Alumna Patricia Hebert, QC, honoured for outstanding commitment to access to justice

Sessional instructor Patricia Hebert, QC, ‘94 LLB,  has been feted for her inspiring dedication to access to justice.

Hebert will receive the Beverley McLachlin Access to Justice Award from the American College of Trial Lawyers at the end of February.

The prestigious international award is named in honour of alumna and former Chief Justice Beverley McLachlin of the Supreme Court of Canada. It celebrates a judge or member of the bar in the United States or Canada who has made exceptional contributions to creating and promoting access to justice.

“It is wonderful to have some feedback that the work I have been doing is meaningful to others,” said Hebert. “And it is wonderful to have an opportunity to talk about our shared obligation to advance access to justice, so that perhaps others can be inspired!”  

Early in her career in family law, Hebert discovered a passion for these issues. “It did not take me long to understand that, as much as it is important to help each individual client or family in the best way that I could, the systemic issues needed to be addressed,” she said. “We need to ensure that people are supported in their communities, that more people avoid serious legal problems, that kids avoid trauma and that if anyone does need legal assistance, they can get it regardless of their circumstances.”

Through her teaching, writing and volunteer work over the last 25 years, Hebert has actively sought to bring about meaningful changes when it comes to ensuring equal access to justice for all.

“In my long career as a family lawyer, I’ve had the opportunity to engage with outstanding family lawyers across the country and see the work they’ve done to improve things for their clients involved in the family law system,” said Marie Gordon, QC, who nominated Hebert for the award. “No one I know comes close to possessing the selfless, dedicated and deep personal commitment shown by Trish Hebert over many years to the cause of enhancing access to justice, and helping make the big systemic changes that we need.”

Hebert has been extensively involved with local and national initiatives. She is a founding member of the Alberta chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, an association dedicated to the resolution of family conflict.

She also serves as chair of the “Thought Leadership Table on Family Law” with the National Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters, a group dedicated to promoting and advocating for access to justice in the area of family law.

As a member of the Canadian Bar Association’s National Access to Justice Committee, Hebert contributed to the “Reaching Equal Justice” report, which proposes strategies to actively address the access to justice gap from all directions. She also previously chaired the CBA’s family law section and helped develop a number of resources for parents and lawyers on family law.

In 2014, Hebert was recognized for her service to the community with an award from the non-profit Women in Law Leadership. She was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 2016.

Hebert currently practises as a family lawyer and mediator with Bruyer & Mackay LLP in Edmonton. She has served as a sessional instructor with the Faculty since 2006.

“I openly share [with my students] that we must appreciate our privilege as lawyers and know that we can be part of the solution by being proactively engaged in best practices and providing access,” she said. “I encourage students to get involved in organizations that can help them find their passions, and find a place to use their unique skills and capacities to promote positive change. I hope to plant the seeds of both a love of family law, and a desire to look beyond the individual client to the system and community that is affected.”