SR Vol 27 No 3, July 2009 - Nova Scotia Barristers' Society

ACCOLADES
Brenda Pate, Janet Stevenson, Lyndsay Jardine, Janice Beaton, and Jennifer Biernaskie
Frances Fish Lawyers’ Achievement Award Committee
On September 10, 1918, Frances Lillian Fish became the first
woman admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar. She had completed
her LLB at Dalhousie Law School a few months earlier as
the first female graduate. That’s reason to celebrate and since 1997,
that’s exactly what a group of women lawyers have made sure we do!
The Nova Scotia Association of Women and the Law (NAWL) is a
non-profit women’s organization that promotes equal rights for all
women through legal education, research and law reform advocacy.
Members include lawyers, academics, students and others who
support its goals and objectives.
Every two years, NAWL co-sponsors the Frances Fish Award Dinner
with the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. The Frances Fish Women
Lawyers’ Achievement Award honours and celebrates outstanding
lawyers who have achieved excellence in their area of focus or in
the community, and who have demonstrated a commitment to the
advancement of women’s equality in or through the legal profession.
In this “Accolades” column, the Society acknowledges the work of all
women who have served on the organizing committee of the Frances
Fish Award Dinner. Membership changes from time to time and most
recently, the women on the committee for the 2007 event were:
Andrea Baldwin
Janice Beaton
Jennifer Biernaskie
Heather Burchill
Catherine Craig
Sherida Hassanali
Lyndsay Jardine
Barbara Kerr
Janine Kerr
Catherine Meade
Brenda Pate
Heidi Schedler
Janet Stevenson
Maggie Stewart
The next award presentation is well into the planning stages
and will take place at a ceremony and dinner in October. Recent
participants have noted how serving on
the organizing committee has been a
rewarding experience for them:
Lara Morris
Non-practising lawyer
“This committee is a wonderful way for a junior lawyer to
make connections with senior practitioners. It is also a great
opportunity to reflect on the particular skills that women bring to
this profession and to celebrate the impact we have had on what
it means to be a successful lawyer.” – Jennifer Biernaskie, McInnes
Cooper
”Volunteering with the Frances Fish Organizing Committee
has been a very rewarding experience for me. Not only do I get
to be involved in one of the most enjoyable events in the legal
community, but I also get to meet and work with some of the
brightest and most inspiring women at the Bar. Being a part of
something that honours and rewards the contributions of such
dynamic and committed women in Nova Scotia is amazing.”
– Heidi Schedler, NS Department of Justice
“The event itself provides a rare opportunity to publicly and
positively recognize lawyers in general and women lawyers in
particular as well as a rare occasion for the legal community to
interact collegially, so I am very proud to be a part of a team
which produces it.” – Brenda Pate, Barrister & Solicitor, Bedford
Congratulations to all committee members, past and present, on a
job well done.
We welcome your submission to Accolades! In each column we will
showcase a different lawyer, firm, group or association to recognize how
they are effecting change in the profession. Feel free to contact a member
of the Gender Equity Committee or Equity Officer Emma Halpern at
equity@nsbs.org to discuss your submission.
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