New Awards Spark Success

Azan Esmail, Law grad

The road to success is rarely easy, but it has been made a little smoother for students at the Faculty of Law thanks to donors who are shaping the future by supporting students today.

Since 2020, the faculty has added 15 new awards to its roster of financial supports, made possible by donors. Each year since then, the Faculty of Law distributes more than $1.2 million to incoming and upper year law students in the form of scholarships, bursaries and prizes.

But financial support is just one of the benefits of receiving a scholarship or award, says Azan Esmail, ’23 JD, an inaugural recipient of the Barry Sjolie KC Award in Administrative Law. “The recognition that comes with receiving an award or scholarship can be a powerful motivator, and help build confidence and a sense of achievement,” Azan notes.

Significantly, the majority of new awards are aimed at assisting students from equity-denied and historically underrepresented groups.

One of those new awards is the Gervin Métis Leadership Award in Law, recognizing involvement in Métis culture and leadership in the Indigenous community.

“As a Métis student specifically, it can be hard to figure out just where you fit in,” says recipient Sarah (Johnson) Turcotte, ’23 JD, “but with the support of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association, my family and awards like this one, I have become more comfortable in my skin and more confident in speaking up and taking up space.”

Recipient Sarah (Johnson) Turcotte, JD

Megan Reti, ’24 JD, a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta, is the first person in her family to attend any kind of professional program. She is also the inaugural recipient of the University of Alberta Opportunities Award in Law, presented to students who identify as members of equity-denied groups. Megan is now chair for the Indigenous Law Students’ Association (ILSA), and credits the financial support, alongside the ILSA, as key to her success.

Award recipient Megan Reti, JD

“Awards like this one are so important for encouraging Métis students to take the leap and pursue higher education, which can inspire other Métis individuals to do the same.” — Sarah (Johnson) Turcotte, ’23 JD

Shelah Kwok is the inaugural recipient of the Chief Justice Fraser Scholarship in Law. The scholarship, created by the Government of Alberta, honours grad Catherine Fraser, ’70 LLB, the first woman appointed chief justice of a province in Canada.

Shelah has dedicated her time to Student Legal Services’ criminal project, supporting low-income individuals facing criminal charges. “This award has encouraged me to continue incorporating experiential learning and community involvement into my legal education,” Shelah says.

Sheila Kwok, Law student

Donors like Keith Brown are driven by deep commitments to uphold the legacy of their loved ones. Brown created the Patricia L. Daunais QC Memorial Award to pay tribute to his late wife, Patricia Daunais, QC, ’74 LLB, and supports Indigenous law students entering the first year of their JD degree. Sydney Mann, set to graduate in 2025, is the inaugural recipient of the award.

Keith Brown and Sydney Mann

“Financial contributions to students are often essential to their achieving success in university,” says Brown. “The hope is that they turn that success into contributions to the legal community and society in general.”