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Former ballet dancer turned law student, Hayley Bone, will bring her creative discipline and academic excellence to Davies law firm this summer.

Soon-to-be University of New Brunswick law graduate Hayley Bone has been honing precision and intention through ballet since childhood; that same dedication and focus has secured Bone an articling position with renowned Canadian law firm Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP, in their Toronto office.

Originally from Dartmouth, N.S., Bone has been dancing since she was a young girl. After high school, she trained at the Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts in classical ballet and dance pedagogy, developing both her technical expertise and a passion for teaching.

She went on to work professionally for several years as a dance artist and educator in Halifax. Bone holds a Cecchetti Canada associate teaching certification and was Mocean Dance’s inaugural Emerging-Artist-in-Residence in 2021. Most recently, she hosted, performed in, co-produced and co-wrote Seasons 1 through 3 of The Ways We Move, a six-part docuseries exploring dance and movement in Nova Scotia, created with Skye Larke Productions for Eastlink Community Television.

“Dance is inextricable from who I am today,” said Bone. “It taught me discipline and shaped my sense of self from a young age. I like to think I have a strong work ethic, and dance taught me that.”

After several years of her dance career, Bone was ready to pursue a new academic challenge.

She completed her undergraduate degree at Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) in English literature with first-class honours. It was through this experience that she discovered her passion for writing.

“The MSVU English department changed my life for the better,” said Bone. “My professors taught me how to write and how to read closely and critically. I left the Mount with a love of literature and language that will stay with me forever.”

Her honours thesis, In Money and In Love: Friendship, Finance, and Queerness in Shakespearean Comedy, explored the themes of financial exchange and queer, non-dyadic relationships that run through Shakespeare's comedies.

“I was inspired to write on the topic during my mandatory Shakespeare course in my second year,” said Bone. “Shakespeare has historically lent itself to many different readings and I wanted to contribute to that legacy.”

This experience led her to rely on another one of her strengths—her voice.

“I was one of those kids who liked to argue, and I’ve always been a talker,” she said. “But when I was considering how to continue as a student, law school began to crystallize as a viable option. I also knew I wanted to work in a field where my skills were valued, and law became the clear next step.”

At UNB Law, Bone served as first-year executive and vice-president finance and operations for the Law Students’ Society and worked as a research assistant to Dr. Maria Panezi, an associate professor in the faculty of law and a member of UNB’s International Law Group.

In her third year, she also worked with Dean Michael Marin and the university’s development and donor relations office as a student campaign coordinator.

“I love any chance to serve my peers and to engage with the close-knit community at the centre of UNB law,” she said.

“The smaller class size allowed me to build close relationships with my peers and professors. Professors Paul Warchuk, Maria Panezi, Jane Thomson, Norman Siebrasse, and Dean Marin have all been invaluable mentors. I am grateful for their support, encouragement and guidance.”

One of the highlights of her law school experience has been competitive mooting.

“I was on the school’s Sopinka Cup moot team in my second year and on the Laskin moot team in my third year alongside Raquel Franco, Ceilidh Rodriguez and Quintin MacDonald,” she said.

“The people I mooted with have become some of my closest friends. Despite the high-pressure work, it was also the most fun. It’s the people you’re in the—metaphorical—moot trenches with that you remember.”

As she prepares to accept her degree at UNB’s Encaenia ceremony on May 28, Bone will carry forward the discipline she crafted through dance, the critical thinking she developed during her literature degree and the practical experience she gained at UNB law into the next chapter of her career in Toronto, where she will write the bar licensing examinations and begin articling at Davies.

“I was drawn to Davies for its reputation for excellence and the people,” said Bone. “I participated in the structured Toronto 2L recruit, and once I met the team at Davies, I was sold.

“I am looking forward to a few more weeks of intense bar study and returning to work with the Davies team. I hope to throw myself into litigation work and continue learning from exceptional lawyers.”