Award of Excellence 2010/2011

The CBABC Women Lawyers Forum (WLF) Award of Excellence celebrates the accomplishments of a woman who has succeeded in breaking new ground for women in the legal profession in British Columbia. The Award recognizes an exceptional woman who has taken risks, fostered change and ultimately opened doors for women lawyers. This award celebrates Margaret Ostrowski's distinguished career achievements and her outstanding contributions to women in the legal profession as a change agent, leader and mentor.

Margaret Ostrowski, QC was presented with the Award of Excellence at the CBABC WLF Awards Luncheon on February 25, 2011.

Read Margaret's acceptance speech.



L-R: Carol Anne Finch-Noyes, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, QC and Margaret Ostrowski, QC



L-R: Christopher Holmes, Margaret Ostrowski, QC, The Honourable Associate Chief Justice Anne MacKenzie and Simone Ostrowski

Margaret has spent much of her legal career working on access to justice issues including issues of importance to women lawyers. While serving as President of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association in 2000, she sponsored a President’s Forum titled “Creating Success – A Symposium for Women In Law.” Shortly afterwards, Margaret seized the opportunity to establish a more permanent association of women and the law by initiating and chairing the working group of CBA women lawyers who founded the CBABC Women Lawyers Forum.

Margaret then initiated and chaired the Law Society Women in the Legal Profession working group that later led to the formation of the Law Society Women in the Legal Profession Task Force. She introduced advice panels for women law students, potluck dinners for WLF members and senior women lawyer dinners featuring prominent guest speakers. She has chaired numerous Law Society and CBA committees.

In honour of her many years of work supporting women in the law, Margaret received the 2009 YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Business and the Professions and was the national CBA Touchstone Award winner in 2007 for her accomplishments in promoting equality in the legal profession.

Margaret has practiced law for 30 years in small firms, as a sole practitioner and as a member of numerous administrative tribunals including the Immigration and Refugee Board, the Employment Standards Tribunal and as an independent chairperson / adjudicator for the BC women’s prison. She was a Bencher of the Law Society from 2002 to 2006. She is certified as a mediator for both commercial and family law and previously was a BC registered psychologist. She currently serves full time as the Chair of the Mental Health Review Board of BC and is the proud mother of two sons.

Margaret’s many accomplishments were summarized in 2007 by Parker MacCarthy, QC, as then CBA national president when he said, "Margaret's work, both for the CBA and the Law Society of British Columbia shows her tireless commitment to equality. Her work in creating opportunities and removing barriers for women in the legal profession is both an achievement to be celebrated and a reminder that there is still more work to be done."

View photos of the luncheon held on February 25, 2011.

[posted March 1, 2011]