The author has worked In both the legal and financial fields for many years and holds licences for insurance, investments, law, and is a member of the legal bars of Ontario (Law Society of Upper Canada) and Quebec (Barreau du Quebec). His degrees are Bachelor of Commerce (Queen's), Bachelor of Laws (Windsor), Licence en Droit Civil (Ottawa), Master of Laws (Ottawa), and Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs (Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies). His awards are many, including the McLeod Scholarship (Queen's), Dickson Prize (Ottawa), Department of Justice of Canada fellowships, Donner Foundation fellowships, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal among others. As a lawyer, he has appeared before many federal hearings, the Federal and Supreme Courts of Canada, and the Parliament of Canada.