Israel "Rael" A. Ludwig

Rael was raised and spent his life in Winnipeg growing up in the north end of the city. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (Bachelor of Science, 1968 and LLB,1972). He was called to the Manitoba Bar in 1973.

Over the last 47 years Israel practiced as a litigation lawyer. He has appeared before the courts of Manitoba and Canada (Court of Queen’s Bench, Manitoba Court of Appeal, Federal Court of Canada, Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada). Israel has argued cases before many tribunals including the Appeal Commission of the Worker’s Compensation Board and the Canadian Transportation Agency.

Rael has been lead or leading counsel on precedent setting cases. He has an interest in Aboriginal Law and was part of the team that negotiated the Indian Residential Settlement program. He co-headed the team that drafted the precedent for the process under which the applicants in the Indian Residential School program would undergo a non-confrontational settlement hearing of their claim.

Israel’s activities in the community are many faceted. He served as an executive member of the Canadian Consultative Council Multiculturalism the policy advisor group to the Minister of State of Multiculturalism of Canada. He has lectured at the Law Society of Manitoba on the effect of the multiculturalism clause contained in the Canadian Charter of Rights. As a leader in Winnipeg’s Jewish community he was an Executive and Board member of the Canadian Jewish Congress, Board member of the Jewish Federations of Canada and of the Jewish Federations of Winnipeg. Real was a member of the Executive and ultimately the President of the Jewish Federation of Winnipeg. He has been an Executive member and President of the Canadian Transportation Law Association and is a member of the Transportation Law Association of the United States of America. Israel was a founding member and drafter of the by-laws of the Manitoba Collaborative Family Law Association.

Israel is married to Maylene Ludwig. They have 4 children and 7 grandchildren. In his spare time, he schmooses and works out at the Rady Jewish Community Centre In his spare time Rael heads the committee raising funds to establish a Chair of Aboriginal Law at the Law School.