Janet Walker facts for kids

Janet Walker is a very smart Canadian lawyer, teacher, and expert in solving big business disagreements. She works as a "Chartered Arbitrator," which means she helps people and companies settle their disputes without going to court.

Professor Walker has offices in Toronto, Canada; London, England; and Sydney, Australia. She is also a respected scholar and author. She teaches about international law and how legal cases work at Osgoode Hall Law School. She is also a special research professor at York University. Janet Walker is married to Doug Jones, who is also an international arbitrator from Australia.

Janet Walker's Education and Teaching

Janet Walker has studied a lot! She earned her first degrees, a B.A. (Hons.) and M.A., from York University in 1979 and 1982. She then got her law degree (LL.B.) from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1993. Later, she earned a DPhil from Oxford University in 2002.

She is now a Professor and used to be an Associate Dean at Osgoode Hall Law School, which is part of York University. There, she teaches important subjects like:

• How laws from different countries work together (called conflict of laws).
• Big lawsuits involving many people (called class actions).
• How to solve international business disagreements without going to court (international arbitration).

In 2010, Professor Walker received an award for her amazing teaching. She also coached the Osgoode Hall team for the Willem C. Vis Moot competition from 2001 to 2014. Her team even won the competition in 2004! She has also been an arbitrator (a judge-like role) for this competition since 2001. In 2020, York University gave her the title of Distinguished Research Professor. This was for her dedication to excellent work and her leadership in international law.

Professor Walker has also been a visiting teacher at many other universities around the world, including:

• Monash University in Australia.
• New York University in the USA.
• University of Toronto in Canada.
• University of Haifa in Israel.
• Oxford University in England.
• National University of Singapore.
• Institutes in Croatia and Tunisia.

Janet Walker's Career

As an Author

Janet Walker is a well-known author and expert in international law and legal procedures. She has written more than 60 articles that have been reviewed by other experts. She has also contributed to many textbooks.

She is the author of a very important book called Canadian Conflict of Laws. This book has been mentioned over 400 times in Canadian courts. It is even called "the most cited private law work in Canadian jurisprudence." She also helped write the earlier versions of this book.

Professor Walker has also written or edited many other legal books, such as:

• Conflict of Laws for Halsbury's Laws of Canada.
• The Civil Litigation Process.
• Class Actions in Canada.
• Private International Law in Common Law Canada.
• Civil Litigation.
• Common Law, Civil Law and the Future of Categories.

She is also an Executive Editor for the Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration.

As an Arbitrator

Janet Walker is a highly qualified "Chartered Arbitrator." This means she is an expert in helping people solve business disputes outside of court. She is a member of special groups that handle arbitration in Toronto, London, and Sydney.

She has held many important roles in the world of arbitration, including:

• Past Chair of ICC Canada.
• Honorary Secretary General of the International Association of Procedural Law.
• Executive Board Member of CIArb Canada.
• Board Member at the International Construction Law Association.

She also helped start the Toronto Chapter of CIArb, which is now called the Toronto Commercial Arbitration Society (TCAS). She is a member of Arbitralwomen and a Freeman of the City of London.

Professor Walker helps settle many different types of business disagreements. She has worked as the main arbitrator, or as part of a team, for many international organizations. These include the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), and London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA). She is also on the list of approved arbitrators for many other groups around the world. She also helped organize a big arbitration conference in Sydney in 2018. She is also a founder and co-chair of CanArbWeek.

As an Expert and Consultant

For over 20 years, Janet Walker has given expert advice and evidence in more than 60 international disputes. She helps explain legal questions about where a case should be heard, how judgments are recognized, and which laws apply. She has also helped legal professionals in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.

Advisory Roles

Professor Walker has also served in important advisory positions. From 2006 to 2015, she advised the Federal Courts (Canada) Rules Committee. She is the Secretary General of the International Association of Procedural Law. She also used to be the president of the Canadian branch of the International Law Association. She was an academic advisor for CIArb in 2014-2015. She is also on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg. She is also on the Global Advisory Board for the New York International Arbitration Center.

Honours and Awards

Janet Walker was part of the Canadian military reserves from 1977 to 2014. She continued in the Supplementary Ready Reserve until 2019. She has received several military awards, including the Canadian Forces' Decoration. She also received the Land Force Central Area Commander's Award of Excellence. She was also given the Governor General's Horse Guards Commanding Officer and Regimental Sergeant Major's Award of Excellence. She is the longest-serving and highest-ranking female non-commissioned member in her Regiment. She was also the first female Bandmaster there.

She has also received special medals from the Queen:

• The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
• The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Other awards include the Viscount Bennett Fellowship in 1995 and the Osgoode Hall Law School Silver Medal in 1993.

In 2020, York University named her a Distinguished Research Professor. This was to recognize her commitment to excellence and her international leadership. In December 2021, she received a very high honour. She was appointed to the Order of Canada. This award recognized her expert legal knowledge in commercial arbitration and conflict of laws. It also honored her work in improving legal standards in Canada.

Memberships

Janet Walker is a member of several important clubs and legal groups. She belongs to the University Club of Toronto and the Athenaeum Club, London. She is also a Senior Fellow of Massey College, Toronto. She is an elected member of the American Law Institute. She is also part of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law and The Advocate's Society.

She is also a member of:

• The Bar of Ontario.
• The Law Society of Upper Canada.
• The Canadian Bar Association.
• The International Bar Association.
• The London Court of International Arbitration.

In 2021, Walker joined Atkin Chambers as a "door tenant." This means she can use their offices and resources.