Canadian Maverick

In Canadian Maverick, bestselling author William Kaplan critically examines the life and times of lawyer, politician, academic, and Supreme Court Justice Ivan C. Rand. Born to a working-class New Brunswick family, Rand's hard work and impressive intellect led to an extraordinary career that redefined Canada's legal landscape.


Rand's 1943 appointment to the Supreme Court of Canada invigorated what was then a pedestrian institution. His work in labour law, including his development of the Rand Formula, and his key judgments in civil liberties cases inspired a generation of Canadian judges, lawyers, and law students.


Kaplan's rigorous study encompasses Rand's legal contributions, his pivotal role in the creation of the State of Israel, and his position as founding dean of the University of Western Ontario's Faculty of Law. An absorbing account of a complex and sometimes contradictory figure, Canadian Maverick draws a compelling portrait of one of Canada's most influential legal minds.