A disgraced former lawyer and ex-Innisfil town councillor spent eight years working as a part-time instructor at Algoma University. He is now fighting to regain his law licence, propelling his past into the spotlight.
On paper, Myles McLellan seems qualified, if not overqualified, to teach in the Law and Justice department of a Canadian post-secondary institution. However, the decades of experience he brought to his job at Algoma University also included a criminal fraud conviction and a ban on practicing law in Ontario.
Although McLellan is no longer affiliated with Algoma and was most recently teaching in the continuing education department of Osgoode Hall, one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious law schools, questions remain about how a disbarred lawyer and admitted fraudster found himself teaching students at Algoma University for eight years.
After numerous requests for comment, Algoma University confirmed that McLellan was a part-time lecturer at the university between 2013 and 2021, but did not comment on whether they were aware of his criminal past or the fact that he had been stripped of his law licence. The university also withheld information about the circumstances surrounding McLellan’s departure in 2021.
Sault Ste. Marie lawyer Jeffrey Broadbent claims the university was aware of McLellan’s history because he and others raised concerns. He resigned in 2014 after learning that his colleague was a convicted criminal and disbarred lawyer.
In a recent interview, current Algoma university president Asima Vezina stated that the university has implemented policies around criminal background checks for all employees and would not likely hire someone with a criminal fraud conviction today.
McLellan’s early career was marked by financial difficulties and a criminal fraud conviction, which led to his disbarment by the Law Society of Ontario. Despite this, he has sought to have his licence reinstated and was supported in his application by colleagues from Algoma University, although one of them later admitted not being fully aware of McLellan’s situation when writing a letter of support.
McLellan’s attempts to regain his law licence are ongoing, but his past continues to cast a shadow over his professional career.
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