Donors Create Six New Student Awards at Osgoode

five green sprouts

Osgoode is grateful to the donors who have established these new student awards:

Bill Francis ’60 Bursary

Donated by the Five B Family Foundation

This bursary was created in memory of Bill Francis ’60 to honour his professionalism, kindness and exceptional legal advice. It will be given annually to a first-year student in the JD program who demonstrates financial need.

Mary L. MacGregor Memorial Award

Donated by the family, friends, and colleagues of Mary MacGregor

Mary graduated from law school at the University of Saskatchewan in 1972 and moved to Toronto to complete her legal articling. She practiced Trust and Estate Law for 42 years, first at Crown Trust, then Blaney McMurtry Stapells, and eventually at a small and unique law firm which would come to be known as Dickson MacGregor Appell.

Mary lectured in estate and succession law at Osgoode Hall and taught the estate planning and administration section of the Ontario Bar Admission Course for the Law Society. She was a member and past president of the Estate Planning Council of Toronto, an editor of O’Brien’s Encyclopedia of Forms, Wills and Trusts Division V, and the author of Preparation of Wills and Powers of Attorney: First Interview to Final Report, Third Edition (Canada Law Book). She was a co-founder of the Center for Estate Mediation and was awarded the Ontario Bar Association Award for Excellence in Trusts and Estates in 2011.

Mary was widely known for the generosity with which she shared her knowledge of Trust and Estate Law, especially amongst those whom she taught and mentored, as well as by the kindness and consideration which she showed to her clients and colleagues. The Mary L. MacGregor Memorial Award will be given to a JD student who has achieved high academic standing in the second or third year of the program, shows an interest in Estate Law, is active in the community at Osgoode, and demonstrates financial need.

McCabe Valuations Bursary

Donated by Patrick McCabe

Patrick McCabe provides valuation and advisory services to companies and litigation teams across Canada and in the United States.  He has created this bursary to recognize the expertise and professionalism of the many lawyers he has worked with when finding fair and equitable valuations in family law, commercial litigation, and civil litigation disputes.  This bursary will be given annually to a JD student who demonstrates financial need.

Susan Vella Social Justice Award

Donated by the family, friends, and colleagues Susan Vella

While a student at Osgoode, Susan Vella ’86 was a student leader at Community and Legal Services Program (CLASP). This award was created to mark a milestone birthday. The award’s intent is to recognize a law student’s demonstrated commitment to advocacy in the areas of sexualized misconduct and/or domestic violence, including representing the interests of survivors of sexualized misconduct and/or domestic violence, and defending the rights of those alleged to have committed those forms of abuse.

As a lawyer, Susan was a pioneer in developing the area of civil liability for sexual abuse in Canada. She was counsel on several landmark civil cases, authored many articles and co-authored a textbook (Civil Liability for Sexual abuse and Violence in Canada, 2000), and served as counsel to various public inquiries and a provincial Task Force involving issues of sexual and other forms of violence.

The Susan Vella Social Justice Award will be awarded to a second or third year J.D. student who (i) demonstrates an interest in the delivery of legal services to low and/or marginalized populations in the areas of sexualized misconduct and/or domestic violence, such as by participation in Osgoode clinics such as CLASP, the Feminist Advocacy: Ending Violence Against Women Clinical Program, or Parkdale Community Legal Services, (ii) high academic achievement (minimum of B average), and (iii) demonstrates financial need.

Tom Curry Family Award

Donated by Tom Curry

After graduating from Osgoode in 1984, Tom went on to practice as a trial and appellate counsel. This award is a way for his family to support the next generation of lawyers. It will be given annually to a JD student in financial need who has an interest in litigation.

Wildeboer Dellelce LLP Award

Donated by Wildeboer Dellelce LLP

This award has been established by the law firm of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP, one of Canada’s premier corporate, securities and business transactional law firms. The award will be given annually to a student in the JD program who has completed at least one year of the program and who has demonstrated the highest degree of interest in business law through courses and activities or other initiatives. The recipient will also have demonstrated good academic standing and financial need.