lalani, BCL/LLB'04
"Prof. Smith taught me Contract Law in my first year at McGill. Many years later, I can distinctly recall that he began every class with a thoughtfully selected song matching the material for the week and that he didn’t use PowerPoints because one of his children had apparently deleted them (and he didn’t find them helpful anyway). More than anyone else, Prof. Smith shaped my understanding of what a law professor is. He was sagacious, thoughtful, witty, generous, and deeply humble. As we used to say, he “literally wrote the textbook on contract law.” Yet he always had time to meet, answer questions, and share precious career advice. He cared, and it showed. I’ve taught six courses thus far as a law professor. Upon learning of Prof. Smith’s passing, I realised it was only when I was asked to teach Contract Law that I intuitively circled back to my own experience as a law student. I didn’t know how anyone could do a better job. I sure haven’t, but I’m a better teacher for having him as a model. Like many of his McGill colleagues, Prof. Smith will be remembered as a prolific and influential scholar, and a kind, generous teacher who shaped his institution and generations of law students. I’m one of them."
Phil Lord, BCL/LLB'19, LLM'21
"I was deeply saddened by the news of Prof. Smith’s passing. Prof. Smith was a brilliant jurist and an inspiring teacher. I learned so much from him. I learned from him not just about the law but also how to think about the law. Many of those lessons shape the way I practice law today. I especially remember taking Prof. Smith’s seminar on the law of remedies which I still consider to be one of the highlights of my legal education at McGill. Prof. Smith also supported me personally during my last year at McGill when I was working on a paper for publication in a law journal. He was always so generous with his time and happy to engage in conversation about the law or life generally. Prof. Smith will be terribly missed."
Avichay Sharon, BCL/LLB ‘15
"I will remember Professor Smith for his kindness, generosity and wisdom. It seems to me that Steve’s ability to combine a rigorously analytical mind with a gentle spirit provides a model of how to be in the world as an academic. His contributions were immense; so is the loss."
Hoi Kong, BCL'02, LLB'02
"I studied Contractual Obligations under Professor Smith in 2003-04. He was a kind, soft-spoken and brilliant teacher, and his ability to move between the civil and common law was masterful. His course was one of the foundations on which my legal education and practice was built. My sincere condolences to his family."
Phelps Turner, BCL/LLB '07
"Professor Stephen Smith acted as my co-examiner for the exam in the Course of Sale (Commercial Law) for approximately the last 25 years. (When he was occasionally unavailable, Professor Lionel Smith was kind enough to do so.) Stephen was my co-examiner as recently as for the exam of April 2022.
Stephen always accepted to take on this additional work in a very generous, efficient, friendly and rigorous manner. His comments on exam question formulation were always very thoughtful, pertinent and helpful for the instructor and the students.
As an expert in common law contracts, Stephen designed the original course content (along with Professor Pierre-Gabriel Jobin, as the expert in civil law contracts) of the transsystemic course of Sale at the time of the introduction of the transsystemic program at McGill in 1999.
Professor Smith was a teacher and scholar of great knowledge. He was also a gifted communicator. But what impressed me most about him was his fundamental decency, humility, accessibility and humanism. I do hope that he understood how much I appreciated his constant presence and contribution to the Course of Sale.
I will miss him.
I extend to his wife, children, other family members, friends, colleagues and the McGill Faculty of Law my sincere condolences on his passing."
Justice Jeffrey Edwards, BCL'86, LLB'86
"I was fortunate to take Restitution with Professor Smith in the winter semester of 2021. Despite the class having to be entirely virtual due to the pandemic, Professor Smith was an excellent teacher who generously channeled his love for the law into engaging his students. I frequently draw on what I learned from Professor Smith, and I remember distinctly his humor and his kindness during what was otherwise a difficult semester. I offer my sincere condolences to Professor Smith’s family and friends."
Cora Madden, BCL/JD'22
