Law Times

www.lawtimesnews.com Law Times • March 23, 2015 Page 3 NEWS LSUC medal recipient honoured to stand with his first mentor BY YAMRI TADDESE Law Times or lawyer Patrick Shea, a big part of the joy in winning the 2015 law soci- ety medal is the fact he'll be receiving it alongside one of his first mentors, Ottawa lawyer Chantal Tie. "She's actually one of the reasons I be- came a lawyer," says Shea, a commercial law partner at Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP. As an undergraduate student, Shea was part of a now-defunct government pro- gram that allowed high school and univer- sity students to learn about how commu- nity boards work. The program took him to South Ottawa Community Legal Services, a clinic where Tie served as executive director for 21 years. The Law Society of Upper Canada is now recognizing Shea for being "the force" behind last year's honorary call to the bar for about 60 Ontario law students who per- ished in the First World War. "The project is in no small part as a result of [Tie's] early influence in a sense that she taught me that being a lawyer is a lot more than working at a big firm and making money," says Shea. "It's about helping people and it's all about what you can do as a lawyer." Tie, who's now counsel at the Ontario Human Rights Legal Support Centre and teaches immigration and refugee law at the University of Ottawa, will receive the medal for her commitment to social justice at home and around the world. In addition to her efforts in Canada, she has worked for the Canadian Bar Associa- tion on justice projects in Bangladesh and China and volunteered on projects like The Equality Effect. Tie never knew she had inspired Shea to become a lawyer. "That's lovely, actu- ally," she says. Although many people consider social justice work to be some type of sacrifice, Tie says it has been a privilege for her to do it. "I feel so fortunate to have spent my entire career doing something I care pas- sionately about, that's constantly chang- ing and constantly interesting," she says, adding the law society's recognition of her work is important at a time when many people who speak out for social justice feel they're under attack. The law society will also present the medal to Susan Eng, a vice president of CARP Canada, for her advocacy work on a range of issues. Torys LLP senior litigation partner John Laskin will receive the medal for his work in public law matters and business disputes, as will University of Ottawa Faculty of Law Prof. Adam Dodek, a leading scholar on le- gal professionalism and ethics. In addition, the law society is honouring Stewart Lavi- gueur, a sole practitioner in Eganville, Ont., for his commitment to serving the aborigi- nal community. This year's Lincoln Alexander award will go to Paul Le Vay, a partner and a certified specialist in civil litigation at Stockwoods LLP. Kimberly Murray, a member of the Kanesatake Mohawk Nation and executive director of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, will receive the 2015 Laura Legge award while paralegal Paul Dray will take home the William J. Simpson distinguished paralegal award. For lawyer Faisal Joseph, another recipi- ent of this year's law society medal, being a lawyer is about championing ideas that aren't necessarily popular. Joseph, a lawyer at Lerners LLP in London, Ont., is famous for his role in a human rights complaint against Maclean's magazine for publishing content he argued promoted Islamophobia. "A good lawyer always wants to test the limits and take the most difficult cases and isn't afraid to be under public scrutiny," says Joseph. "Our job is to be advocates and every- body has the right to have the right defence and the best case put forward." Joseph is a vociferous opponent of hate speech and has also advocated for the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank. While speaking out has its consequences, Joseph says he focuses on the benefits. "There's the usual death threats to your family and to yourself," he says. But he adds: "You know, I think we're only as strong as a community and as a de- mocracy when we speak up for those who don't have a voice themselves." Another law society medal recipient, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP real es- tate lawyer Craig Carter, is getting the award for his contribution to real estate education. The law society calls him "one of the pre- eminent leaders in the real estate law field." Carter says teaching is his passion. "Teaching is a wonderful thing. It's a great way to learn a lot and it's something I'm pas- sionate about," he says. The law society will present the awards at an event at Osgoode Hall on May 27. LT Untitled-2 1 2015-01-06 8:56 AM F Patrick Shea and Chantal Tie are among this year's law society medal recipients. Shea says Tie was one of his first mentors.

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