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One of Norman Yusim’s clients called the law society about him. A nightmare scenario? Just the opposite — he phoned to praise him.

It’s true — one client of Yusim, a family lawyer with Fillmore Riley in Winnipeg, was so pleased with the services he received that he called the Law Society of Manitoba to register a compliment. The client was giving voice to something that many people feel but don’t often say: they think their lawyers are excellent.

“If somebody told a lawyer joke, I laughed,” says Michael Johnson, who hired Winnipeg family lawyer Norman Yusim to handle his divorce. “I never had anything much to do with lawyers until I had to go through this. “The average Joe Blow going through a divorce has no idea what the laws are, what you have to do, what’s expected, or anything like that,” he continues. “Norm walked me right through it. I can’t say enough good about him.”

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On Thursday, November 18^th 2004, Robson Hall paid homage to Marcel A. Desautels, alumnus of and major donor to the Faculty of Law. In December 2003, Desautels, founder and CEO of the Canadian Credit Management Foundation (CCMF), donated $5 million to the Faculty of Law to establish the Marcel A. Desautels Chair of Private Enterprise and the Law.

Robson Hall has previously benefited from Mr. Desautels’ support. In 2000, his gift of $500,000 ensures adequate funding is available for student participation at conferences and moot competitions sponsored by the Asper Chair in International Business and Trade Law.

Private Enterprise and the Law
Gold Embossed Chair

Also attending the Distinguished Visitors Lecture Series were Emőke Szathmáry, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manitoba, Harvey Secter, Dean of Law, and Michelle Gallant, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Studies as well as two CCMF trustees, Mr. Simon Scott, senior partner with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP of Toronto and Mr. Alex Stirling CA of Scotland.

Desautels addressed the students of Robson Hall, offering an anecdotal overview of his own legal education and foray into the business world. He asked the students to think of their education as more than just a law degree, but as a gateway to greater opportunities. Desautels expressed his respect for the profession, and advised students to carry out all business and legal transactions with integrity throughout their career and uphold the high standards of the legal profession.

Dean Harvey Secter concluded the ceremony by presenting Mr. Desautels with an embossed chair symbolizing the creation of the Marcel A. Desautels Chair of Private Enterprise and the Law.