Cross-Border Leader
Top 10
Neil Gold's influence is profound at U. of Windsor
and international institutions.
Reasons
Why Your
Advisor
Hasn't
Called
You.
Bryan Gottlieb
Special to the Jewish News
A
mid ongoing contract nego-
tiations with his professors,
University of Windsor Provost
Neil Gold maintains the composure of a
man used to finding himself embroiled
in sometimes complicated matters.
As the chief academic officer at
Windsor's largest institution of higher
learning, with 16,000 full-time gradu-
ate and undergraduate students, Gold
is essentially responsible for the opera-
tional management of the university's
various academic departments.
With a vocal deliverance of the arche-
typal scholar, Gold describes working to
reach consensus almost like describing
as an orchestra where all the instru-
ments deserve to be heard. His mellow
nature lends itself well to dispute reso-
lution. It's that ability to listen, instruct
and lead which has led him to consult
with more than a dozen nations around
the world regarding their judicial sys-
tems and legal education institutions.
"Most of my work has been in legal
education, especially the preparation of
lawyers and judges for their work. I have
advised professional bodies and law
schools in many places on curriculum
reform:' he said. "I was an early expo-
nent of mediation and have trained law-
yers and judges in mediation in several
countries!'
Growing up in the Toronto suburb
of Forest Hill Village, Gold said court
room dramas influenced his decision to
pursue law, perhaps to become the next
Perry Mason, but also a desire to "help
people accomplish their goals!'
He made good on that promise a few
years out of law school as the founding
director of Legal Assistance of Windsor,
a legal aid provider and site for clini-
cal legal education to students and the
public, operated by the University of
Windsor's law faculty of which Gold was
a member.
After two years in Windsor, Gold
joined the faculty at the University of
Victoria in British Columbia. Among the
many interesting differences between
the Canadian and U.S. legal systems is
that, in Canada, you must apprentice
at a law firm before you are eligible to
join the bar association. So, while Gold
was teaching future barristers the finer
10, Hasn't updated your
contact information
9. Your account is
down
8. Doesn't know what
to say
7. Doesn't think about
you until you call
him
6. Too many papers
on his desk
5. Afraid you'll ask him
questions
4. Has other clients
with more money
3, Doesn't have a new
financial product to
sell you yet
2. Is busy playing golf
1 Doesn't remember
your name
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October 9 • 2008
Zimbabwe. As a visitor or consultant to 25
universities and 15 quasi-governmental
organizations, including the World Bank,
New Zealand Law Society, the Barristers'
Board in Western Australia and the Indian
Law Institute in Delhi, among others, Gold
has written reports in training lawyers and
judges which have garnered him praise.
"Some legal systems are inherently
more litigious than others:' he said,
adding that legal systems which "...
promote useful and realistic settlement
over unpredictable, non-tailored-to-
(the)-individual-imposed solutions
..."tend to be more likely to prepare
lawyers to find common ground rather
than acrimonious stalemate.
Neil Gold
points of law, he too was an "articled
student" at a British Columbia law firm
in order to become eligible to practice
in BC.
At the same time, he helped found the
Law Centre in Victoria, which was oper-
ated collectively by Victoria University,
the Legal Aid Society of British
Columbia and Community Action Legal
Assistance.
He also took a leave of absence
to direct BC's Bar Admission and
Professional Legal Training program.
He infused a core principle that would
become the basis for reform to profes-
sional practice preparation programs
throughout the countries of the British
Commonwealth.
After three years, in 1985 Gold returned
to the University of Windsor as a tenured
professor and dean of the Law School's
faculty. But within five years, he took
another leave to found the law school at
City Polytechnic of Hong Kong, now City
University of Hong Kong.
After spending three years in Hong
Kong, Gold returned to Windsor and
teaching. Given his expertise in man-
agement structure and negotiation,
it wasn't long before he was tapped
to take on additional roles within the
university's hierarchy, including his
current position as provost and vice
president, academic.
Gold's theme of constructive interac-
tion has been his guiding principle for
schools and government advisory bod-
ies around the world, from Australia to
'They Turn To Neil'
In 2006, Gold was awarded the Law
Society of Upper Canada's top honor, the
Law Society Medal. A long-time colleague,
Frank Borowicz, wrote in his support
for Gold's nomination: "When judges in
Ontario, British Columbia, the Maritimes
and the Commonwealth want instruction
in mediation, they turn to Neil!'
Borowicz, who is now the governor of
the Vancouver Board of Trade, recently
said that Gold and he share many of the
same ideals and that there is no finer
tactician of the law than Gold.
As part of the Detroit-Windsor commu-
nity Gold is a huge proponent of a shared
relationship, citing the cross-cultural
and economic ties of the region. "We are
part of the same industrial complex and
network of allied businesses," he said.
"Windsor supports the Detroit economy
and vice versa. As a result, we are con-
cerned with similar research and devel-
opment issues that need addressing and
solutions!"
Gold and his wife, Mary, who is the
associate dean of the University of
Windsor's Law School, have been mar-
ried 20 years. ❑
Name: Neil Gold
Age: 62
Job: Provost and academic vice presi-
dent, University of Winsor
Education: B.A., 1967, York
University; LL.B., 1970,
University of Toronto: LL.M., 1975,
York University.
Family: Wife Mary; no children.