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law, wills and trusts, affordable housing, community development and local
government law. His tenure as professor included serving as the chair of the
Admissions Committee and as part of the Dean’s Advisory Committee. As
the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, Ngai got involved in and enjoyed
the administrative part of law faculty life.
As Vice-Provost for Faculty Affairs at the university level, he oversaw faculty
promotion and tenure, faculty recognition and related faculty policies.
He led development efforts for faculty chairs and academic units, and he
worked closely with compliance and human resource departments to
address issues across the campus. Importantly, he helped to re-launch the
university’s Leadership Development Academy, which aimed to increase
the representation of women and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of
colour) faculty members in leadership positions. This university-level experience,
including interaction with many departments outside the law
school, was crucial in helping Ngai develop a broader understanding of the
challenges facing a university.
As if these contributions were not enough, Ngai was also the International
Gaming Institute Professor of Law, where he created and directed the
master of law program in gaming law and regulation. As one might expect,
a law school in Las Vegas should have a comprehensive suite of gaming
courses capitalizing on the talent of the many gaming lawyers, regulators
and operators in the region. He was also the co-president of the Society of
American Law Teachers, a community of progressive law professors who
are focused on working within and beyond the law school to advance social
justice and expanding the power of law to underserved communities. His
interest in these two areas was fuelled by his belief in the power of institutions
to bring attention to areas of concern, identify solutions to problems
and help to ensure that these solutions are long-lasting.
His respect for the impact of community institutions led him to Allard
Law. Since joining Allard Law, Ngai has been enjoying the challenge of integrating
the law school’s many voices and perspectives. More than 30 new
law professors have been hired at Allard Law since 2015, many of whom,
until recently, had limited opportunities to connect with their students and
colleagues in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ngai says that the
return to in-person teaching and learning has been an important step in
strengthening relationships and building a more cohesive law school community.
Over the next year, Ngai will lead the development of a new strategic
plan for the law school, and will focus on identifying common values,
creating new pathways for partnerships and exploring new opportunities
for the law school to serve the community. The faculty is looking both