Ottawa, July 23, 2026 – The Canadian Bar Association’s Fellowship Committee has selected Monica Layarda to receive the 2026-2027 Viscount Bennett Fellowship for her postgraduate legal studies.
Monica Layarda was most recently a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. She graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 2022 and recently served as a judicial clerk to Chief Justice Richard Wagner at the Supreme Court of Canada. This fall, she will begin postgraduate studies at Yale University, with the Fellowship’s support.
The Viscount Bennett Fellowship is a $25,000 award granted annually by the Canadian Bar Association to a Canadian postgraduate law student. It was established under the terms of a trust created by Viscount Richard Bedford Bennett, former Prime Minister and CBA President, to encourage high legal education, training, and ethical standards.
Quotes
"Monica distinguished herself as an exceptional candidate, earning high marks from every member of the selection committee through her academic excellence and commitment to the legal profession. Her research and scholarship hold real promise for Canadian law, and the Fellowship will provide meaningful financial support as she begins her postgraduate studies at Yale this fall. She exemplifies the qualities we seek in a CBA ambassador."
- CBA Fellowship Committee
About the Canadian Bar Association
The CBA champions the legal profession and the rule of law in Canada. It is the country’s largest association for legal professionals, representing some 40,000 lawyers, judges, notaries in Quebec, academics and students.
Related links
Viscount Bennett Fellowship
Canadian Bar Association
For more information, contact:
Michael Milech
Director of Public Affairs
Canadian Bar Association
MichaelM@cba.org