Nicolas Dubois Dominic Beck

He was called to the Ontario bar in 1882, moving his practice to Winnipeg, Manitoba the year after, then made his way further west, to Calgary in 1889 practicing at the firm of Lougheed, McCarthy & Beck, and settling in Edmonton in 1891 to form the firm of Beck, Emery, Newell and Boulton. He then worked as a Crown Prosecutor from 1892 to 1907,[2] being employed by the City of Edmonton. He took silk by becoming Queen's Counsel in 1893. He also served as President of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories from 1901–1907, ending his duties with the creation of the Law Society of Alberta in 1907.

Beck was appointed to newly created Supreme Court of Alberta in 1907 and was elevated to the Appellate Division when it was created in 1921. He served on the court until his death on May 14, 1928.

Beck became the first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta in 1908, serving until 1926 when he became the University's second Chancellor. He also served on the University's Senate from 1908 to 1928 and on the Board of Governors from 1926 to 1927.[1]

Having become a Roman Catholic in 1883, he started editing the Northwest Catholic Review. He also became an editor of the Territorial and Alberta Law Reports.[1] Although his initial career began as a Conservative, he was an ardent Liberal by 1900. In 1910 he was appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission investigating the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway scandal.