“I had never contemplated being a lawyer. Not once. Not growing up, not as a teenager, not until the very end of my undergrad studies,” said Brad Regehr (BA 1993) who is a member of the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, a partner at Maurice Law, and former President of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA).

Brad was awarded with an honorary Doctor of Letters, the highest honour conferred by the University of Waterloo, at this year’s spring convocation ceremony. While taking courses at the University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University College, Brad realized he wanted to learn more about Indigenous history and constitutional issues in Canada. His work has included addressing trauma by facilitating cultural awareness and teaching Canadians about Indigenous issues.

Read more about Brad's journey in his edition of Grebel's 60 Alumni Stories.

Read the Waterloo Magazine story about Regehr's work to ensure all lawyers address systemic racism in Canada.

Listen to the speech Brad gave at UWaterloo's 2024 Spring Convocation Ceremony (starting at 51:00): 

View video at https://www.youtube.com/live/TcS02AFoCPQ?si=CdmkM-0hs02opm1C&t=3093