After several years of legal practice, Daniel Hildebrand found himself increasingly drawn to labour and employment matters. While they represented only part of his work, they were often the files he found most meaningful. Pursuing Osgoode’s LLM in Labour and Employment Law gave him an opportunity to deepen his understanding of the legal and historical foundations of workplace relations while continuing to practice full-time.
Today, Daniel is a staff lawyer at the Legal Help Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he assists clients with civil litigation and employment law matters. The organization provides legal services to individuals who may have limited access to legal representation, often helping self-represented litigants understand their rights and navigate the legal system. Alongside his legal practice, he serves on the board of the Immigrant Centre of Manitoba and as a chair of the Mental Health Review Board.
When Daniel enrolled in the LLM, he had already been practicing law for several years. Labour and employment files represented only part of his work, but they were the matters that consistently resonated with him. “I really enjoyed the labour and employment cases I did have,” he says. “I found the files to be really meaningful.” Looking for a way to further develop that area of interest, he was drawn to a program that would allow him to continue practicing while studying. “I wanted something I could chip away at,” he explains. “I never stopped practicing full-time.”
Rather than focusing on acquiring a specific set of technical skills, the program encouraged Daniel to think more deeply about the foundations of labour and employment law. Courses explored the historical development of workplace regulation, collective bargaining, and labour relations, prompting him to consider the broader forces that continue to shape the field. “I remember really doing a deep dive into the history of the union movement and going back to the 19th century,” he says. “Thinking about what was going on and what tensions these systems were originally designed to address helped me understand where our current framework comes from.”
The program also provided an opportunity to engage with professionals from across Canada who brought diverse perspectives to classroom discussions. For Daniel, those conversations were among the most valuable aspects of the experience. “One of the great things about it was meeting the other people in the program,” he says. “You get a chance to spend a lot of time with practitioners from across Canada and get to know them in a unique way.”
Learning alongside lawyers and other professionals working in different jurisdictions exposed him to a variety of approaches and experiences. Discussions often extended beyond legal doctrine, creating opportunities to exchange ideas about workplace issues, public policy, and professional practice.
The experience also reinforced the value of reflection within a demanding profession. Rather than concentrating exclusively on immediate legal problems, the LLM encouraged Daniel to consider larger questions about the purpose and evolution of labour and employment law. “It made me think more globally about labour and employment systems in Canada,” he says. “It helped me think more critically about where they come from and how they operate.”
That broader perspective continues to inform his work today. Whether assisting clients at the Legal Help Centre or contributing to community organizations, Daniel draws on a deeper understanding of the legal systems that shape working life. The LLM strengthened not only his knowledge of labour and employment law, but also his appreciation for the historical, social, and institutional contexts in which legal issues arise.
Daniel Hildebrand
Staff lawyer at the Legal Help Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba
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