THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2010

2010 Canadian Pro Bono Awards Ceremony

A highlight of the 3rd National Pro Bono Conference is the presentation of the 2010 Canadian Pro Bono Awards. This ceremony will take place at the Conference Banquet on Thursday, September 16, 2010, in the Crystal Ballroom of the Fairmont Palliser Hotel.

The 2010 Canadian Pro Bono Awards honour individuals, groups, or organizations from anywhere in Canada for their outstanding pro bono contributions in the following three categories:
1. A law firm committed to pro bono
2. An individual actively involved in pro bono
3. A pro bono program serving the community

Congratulations to the 2010 Canadian Pro Bono Award Recipients

PRO BONO PROGRAM AWARD

Pro Bono Students Canada Family Law Project

Pro Bono Students Canada (PBSC) is a national pro bono organization with chapters at all 21 law schools in Canada. Each year, approximately 1,500 PBSC law student volunteers – fully a quarter of all law students in Canada – provide about 120,000 hours of free legal services to between 400-500 public interest and other community organizations, courts and tribunals across the country.

Now entering its 13th year of service, PBSC's Family Law Project is an innovative pro bono initiative that combines legal assistance in a high priority area of law with an "unbundled" model of service delivery. Survey after survey indicates that family law is one of the greatest areas of civil legal need in Canada. Family Law Project volunteers across Canada provide legal information and document preparation assistance to unrepresented litigants who are ineligible for legal aid or reside in provinces where legal aid is not available. Students are placed in courts, family law information centres - and even church-basements - to provide critical assistance to Canadians in need.

PBSC runs a Family Law Project in five provinces and almost half of all law schools in Canada. In coming years, PBSC hopes to expand the Family Law Project to other provinces and schools. PBSC is proud to play a role in helping to meet an ever-growing demand for family law legal services in Canada, and to provide law students with exposure to this critically important area of the law.

For information on Pro Bono Students Canada visit www.probonostudents.ca

LAW FIRM AWARD

Dawson Stevens Duckett & Shaigec Barristers, Edmonton AB

Dawson Stevens Duckett & Shaigec ("DSDS") is an Edmonton based law firm dedicated exclusively for the past twenty-five years to the practice of criminal law. The ten lawyers at DSDS take pride in their daily commitment to improving access to justice, particularly for Edmonton's low-income community. DSDS has actively supported Student Legal Services ("SLS") since its original founding partner Larry Anderson (now judge of the Alberta Provincial Court) began acting as an advising lawyer in 1990. For twenty years DSDS has provided SLS's Criminal Law Project with many hours of legal expertise, training and support as the Project has struggled to manage an ever-growing work load.

DSDS's interest in guiding young professionals extends beyond its role with SLS. Many of the partners have taught sessionally at the University of Alberta or have been instructors for the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education and the Legal Education Society of Alberta and have been significantly involved with the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association. DSDS also publishes and distributes a free weekly newsletter that summarizes notable Alberta criminal case for law libraries, judges and practitioners.

Members of the firm have served as Benchers of the Law Society of Alberta (including as its president on two occasions), as well as on numerous of its committees and projects. They have also served on several committees and projects for the Legal Aid Society of Alberta and the Elizabeth Fry Society. Laura Stevens and Kelly Dawson as members of the International Criminal Attorneys' Association have travelled on that organization's behalf to New York City to conduct a mock genocide trial, Beirut to attend an anti-death penalty conference, and Afghanistan to monitor that country's development of a public defender system.

For information on Dawson Stevens Duckett & Shaigec visit dsscrimlaw.com

NATIONAL LAW FIRM AWARD

Borden Ladner Gervais LLP

As Canada's largest law firm, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) is absolutely committed to achieve the best possible results for our clients. With more than 750 lawyers, intellectual property agents and other legal professionals in six offices, BLG provides corporate, litigation and intellectual property solutions to a wide range of clients nationally and internationally.

Our drive to deliver results goes beyond the walls of our offices. Thinking of ourselves as citizens of the communities in which we live and work is integral to the very fabric of the Firm. In 2004, BLG established a formal pro bono policy, based on our professional responsibility to help those in our communities who would otherwise be unable to obtain access to justice or legal services.

The cases we take on are as broad as the needs of the communities in which we practice, from providing legal advice and education to at-risk youth and their families through the Children's Legal Education Resource Centre in Calgary and the Dr. Julien Foundation in Montréal, to helping Toronto's The Stop Community Food Centre with a major redevelopment project. BLG's lawyers successfully prevented an Ottawa school board from eliminating $5 million in funding for special-needs programs and will be acting in opposition of the decriminalization of polygamy in a Vancouver trial this fall. It is our commitment to provide the same exceptional level of service to all clients, whether pro bono or billable.

For information on Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, visit www.blgcanada.com

PRO BONO DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

The Honourable Judge John T. Henderson

The Honourable Judge John T. Henderson was appointed to the Provincial Court of Alberta, Criminal Division in March 2009. Prior to his appointment he was a partner with Fraser Milner Casgrain practising in the area of civil litigation. Judge Henderson was the driving force at every level of establishing, building, and operating the Edmonton Community Legal Centre, and although he was not paid to do the work, it was a huge part of his practice for almost a decade.

As Board Chair of the newly formed ECLC, Judge Henderson provided thoughtful and professional guidance to the staff and board in addition to the many hours he spent volunteering monthly in the free evening legal clinics. During one four month period when the ECLC was without a Staff Lawyer, Judge Henderson reviewed every ECLC file and recruited lawyers to attend court on applications and hearings. In addition to actively promoting pro bono and recruiting volunteer lawyers for the ECLC's free legal clinics, as a senior partner at Fraser Milner Casgrain, Judge Henderson was a role model for law firm financial support. He initiated law firm "Funders Dinners", which have seen over $300,000 donated to the ECLC by Edmonton law firms.

Judge Henderson's unflagging dedication to the ECLC over many years speaks to his commitment to the promotion of pro bono legal services and increased access to justice. The impact he has had on pro bono legal services in Edmonton simply cannot be measured.