The CBA’s Access to Justice Subcommittee has selected Madeleine Brown as the winner of its 2021 Volunteer in Profile Award.
Brown’s work “embodies a balanced combination of passion and professionalism,” writes Jessica Zita of Campbell Posner in her nomination letter. “Based on her achievements and projects this past year alone, I could think of no other recipient of such an award.”
Brown volunteers with the Giiwedin Anang Council, which offers Indigenous alternative dispute resolution services, and with Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) Hotline. She helped established several pro bono legal programs, having “single-handedly created and launched a student program at McCarthy Tetreault, called PBOShadow” that pairs a student with a lawyer during a PBO Hotline shift, writes Zita.
“Further, she also helped launch a partnership between the firm and Pro Bono Students Canada called the Indigenous Human Rights Clinic, an organization with a pilot clinic in Toronto,” Zita adds, activities that clearly demonstrate her strong desire to advocate for and promote the value of pro bono work in the legal profession.
Brown was called to the Ontario Bar in 2018 and practices with the litigation group at McCarthy Tétrault in Toronto. She earned a JD from Osgoode Hall Law School with a designation in Litigation, Dispute Resolution and the Administration of Justice. In law school she received the J. Edward Thompson, Q.C. Memorial Scholarship for the highest standing in her curricular stream.
The Volunteer in Profile Award recognizes CBA members who have demonstrated an outstanding contribution to pro bono work in Canada or their jurisdiction.