This profile was written by Larysa McMullan, a law student at the University of Alberta.
Entering law school can feel like stepping into a strange new world, but for the Honourable Justice Bonnie L. Bokenfohr, the first year of law school at the University of Alberta was the first time she felt she had “found [her] language.” From the beginning, she felt at home in legal studies, never settling for being told the rules, but wanting to understand the rules. And when the rules did not make sense, she was ready to put up a fight.
Justice Bokenfohr has carried her zest for law through the entirety of her career, boldly combatting pressures to conform and challenging what success looks like in the field. For her, it was never about the prestigious title or fancy suit, a high pay cheque or expensive car, the power or elevated authority. Justice Bokenfohr's passion for the law became synonymous with her passion for education; her self-informed duty to society has always been to explain and understand. As a judge, she does not stop at hearing and deciding cases – she goes further, utilizing her passion for the law to help the public understand the language she loves.
If Justice Bokenfohr could tell every lawyer one thing it would be to “sit in who you are. Never give that up.”
Do not let a salary or societal expectations of success change who you are or force you to change your goals. Conforming to meet an expectation of success and sacrificing the things that are inherently you will only lead to occupational strain.
Considering her commitment to individuality, Justice Bokenfohr’s seasoned advice is always grounded in non-conformity. Despite constant pressures to find the perfect summer job, to obtain the best articling position, and to never waste your time, she adamantly encourages law students to relax. There is no such thing as lost time. Every experience, positive or negative, has meaning and provides an opportunity to learn. There is no set path or timeline, and you are allowed to not know what you want. You are allowed to change your mind and try something different. The field of law is limitless and there is always more to learn – Justice Bokenfohr herself concedes how little she knows when considering the breadth of the law. And she loves it, always ready to learn.
Change has never been something Justice Bokenfohr has shied away from.
After graduating with her LLB from the University of Alberta she clerked with the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta, the Court of Appeal of Alberta, and the Supreme Court of Canada. She spent several years working as the Director of Legal Services and general counsel to the Chief of Police of a municipal police service. She dealt with areas such as police discipline, privacy and access, labour and employment, human rights, and civil litigation. Justice Bokenfohr admits that she never saw her legal focus being policing, but after meeting her husband who works in the industry, she found her career path shifting. She found success in her career and can now claim the title of the Honourable Justice Bonnie L. Bokenfohr for the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta.
While Justice Bokenfohr loves her job, she recognizes the challenges as well.
Her decisions are meaningful and impact people in very real ways. Sometimes the weight of her job feels like carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. Her own body feels the physical exertion of her occupational pressures. After twenty plus years practicing law, she still has to remind herself to take a step back and allow herself some leeway. It is important as a lawyer and as a judge to understand your role and to set and maintain boundaries between work-life and personal-life. It took Justice Bokenfohr a long time to realize the depth of her responsibility to the people she works with – odds are your responsibility is less than you think.
Justice Bokenfohr highlights the importance of nurturing your own happiness, especially when your daily work impacts the lives of others.
In her life away from the legal profession, Bonnie’s joy comes from her family, her garden, and whatever book she has on the go. While she loves spending time with her husband and her son, she also enjoys having some things to herself. For Bonnie, sanctuary is found in her garden. In gardening, like law, things do not always happen the way you want them to. It took 4 years of perseverance for Bonnie’s garden to thrive, and the journey was worth it. Coming out to find those sprouts of green shooting out of the ground gave her the most intense influx of joy, and she has been gardening religiously ever since. Despite her methods of occasionally threatening the plants who fail to bloom, her garden is now flourishing, providing her a constant source of happiness.
Gardening has taught Bonnie some life lessons as well. Much like plants, if you are not thriving, change your surroundings. Sometimes the soil is not a match or there is not enough sunlight and replantation is required. Treat yourself in the same way and find the soil that helps you grow – make time for yourself in the sun. Do not let yourself wilt.
When she is not gardening, Bonnie is settling down with a good book. For her, reading is a social experience. She fosters connection by sharing her favourite reads with her favourite people. Bonnie and her son connect through sharing their favourite books and genres. Even though his fantasy adventure recommendations are not really within her wheelhouse, she will always give his favourite books a chance. Bonnie’s ability to take a step back and stay true to herself and the people she cares most about has made it easy to love her job and the law.