Career
He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1957 and his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1959, both from the University of Alberta. After being admitted to the Alberta Bar, he became known as one of Canada's top criminal defence lawyers and in the 1970s was ranked amongst the top 10 in Canada by Weekend Magazine. He took silk and became Queen's Counsel in 1973, practicing with the firm of McClung Frohlich and Rand.
In 1976, he was appointed to the District Court of Alberta, then to the Supreme Court of Alberta (trial division) in 1976, and was soon thereafter elevated to the Court of Appeal June 30, 1979. He held this position until he died.
He was an avid student and writer of history. He was a driving force behind the creation of the Heritage Room at the Edmonton Courthouse, a collection of artifacts and photographs of Alberta's legal history, including portraits of prominent Alberta judges and many of his own writings. After his death, the Alberta Court of Appeal renamed the room the J.W. (Buzz) McClung Heritage Room. He wrote often about legal history, including a book entitled Law West of the Bay in 1997. He also wrote a History of the Alberta Court of Appeal published by his fellow appellate justices after he died. He was also a friend and strong supporter of the Heritage Community Foundation.
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