Notable accomplishments, good company and a spectacular view: alumni from the GTA and as far away as Vancouver showed their Queen’s Law spirit in Toronto at the school’s annual reception on April 29. Alumni awards and the launch of the Allgood Professorship in Business Law made an exciting evening one of historic import for the Faculty as they celebrated on the breathtaking rooftop patio of CI Financial in downtown Toronto.

This year, awards for significant achievements by young alumni and by alumni in the public service were created in addition to the longstanding H.R.S. Ryan Award of Distinction. “We decided to expand our awards to recognize the many and varied achievements of our graduates,” said Dean Bill Flanagan in his welcome remarks.

James “Jim” Parks, Law’71, counsel with Gardiner Roberts in Toronto, was presented with the H.R.S. Ryan Award of Distinction for significant contributions to the Faculty, University and legal profession.

Kristin Muszynski, Law’05, a partner with Templeman Menninga LLP in Kingston, received the first Dan Soberman Outstanding Young Alumni Award for demonstrating promising future leadership.

Robert Frater, QC, Law’84, Senior General Counsel with the Department of Justice Canada, accepted the inaugural Justice Thomas Cromwell Distinguished Public Service Award for sustained outstanding service and significant contributions to the public.

Justice Cromwell, the first Queen's Law graduate appointed to the Supreme Court, presented the award in his name. He gave his sincere thanks to the Dean's Council for creating the award, expressing how meaningful it was to him to be in the same company as founding faculty members Stuart Ryan and Dan Soberman.
 
The cocktail reception also provided the venue for the official launch of the David Allgood Professorship in Business Law. The school’s first privately funded Professorship – named in honour of David Allgood, Law’74 – has been established with donations totalling $1.5 million from alumni, friends and corporate donors. Read the story “Queen’s Law launches its first privately funded Professorship.”

After informing grads of plans to completely renovate the library basement into dedicated study space for students and the successful co-location of the five Queen’s Law Clinics in downtown Kingston, Dean Flanagan thanked alumni. “All of you and the commitment you demonstrate to the law school over and over again are a very big part of why I enjoy my job so much.”

Watch for the cover story on the alumni award winners in Queen's Law Reports 2015 coming this fall!