Ronald Sklar

Professor Sklar has been described by a current professor of Criminal Law, Alana Klein, as “the criminal law professorial ideal”. Ron Sklar definitely brought Criminal Law and Criminal Evidence to life for his students through his enthusiastic teaching style and his use of real-life examples, such as the O.J Simpson trial, to give the material contemporary relevance. But Professor Sklar taught more than Criminal Law and Evidence. He was one of the first teachers of Mental Health and the Law, and Law and Psychiatry, serving as an Associate Member of McGill’s Department of Psychiatry, as well as a Clinical Ethicist at the Douglas Hospital. Through his sensitive focus on a particularly vulnerable societal group, Professor Sklar inspired students to practise in this area of law. He was also an early adopter of experiential learning techniques, taking his students on a field trip to the Pinel Institute that they describe as both frightening and fascinating. Ron Sklar was a popular professor as well as an incredibly liked colleague. We all remember his distinct Brooklyn accent, his broad smile and his many theatrical performances at Skit Nite.

Nominated by an alumnus of the Faculty of Law