Prof. Hopp QC outside SLS Offices (Emily Murphy House)The University of Alberta Faculty of Law is bidding a fond farewell to one of its most esteemed and beloved law professors at the end of this 2013/14 academic year, as Ronald (Ron) G. Hopp Q.C. is retiring. Professor Hopp's career is marked by an enthusiastic support for his students and unwavering dedication to giving back to the wider community. His teaching career spans four decades with the UAlberta Faculty of Law after obtaining his law degree in 1971 and admittance to the Alberta Bar the following year. To honour Professor Hopp for all his contributions the UAlberta Faculty of Law's Student Legal Services (SLS) hosted an event in his honour at Emily Murphy House, the home of SLS. The event saw large numbers of law students, past and present, and fellow professors attending the event to share stories of how Professor Hopp touched their lives and careers, and to wish him the very best in his retirement.
SLS speeches at event to honour Prof. Ron Hopp QCProfessor Hopp has taught innumerable courses in the Faculty of Law and Alberta School of Business and is well-liked as a professor by all students, and by his law school colleagues, many of whom he had taught when they themselves were students at the law school. But it is his contributions outside the classroom that make him irreplaceable. Professor Hopp's dedication to public service and to providing legal services pro bono alongside his enthusiasm and support for students has left a lasting impression on generations of law students. His role as an advising lawyer for Student Legal Services for over five decades demonstrated incredible dedication to both students and members of the low income community. Professor Hopp was a member of the Law Class of 1971 that launched SLS, and he first started advising students at the organization in 1976.
Painting commissioned by SLS for Prof. Ron Hopp QCProfessor Hopp generously shared his wealth of knowledge and experience of over 41 years in practice with students. He continued his practice during his teaching career in the areas of small claims, real estate, wills, civil litigation and family law. He was also seconded as a Crown Prosecutor for a year. In addition to his support for students working at SLS, he attended many student social events, baseball games, and participated as a dancer in a decade of Law Show productions.
Painting presented by SLS to Prof. Ron Hopp QCProfessor Hopp was given the honour of being made an Emeritus Professor by the Faculty of Law. He was nominated by former SLS students for his QC which he received in 2012. When Professor Hopp initially retired as a full-time faculty member at the age of sixty-five (which was the university policy at that time), his former SLS students endowed a bursary in the names of Anne and Ron Hopp. The Most Involved Professor Award, chosen by students, is named after him.
The Faculty of Law would like to thank Professor Hopp for helping to mould generations of lawyers and for his many contributions through his teaching and pro bono legal service. His influence will continue to be felt by students and alumni for many years to come.
UAlberta Law students describe what Professor Ron Hopp means to them:
(l-r) Prof. Ron Hopp QC and Law Dean Philip Bryden"Professor Hopp always had the best knit sweaters and seeing them in Contracts managed to make 1L more approachable." ~ Chaylene Gallagher (3L)
"Professor Hopp is such a genuinely nice and caring guy. In my first year I chatted with him a couple times on some Student Legal Services Civil files, and I mentioned that my wife was about 5 months pregnant. After the end of that year, I probably didn't see him again for about another 8 months until I was in his Wills class. When he saw me, he immediately asked how my baby was doing, and mentioned that the baby would probably be about 4 months old now.
I was very surprised to find out that he cared enough not only to remember that my wife was pregnant, but also how far along she was and that he would actually figure out how old the child would be. His precision and attention to detail is stunning, but I think the most impressive thing is how it blends with his genuine care and concern for those around him." ~ Daniel Poulin (Class of 2014)
"Prof. Hopp always addressed us as 'Mr' or 'Ms' and our last names. In spite of the formal way of address, he was informal and friendly in class. He knew all the cases in the casebook so thoroughly; he could recite their facts and ratios in his sleep. On the first day of class, he warned us that he would be calling on random people to answer questions (the so-called Socratic Method) in class, but he also said that if we weren't prepared for the class, we could leave a note on his desk to that effect and he would refrain from calling on us to answer questions!" ~ Sai Ravikumar (3L)
"I never took a class with Professor Hopp, but I remember meeting with him during my first year to discuss the SLS file that I was taking to the RTDRS." ~ Michael Long (Class of 2014)
"My best quote is from last term when Professor Hopp was teaching Wills, in what was his last term. He missed class unexpectedly one day. The next day he explained that he had an appointment with the doctor for a procedure that went late: "My 30-minute appointment turned into a six-hour appointment. However," he added dryly, without any smile "I am destined to live as a result." ~ Shad Turner (3L)
