Georges A Goyer, QC Memorial Award
Madam Justice Lynn Smith honoured at Bench and Bar dinner
In the presence of 260 members of the legal profession, Madam Justice Lynn Smith received the Georges A. Goyer, QC Memorial Award at the Bench & Bar Dinner on November 20. The award is the highest honour bestowed by the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch.

“As a practitioner, as an academic and as a judge, Madam Justice Smith has made, and continues to make, a distinguished contribution to the law, the profession and the community,” said Albert (Bertie) McClean, QC in a letter supporting Madam Justice Smith’s nomination.

Madam Justice Smith was recognized for being an inspirational role model throughout her career, from her days as a young practising lawyer taking important precedent-setting constitutional cases to the Supreme Court of Canada, as a former Dean at UBC, and in her present role as a thoughtful, careful judge in our courts.

Created in 1992, the Goyer Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the legal profession, jurisprudence, development of law, or a significant law-related benefit to B.C. It is awarded in memory of Georges A. Goyer, QC, a respected CBABC member who passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.


UBC/CBA Mentor Reception
An evening of introductions and awards
The annual UBC/CBA Mentorship Reception was a great success this year, well attended by both students and members of the legal community. Gail Sahota, the CBA Representative at UBC, organized this year’s reception with the help of the UBC Articling Committee and Career Services Office.

Special guests at the reception were Robert Brun, CBABC President, and Mary Anne Bobinski, Dean of UBC Law School.

There are 160 mentors participating in this year’s program and the reception provided an initial meeting place for a number of them. Gail Sahota explained the importance of mentors to students, “Mentors are a unique and invaluable source of information to students because of their ability to provide an experienced view on the legal field and on balancing a legal career. They are a source of information that students may not otherwise have access to within the academic confines of law school.”

The significance of the role played by Mentors is recognized by the Mentorship Reception, as are the accomplishments of some unique students. Kathy Grant was awarded the CBA/Department of Justice National Law School Essay Competition Prize and the Scotiabank Law Student Achievement Award. Agnes Huang, a second year law student, received the CBA Scholarship. Congratulations to both these students – may they continue their outstanding work in the future.

These articles were published in the December 2003 issue of BarTalk. © 2003 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.