Several prominent Queen’s Law graduates are being recognized by a jury of their peers. Based on nominations received from the Queen’s Law community, the Dean’s Council Awards Committee has released its 2019 selections for four annual Law alumni awards. 

“This year’s recipients have made important contributions both to Queen’s and to our country, both within the legal profession and in business,” says Sheila Murray, Law’82 (Com’79), Chair of the Dean’s Council. “Congratulations to our five recipients on their well-deserved honours and thank you for your service.”

The H.R.S. Ryan Law Alumni Award of Distinction (for overall distinction in the legal profession): Professor Emeritus Donald Carter, Law’66, served as Dean from 1993-98 during a pivotal time for Queen’s Law. His leadership, which drew on his extensive academic and public sector experience as a labour lawyer, paved the way for the many successful years which followed. He is also past Director of the Queen’s Industrial Relations Centre/School of Industrial Relations, past Chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and a recipient of the 2013 Bora Laskin Award – recognizing his outstanding contribution to Canadian Labour Law. 

Dan Soberman Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Joy Wakefield, Law’12, plays an integral role in increasing access to justice in the Thunder Bay area. As the Bilingual Staff Lawyer for Legal Aid Ontario, she serves as the dedicated lawyer for the Indigenous Peoples’ Court, and is half-time seconded with Nokiiwin Tribal Council, working for communities on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Through this role, she has spearheaded the advocacy for a new court in a semi-isolated First Nations community, and has been driving reconciliation, inclusivity and equity issues in Northwestern Ontario.

Justice Thomas Cromwell Distinguished Public Service Award: The Honourable Judith Beaman, Law’75, has had a distinguished 35-year career, serving in a number of roles in Ontario and federally, including as a Judge of Ontario Court of Justice and Regional Senior Justice for Eastern Ontario. In 2016, she was appointed to lead the Ontario commission that examined the impact of unreliable hair testing by the Toronto-based Motherisk Drug Testing Laboratory.

J.A. (Alec) Corry Distinguished Alumni Awards: Stuart O’Connor, Law’86, and Peter Johnson, Law’89, Co-Chairs of the Queen’s Law Alberta Alumni Council, have led their province’s support, vision and philanthropic efforts for the school. O’Connor is the Chairman of Arcurve Inc., a software services company, and is a serial entrepreneur and businessperson. His extensive community ties in the province range from chairing Hull Services to serving on the Calgary Stampede Board. Johnson is the Executive VP and Chief Legal and Regulatory Officer for Shaw Communications Inc., where he has worked for 23 years, and has played a critical role in its senior leadership, overseeing its legal, regulatory, government relations, governance and real estate portfolios.  

Congratulations to all of this year’s Queen’s Law Alumni Award recipients!