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Faculty of Law

"It Felt Like Coming Home": Robert Lapper, KC retires from UVic Law

July 10, 2026

Rob Lapper

By Katie McGroarty

After a long and wide-ranging career in law, public service, and senior leadership in both government and professional regulation, Robert Lapper, KC is retiring from his role of professor at UVic Law.

For Lapper, his retirement is a full-circle moment. After arriving at UVic in 1978 as a political science student, he went on to graduate from UVic Law and has now spent the final chapter of his professional life back on the same campus. Cross-appointed between UVic Law and the School of Public Administration, Lapper holds the David and Dorothy Lam Chair in Law and Public Policy and has most recently taught Legal Ethics, Law Legislation and Policy, Dispute Resolution and Access to Justice.

Over a career that took him from private practice to groundbreaking treaty negotiations, Lapper says UVic remained the institution that most shaped his trajectory. In this Q&A, Lapper reflects in his own words on what inspired his career in law, the path that eventually brought him back to UVic, and what he has learned from students along the way.

Q&A

You started your post-secondary education at UVic, and then returned seven years ago after a long and accomplished career away. What did that journey look like for you?

I grew up in Banff, Alberta, and moved to Victoria to go to university. I did a degree in political science and when I decided to study law, UVic’s law school had just graduated its first class. I was a bit nervous about going to a brand new program and thought maybe I should go somewhere more established, but I decided to stay and started at UVic Law in 1978.

I never regretted it. Of any institution, it’s probably the one that has shaped me and my trajectory and my family more than anything else over the last 50 years. It’s been a real gift to me.

After UVic, I clerked at the BC Supreme Court, then I was in private practice for 12 years. I then joined the BC government and moved into what was, at the time, a brand new area—Aboriginal law. I had the opportunity to be part of the team that negotiated the first modern treaty in BC, the Nisga’a Treaty, and I worked on a range of other Aboriginal law issues.

From there, I became Assistant Deputy Attorney General, and then moved into Deputy Minister roles in the BC government, including Intergovernmental Relations, Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, and Labour. After that, I went to Toronto and became CEO of the Law Society of Ontario.

When I left that role, I came back to the west coast and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do. I’d always wanted to teach law and do research, but up to that point it hadn’t really been part of my career. Then I got a call about an opportunity at UVic. I was told about a faculty chair position, and I just leapt at it.

What was it like returning to UVic as a faculty member after so much time away?

It was both exciting and a bit intimidating. I had taught in different ways before, including at Osgoode Hall and through coaching students, but this was different. I felt some imposter syndrome, asking myself, what am I doing here?

At the same time, it really felt like a full circle moment, like I was coming back home.

I very quickly got into it and really enjoyed it all, the teaching, the students, the colleagues, and the research. It all felt like a great fit. Being cross-appointed between the law school and the School of Public Administration made it especially interesting, both faculties are doing exciting work. It’s been a rich and wonderful seven years back at UVic.

What first drew you to law?

I was one of those people that pretty much always wanted to be a lawyer. My father was a banker in a small town, and he was very good friends with the lawyer there. We used to sit and listen to the stories, mostly criminal defence stories, and they just fascinated me, even as a preschooler.

Then my grade two teacher told me at the end of the year that she thought I should be a lawyer. I’m not sure why, but that’s what she said. My sights were set from there, and I just kind of grew up planning my future around the idea that I would go into law.

What stands out from your time working with students at UVic?

Working with students has been one of the most rewarding parts of coming back.

One experience that stands out is a course I inherited called Access to Justice. At the time, it focused mainly on the problems in the justice system, and the challenges people face in trying to resolve legal issues.

After teaching it for a while, a couple of students came to me and said they really enjoyed the course, but it left them feeling like they had little agency to actually help solve those problems. I thought that was an important insight; I’ve learned more from my students than I ever expected to.

Those students had backgrounds in design and computer science, and they suggested thinking about how to intentionally design solutions to justice problems. So I hired them, and together we completely redesigned the curriculum.

I was quite nervous about it, because it was a significant shift, and I wasn’t sure how it would land with law students. Then COVID hit right as we were launching the new version of the course, so we had to pivot quickly and redesign it again for online delivery.

What was really gratifying was how successful it turned out to be. It remained successful, and it became something I’ve continued working on with graduate students—thinking about design and justice in a more intentional way.

How do you see legal education and the profession evolving?

I think pedagogy has evolved a lot over my career, and UVic has been at the forefront of that in Canada. There’s been a shift toward learning and competencies, and also toward incorporating Indigenous legal orders and legal pluralism into the curriculum.

When I started, it was much more focused on case method, textbooks, and reading cases and responding to them. That foundation is still there, but the approach has broadened significantly.
One of the biggest challenges and opportunities right now is technology and artificial intelligence. We’re going to have to embrace those changes in both legal education and the legal profession.
At the same time, we need to think carefully about maintaining the core integrity of legal education. I don’t have all the answers, but I see that as one of the central challenges ahead.

Any words of wisdom to share with those looking to enter the legal field?

I would say to students: be courageous, be experimental, do what you love, and don’t be too constrained by money or job titles. There are huge opportunities to be creative and to do work you’re passionate about.

What comes next for you in retirement?

I’m looking forward to having a bit more flexible time—spending more time with family, grandchildren, and doing some travel.

At the same time, I don’t really see myself stepping away completely. I love the law, so I want to stay connected to it.

I’ll continue working with the Access to Justice Centre for Excellence and with graduate students in the School of Public Administration. I don’t really want to detach, so for me, it’s really about balance: a bit more flexibility, but still staying energized by the work I care about.