Dr. Edgar Gold Chair in Maritime Law & Global Trade

An internationally recognized expert in international ocean law and marine environmental policy, Dr. Edgar Gold was a founding member of Dalhousie Law School's Marine and Environmental Law Program. He played a pivotal role in establishing Dalhousie as a leader in maritime legal education and research, and his distinguished career has been recognized through his appointments as a Member of the Order of Canada and a Member of the Order of Australia. The Dr. Edgar Gold Chair in Maritime Law and Global Trade is named in Dr. Gold's honour, in recognition of his exceptional contributions to maritime law and made possible through a generous donation establishing the Maritime Law and Global Trade Leadership Fund.

The Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, invites applications for a tenure-stream appointment at the rank of Assistant, Associate or Full Professor, expected to commence July 1, 2027. The successful candidate will hold the Dr. Edgar Gold Chair in Maritime Law and Global Trade for a five-year term, renewable subject to funding.

The primary focus of the Chair is to provide leadership and foster public engagement in maritime law, trade, shipping, and ocean governance at the Schulich School of Law. Through this work, the Chair will strengthen Canada's capacity to advance its prosperity, sovereignty, and global engagement in an era of profound economic, technological, and geopolitical change. 

The chair holder will play a leading role in research on Canadian and international maritime law, and will have access to the Maritime Law and Global Trade Leadership Fund to support the development of their research program. They will be expected to lead or contribute to grant applications and to build disciplinary and interdisciplinary research teams and partnerships in maritime law and trade. In collaboration with the Marine and Environmental Law Institute (MELAW), they will also lead or contribute to an annual conference on maritime law and trade. 

The Schulich School of Law welcomes applications from scholars whose work will advance MELAW’s research, teaching and graduate and post-doctoral supervision, including the Marine Law JD certificate offered through the Marine and Environmental Law Program (see www.dal.ca/law/melaw for more information). The successful candidate will be expected to lead courses and supervise graduate students in Canadian and international maritime and shipping law, contribute to research and teaching on international trade, and teach in the school’s core curriculum. 

The ideal candidate will have an outstanding academic record, demonstrated excellence in research and teaching , and a strong record of scholarly engagement in maritime law and trade.  Experience with successful research collaboration is an asset. At the time of appointment, the successful candidate must hold an LL.B. J.D., or equivalent law degree, as well as relevant graduate credentials, with a preference for a Ph.D. or equivalent. 

About the Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University:

The Schulich School of Law plays an extraordinary role in the fabric of Canadian legal education.  We are a national law school, with our students coming from and returning to every region.  We are a vibrant, collegial, and close-knit community of faculty and students from around the world. We live the Weldon Tradition of unselfish public service – of giving back and making the world a better place. Our alumni hold every form of government office, teach in Canadian law schools, innovate in the provision of private and public sector legal services and in business, advance policy in the executive branch of government, render decisions of courts across the country, and offer service to non-governmental bodies and non-profit and community organizations. 

The Marine & Environmental Law Institute (MELAW) operates as a centre within the Schulich School of Law. Its mandate is to carry out research, capacity-building and consultancy activities on marine and environmental law challenges in local and global contexts, and to direct the MELP academic specialization with the aim of training the next generation of lawyers as leaders in the field of marine and environmental law.  Alumni of MELAW and the Marine & Environmental Law Program are found in leadership roles around the world, driving research and teaching in maritime law and ocean governance in diverse country contexts and through the United Nations.

We embrace the interdisciplinary opportunity of working in a university, we value the creation and dissemination of new knowledge, and we are firmly committed to students and to teaching and learning excellence. We are conscious of the difference we make to law reform, adjudication, legal service, and community engagement at home and around the world.   We value the contributions of the founding communities in this province, the Mi’kmaq Nation, Acadians, African Nova Scotians, and British, and we open our doors to the world.

To Apply:

Applications will be accepted for this position until November 16, 2026 via the following link:  https://dal.peopleadmin.ca/postings/22277. 

A complete application must include (i) a cover letter, (ii) a curriculum vitae, (iii) a five-year vision statement for the Chair (of no more than 5 pages), and (iv) the names of three referees, at least one of whom should, if possible, be an academic referee.

For further information about this position, or to request accommodation at any stage of the hiring process, please contact lawdean@dal.ca.

This position is a part of the Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) Bargaining Unit.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information.

If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here.