Viscount Bennett Fellowship

A $25,000 fellowship is offered every year to one student for post-graduate studies in law.

The Viscount Bennett Fellowship is made possible by a donation from the Right Honorable Viscount Bennett, a CBA Past President (1929-30) who in 1943 established a trust fund to provide income to be used to encourage a high standard of legal education, training and ethics.

Application Form

Deadline for Submissions 

The next Viscount Bennett Fellowship will be awarded in the spring of 2025 with an application deadline of November 19, 2024.

Only applications received on or before November 19th, 11:59 PM ET will be considered by the Selection Committee.

Eligibility

  • Candidates must be Canadian citizens who have graduated from an approved law school in Canada, or, who at the time of application are pursuing final year studies as undergraduate students at such approved law school;
  • All applicants must be Canadian Bar Association members in good standing at the time of application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their membership is current. Applicants with lapsed memberships will not be contacted.
  • Candidates must file a completed official application form on or before the deadline;
  • Candidates must have completed and filed an application for graduate studies with the institution of higher learning of their choice before submitting this Fellowship application to the CBA;
  • The Award will be paid as a fellowship for post-graduate studies at a university approved by the Committee;
  • Candidates who have already begun their post-graduate studies may still apply. Applicants must still have at least one year of studies remaining to qualify for the Fellowship.
  • Other terms and conditions apply. Please see the application form for full details.

How to Apply

Each applicant must submit a Viscount Bennett application form with relevant attachments. Please see the application form for the required list of attachments and the full set of conditions.

It is recommended that candidates review their application with their Law School Dean.

Documentation will not be accepted in a piecemeal fashion. All documents must be included as part of your application. Only transcripts and reference letters may be received separately.

Completed applications can be submitted to: viscount-vicomte@cba.org or mailed to:

Viscount Bennett Fellowship
c/o: Director of Communications and Marketing,
Canadian Bar Association, 66 Slater St., Suite 1200, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H1

Application Form

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

Presentation

The winner is usually notified in late spring.

An official announcement will be published on the CBA's social media channels as well as in CBA News no later than the 30th of June.

Award Winners

  • 2024 – Kristen Stallard (Halifax, NS)
  • 2023 – Amitpal C. Singh (Oakville, ON)
  • 2022 – Brandyn Rodgerson (Edmonton, AB)
  • 2021 – Teagan Markin (Swan River, MB)
  • 2020 – Léa Brière-Godbout (Montreal, QC)
  • 2019 – Karine McLaren (Moncton, NB) and Scott Franks (Toronto, ON)
  • 2018 – Anthony Sangiuliano (Maple, ON)
  • 2016 – Daniel Del Gobbo (Toronto, ON)
  • 2014 – François Goyer (Deux-Montagnes, QC)
  • 2013 – Benjamin Perryman  (Dartmouth, NS)
  • 2012 – Lindy Rouillard-Labbé (Montreal, QC)
  • 2011 – Sherif Foda (Gatineau, QC)
  • 2010 – Wade Wright (Sarnia ON)
  • 2009 – Sarah-Ève Pelletier (St-Ramuald, QC)
  • 2008 – Joseph Chedrawe (Halifax, NS)
  • 2007 – Nicolas M. Rouleau (Toronto, ON)
  • 2006 – Erin Shaw (Ottawa, ON)
  • 2005 – Catherine Biron (Montreal, QC)
  • 2004 – Catherine Chevrier (Montreal, QC)
  • 2003 – No scholarship awarded
  • 2002 – Pascale Fournier (Sainte-Foy, QC)
  • 2001 – Talha Syed (Camrose, AB)
  • 2000 – Julie Godkin (Goderich, ON)
  • 1999 – Ellen Anderson (Barrie, ON)
  • 1998 – Shanti Atkins (Victoria, BC)
  • 1997 – Abraham Gesser (Winnipeg, MB)
  • 1996 – No scholarship awarded
  • 1995 – Janet Elizabeth Walker (Richmond Hill, ON)
  • 1994 – Janine L Benedet  (Burnaby, BC)
  • 1993 – Penney Jaye Lewis (Toronto, ON)
  • 1992 – Drew Even MacIntyre (Calgary, AB )
  • 1991 – David Thomas Lametti (Port Colborne, ON)
  • 1990 – Laura Christine Hoyano (Edmonton, AB )
  • 1989 – Karen Christine Knop (Halifax, NS)
  • 1988 – David Bruce Butt (Toronto, ON)
  • 1987 – Marc Steven Trapedo Dworsky (Toronto, ON)
  • 1986 – Jeremy H.A. Webber (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1985 – Professor Brian D. Etherington (Binbrook, ON)
  • 1984 – Frederick Lorne Myers (Toronto, ON) and Luc Despins (Hull, QC)
  • 1983 – Clay H. Horner (Barclay) (Shawville, QC) and Philip Girard (London, ON)
  • 1982 – Carol Rogerson (Edmonton, AB) and Richard Krever (Willowdale, ON)
  • 1981 – Michael David Lepofsky (Toronto, ON) and Robert G. Richards (Assiniboia, SK)
  • 1980 – Ronald D. Collins (Toronto, ON)
  • 1979 – Frans F. Slatter (Edmonton, AB )
  • 1978 – Marc Emmett Gold (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1977 – Prof. Michael Krauss  (Montréal, QC)
  • 1976 – The Honorable Katherine Swinton (Ottawa, ON)
  • 1975 – J. Robert S. Prichard (Toronto, ON)
  • 1974 – Edward P. Belobaba  (Toronto, ON)
  • 1973 – Gregory Ian North Q.C. (Halifax, NS)
  • 1972 – Abraham Richard Okazaki (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1971 – Réal A. Forest (Québec, QC)
  • 1970 – R. Nairn Waterman (Toronto, ON)
  • 1969 – John M. Baigent (Halifax, NS)
  • 1968 – Mathew Bernard Nepon
  • 1967 – The Honorable Hélène Lebel (Ottawa, ON) and John G. Trueman (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1966 – John Grant Myers (Halifax, NS) and Ronald Hartley Nathan (Toronto, ON)
  • 1965 – The Honorable Jean Éduard Côté (Rimouski, QC)  and William F. Dickson (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1964 – The Honorable Jean Éduard Côté (Rimouski, QC)
  • 1963 – René Dussault L'hon. (Québec, QC) and Harold Hugh MacKay (Regina, SK)
  • 1962 – Professor R.D. Abbott (Ottawa, ON) and Alan Z. Golden (Montréal, QC)
  • 1961 – Richard C. Risk (Toronto, ON) and The Honorable Paul S. Creaghan (Moncton, NB)
  • 1960 – Robert R. Stuart (Edmonton, AB ) and Warren Maitland Grover Q.C. (Toronto, ON)
  • 1959 – André Bureau (Trois-Rivières, QC) and The Honorable Jean-Louis Baudouin (Montréal, QC)
  • 1958 – Edwin C. Harris  K.C. (Halifax, NS)
  • 1957 – James M. MacIntyre (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1956 – The Honorable John C. Crosbie (St. John's, NF)
  • 1955 – The Honorable Marc Lalonde K.C. (Montréal, QC)
  • 1954 – Maurice Jacques (Québec, QC)
  • 1953 – Donald A. Machum (Halifax, NS)
  • 1952 – Daniel A. Yanofsky, Q.C. (Winnipeg, MB)
  • 1951 – Ronald J. Downie K.C. (Halifax, NS)
  • 1950 – Marguerite Choquette (Montréal, QC)
  • 1949 – Alfred W.R. Carrothers (Vancouver, BC)
  • 1948 – Alan W. Scarth (Winnipeg, MB)
  • 1947 – Arnold F. Moir (Edmonton, AB) and Gilbert Nadeau (Montréal, QC)
  • 1946 – Robert M. Sedgewick Jr. (Toronto, ON)