Dennis R Klinck

Biography

Now retired, Professor Emeritus Dennis Klinck taught common law property, equity and trusts, and statutory interpretation. A former Law Clerk to late Chief Justice Bora Laskin, he has published on English literature, criminal law, evidence, trusts, and property law. He has a particular interest in analyzing law from literary and rhetorical perspectives, and in 1992, he authored The Word of the Law: Approaches to Legal Discourse.

His research interests have focused on the history and theory of judicial equity, on which he has published several articles. He is recently completed on a monograph entitled "The Conscience of Early Modern English Equity", which explores the concept of conscience as a juristic principle in equity during the early modern period in England.

In 2007, he received for the second time in his career the Prix John W. Durnford Excellence in Teaching Award from McGill's Law Students Association.

Education

LL.B. (Sask.) 1982

Ph.D. (London) 1973

M.A. (Alberta) 1969

B.A. (Hons.) (Alberta) 1968

Employment

Professor emeritus, McGill University, Faculty of Law, 2011-

Professor, McGill University, Faculty of Law, 1996-2010

Associate Professor, McGill University, Faculty of Law, 1989-1996

Visiting Professor, University of New Brunswick, 1991-92

Associate Professor, University of New Brunswick, 1990-91

Assistant Professor, McGill University, Faculty of Law, 1983-89

Law Clerk to Bora Laskin C.J.C., 1982-83

Member of Law Society of Upper Canada

Areas of Interest

Teaching: Evidence, equity and trusts, foundations of Canadian law, law and language/literature, common law property.

Research: Trusts and fiduciary obligations, evidence, rhetorical and semiotic approaches to law, aspects of property law.