For Immediate Release
May 14, 2008
OTTAWA - Robert Wakulat of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law is the winner of the 2008 Canadian Bar Association National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section David Estrin Law School Essay Contest.
Mr. Wakulat’s essay, "Canada's 2007 Climate Change Action Plan: Plan of Action or More Hot Air?” deals with a pressing and current issue of concern not only to environmental lawyers, but to all Canadians.
“His winning essay stood out in particular for its depth and scope of analysis, its exceptional degree of originality and the tremendous amount of research conducted by Mr. Wakulat,” said Anne-Marie Sheahan, committee Chair for the CBA’s National Environmental, Energy and Resources Law Section (NEERLS), in announcing the award.
Mr. Wakulat recently completed his final year at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and will be articling with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP starting in August 2008. In 2000, Robert received his Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from Queen's University. After his first year of law school, as part of the Faculty of Law’s International Human Rights Program, Mr. Wakulat participated in a summer internship with Journalists for Human Rights in Ghana, where he researched and presented on the topic of local police practices. After his second year of law school, Mr. Wakulat worked at Dale & Lessmann LLP in Toronto and then took a year off to work in Japan as a Legal Editor at Nishimura & Asahi, one of Japan’s largest international law firms.
The Law School Essay Contest promotes and rewards interest in environmental, energy and resources law topics in Canadian law schools. The award honours David Estrin, a pioneer of environmental law in Canada, who is a partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson, LLP. A founding member of the Canadian Environmental Law Association, he has advised government agencies, corporations and institutions, assisted in policy development and drafting of legislation in Ontario, Alberta and Canada, and appeared before provincial and federal courts. He has written six books, and taught in management programs and Universities. Gowling Lafleur Henderson, LLP is a Foundation Sponsor of the award.
The prize consists of $500 cash, plus registration, airfare and accommodation at the CBA NEERLS annual summit to be held May 15-16 at the Fairmont Château Laurier Hotel in Ottawa. His essay will be published in the NEERLS newsletter, the EcoBulletin.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Tel: (613) 237-2925, ext. 146; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
