Professional LLM in Energy and Infrastructure Law co-program director Bruce McCuaig

Bruce McCuaig, co-program director of the Professional LLM in Energy and Infrastructure Law, is not one to rest on his laurels.

“I highly believe in continuing your education and knowledge gathering throughout your career,” he says.

As co-program director, McCuaig guides working professionals with legal and non-legal backgrounds do just that as they embark on an in-depth examination of the policies, players, and stakeholders involved in the highly complex area of energy and infrastructure law.

And McCuaig knows first-hand the value of a mid-career investment in further education. Long before taking on his role at Osgoode, he went back to university to earn a Master’s degree in Public Administration, fitting in his studies alongside his regular work as a public servant for Ontario’s provincial government.

“It was such a refreshing opportunity for me to revitalize my thinking and to test how I go through the process of developing public policy,” McCuaig says. “It also turned out to be a chance to build a network of peers and colleagues from a whole range of different backgrounds and experiences that have stayed with me, in many cases, to this day.”

It wasn’t the first or last time McCuaig would push himself out of his comfort zone as he built one of the most storied careers in the Canadian infrastructure sector.

After developing an interest in urban issues during high school, McCuaig enrolled in Toronto Metropolitan University’s (formerly Ryerson University) Urban and Regional Planning program, where he thrived on the practical experience he gained during a series of co-op placements, including a stint in traditional land-use work at a county planning department.

“Then I had another term in a social planning agency. That was a very different experience, but it helped me to understand the connection between not just the physical environment in which you’re building, but the social objectives that you’re trying to achieve through the policies that are being put in in place,” McCuaig says.

Following graduation, McCuaig spent his early career at Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs, working in community planning, housing development and executive administration, before transitioning to the province’s Ministry of Transportation, around the same time as he enrolled in his master’s program.

“Rather than working in land use exclusively, I wanted to try something out in a related area and thought I would look at transport infrastructure as a way to broaden my experience,” McCuaig says. “I quickly discovered what a rich and impactful field infrastructure is – and transport infrastructure in particular. It’s great to be involved in an area that is such a contributor to individual and community growth and success.”

After ascending the ranks to become Deputy Minister of Transport, McCuaig left the department in 2010 for Metrolinx, where he spent seven years as president and CEO of the regional transportation authority for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area. He also played a key role advising on the launch of the Canada Infrastructure Bank and is currently the Canadian Transportation lead for global infrastructure giant AECOM.  

As an industry leader and frequent guest lecturer, McCuaig was the natural choice as co-program director when Osgoode sought to broaden the focus of the infrastructure portion of the Energy and Infrastructure Law LLM. A decade later, McCuaig feels as if the time has flown by.

“I have seen it was a way to contribute to the next generation, but also to stretch myself in a way that my day-job doesn’t necessarily allow for,” he says. “I continue to enjoy the engagement with Osgoode, in particular the interactions with students. There are so many smart young people out there and it’s been a privilege to pass on to them a little of what I’ve learned over the years. But I also learn plenty from the students, in terms of their experiences, which are generationally different from my own perspective.”

Anyone who comes to his class expecting a long lecture will be disappointed, McCuaig adds.

“It’s more of a conversational engagement between myself and the students. I’m always aiming to have students participate and trying to draw out their unique perspectives,” he says. “I also try to bring in a guest lecturer to every class, so that they get an opportunity to hear from real-life practitioners in the infrastructure space, including people working in aviation, transit, regulatory agencies, financial institutions, construction companies and more.”

Whether they are a lawyer with an infrastructure component to their private practice, in-house counsel at a company in the sector, or – like McCuaig – an infrastructure professional with no previous legal background, he has the same advice for prospective Energy and Infrastructure law LLM candidates:

“Osgoode is a great place to make an investment in yourself and your career for the future,” McCuaig says.