Barbara Billingsley

Professor Barbara Billingsley was dean of the University of Alberta Faculty of Law from 2020 to 2024, the first woman appointed to this position. As dean, she oversaw significant renovations to the Law Centre and substantial renewal of faculty members and staff. She also led the faculty through the transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and through the university’s re-organization under the University of Alberta for Tomorrow initiative. A proud U of A graduate, Billingsley earned her bachelor of arts, LLB and LLM from the university in 1987, 1990 and 1995, respectively. Between graduating and joining the Faculty of Law, she practised civil litigation in Edmonton, primarily in the area of insurance defence. She also has a long history of teaching and researching at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Law,  serving as a sessional instructor starting in 1996 and becoming a full-time faculty member in 2001. As a researcher and instructor, Billingsley is focused on insurance law, civil litigation processes and constitutional law issues impacting private law matters. She is the author of numerous books, chapters, reports and academic articles and is the recipient of several prestigious awards including the Faculty of Law Hon. Tevie H. Miller Teaching Excellence Award, the University of Alberta Rutherford Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching and the Law Society of Alberta / Canadian Bar Association Distinguished Service Award for Legal Scholarship.