UWindsor alumna Mary Jo Nolan (LLB 1981), who retired in 2014 from the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, will share ideas and experiences from her extraordinary career in a free public presentation at 4 p.m. Wednesday, January 11, in Vanier Hall’s Rose Room.

Nolan was the first female Master to be appointed in Ontario (1996), and the first female to be appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in Essex County (2005). She has also worked as a social worker, lawyer, educator, mentor and mediator — a series of career changes linked by a passionate advocacy for the rights of the marginalized, particularly children.

Among her accolades, she received the Clark Award from the University of Windsor in 2012 and in 2014, Windsor Law established the Honourable Madam Justice Mary Jo Nolan Award in Family Law in her honour.

The Humanities Research Group is hosting Nolan’s appearance, entitled “A Lifetime of Advocacy and Change,” as part of its Martin Wesley Lecture Series. A reception will follow her address.