Scholarships & Awards

The Denis Marshall Memorial Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship has been generously established by LexisNexis Quicklaw. This award of $3,000.00 plus expenses up to $2,000 to attend the annual conference of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit honours the memory of Denis Marshall.

Denis was a long-standing member of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit. Highly regarded for his work as an Executive Board member and ultimately President of CALL/ACBD from 1985-1987, Denis always found time for our Association. Among his accomplishments, he shared his knowledge through various scholarly writings, many of which were published in Canadian Law Libraries/Bibliothèques de droit canadiennes. He actively participated in the Academic Law Libraries Special Interest Group, chaired the Conference Planning Committee for the Kingston Conference in 1996 and worked quietly behind the scenes for many years on the CALL/ACBD Copyright Committee, providing sage advice and legal opinions.

In addition to his many CALL/ACBD contributions, Denis was highly regarded for his scholarship in the academic community. He touched many law librarians', students' and lawyers' lives over his professional career, which took him from the University of Western Ontario to the University of British Columbia, to the University of Manitoba and ultimately to Queen's University where he was Professor and Law Librarian at the time of his death in June 2000. In recognition of his academic scholarship, Denis was duly honoured by his peers with the 1999 prestigious Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Academic Librarianship Award.

On a personal level, Denis was always supportive and encouraging of new law librarians. He mentored many and showed a keen interest in their professional development. To his peers, he was a valued colleague who consistently displayed true leadership qualities through his innovative spirit, his strong service ethic and his tireless dedication to continuously improving and enhancing the profession of law librarianship in Canada.

Purpose

This award is an honour bestowed upon a current member of CALL/ACBD who has provided outstanding service to the Association AND/OR enhanced the profession of law librarianship in the recent past. The specific contributions must reflect the qualities embodied by Denis Marshall:

• a continued commitment to excellence in law librarianship;
• a strong service ethic;
• a commitment to continuous learning;
• a significant contribution to the scholarship of the library profession;
• mentoring and encouraging those who seek a profession in law librarianship;
• the pursuit of innovation and/or innovative solutions;
• and/or a contribution to leadership in the law library profession.

Nomination Process

CALL/ACBD members are encouraged to nominate fellow CALL/ACBD members whom they feel are deserving of this honour. A call for nominations will be circulated to the membership annually.

Nominees' names must be submitted in writing to the Chair, Scholarships and Awards Committee. The name of the nominated person must be accompanied by two signed letters from colleagues in support of the nominee, with three additional names of CALL members supporting the nomination. Documentation supporting the accomplishment(s) / achievement(s) of the nominee along with the rationale or justification must be included in the submission.

In reviewing the nominations, the Scholarships and Awards Committee will take into consideration the above purposes of the award in relation to:

• the impact the nominee has had on the Association; AND/OR
• the value of the nominee's contribution to the law library profession as a whole.

Applications are requested by April 1 of each calendar year.

The candidate chosen by the Scholarships and Awards Committee will be presented for approval to the Executive Board of the Association. All deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential.

Obligations of the Recipient

The recipient of the Denis Marshall Award for Excellence in Law Librarianship, will be notified in advance of the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit. The recipient is expected to appear in person to receive the award at the annual meeting of the Association.

The recipient of the award is entitled to claim allowable approved expenses not normally to exceed $2000.00. These allowable expenses are: full conference registration fees, accommodation at the conference hotel up to a maximum of five nights, and air/ground transportation from their place of residence to the conference venue. According to the normal practice of the Association, the recipient will submit receipts to the Association Treasurer or designate for reimbursement. Recipients should take note that the $3,000 Award must be reported as income.

Presentation of the Award

The award will be presented annually where possible, when a qualified candidate has been chosen. The presentation ceremony will take place during the annual meeting of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit. If in a given year, no award is presented, the Committee may exercise its discretion (with the concurrence of the donor) to recommend two awards in the following year.

Please send the nomination by April 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and successful nominees will be notified prior to the early bird registration deadline for the annual conference in order to encourage attendance.

Past recipients

• Janine Miller2001
• Denis LeMay2003
• Suzan Hebditch2003
• Mary Mitchell2004
• Judy Ginsberg2006
• John Eaton2006
• Mona Pearce2007
• Peta Bates2009
• Ted Tjaden2010
• Barbara Campbell2012
• Nancy McCormack2014
• Rosalie Fox2015
• Sandra Wilkins2016
• Shaunna Mireau2017
• Margo Jeske2018
• Louise Hamel2019
• Teresa Gleave2021
• Daniel Boyer2022
• Sarah Sutherland2023
• Ann Marie Melvie2025
• Kim Clarke2026

The Michael Silverstein Prize has been generously established by Thomson Reuters. This annual monetary award of $1500 recognizes an outstanding contribution by a member of CALL/ACBD to enhancing understanding, analysis and appreciation of primary law or legal taxonomy. The contribution may be in the form of an article, book, course, research, activities/advocacy or a body of work. The winner will also receive a copy of The Practical Guide to Canadian Legal Research, as Michael wrote the original chapter on the Canadian Abridgment. Michael often spoke of himself as a “primary law guy” and his stewardship of the Abridgment was truly a labour of love.

Nomination Process

• Nominations may come from any member of CALL/ACBD including, but not limited to, a reader or participant of the recommended contribution. Self-nominations are welcome.
• The nomination application should include the name, affiliation and contact information of the nominee and nominating member(s), as well as a letter explaining the reason for the nomination, with reference to the scope of the award. A copy of the article, a course description, the bibliographic citation of the book should be provided where feasible. Supporting documentation such as book reviews or course comments are encouraged.
• Nominations are requested by April 1st of each year and should be sent to the Scholarships and Awards Committee.

Selection Process

The Scholarships and Awards Committee will consider the following when evaluating a nominee:

• Does the work enhance understanding of primary law or legal taxonomy?
• Is the work novel in its delivery or message?
• Who is the intended audience, and does the nominated work seem to meet their needs? Is there documentation to prove that the audience is benefiting from the work (evaluations, reviews)?

Please send the nomination by April 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and successful nominees will be notified prior to the early bird registration deadline for the annual conference in order to encourage attendance.

Past recipients

• Erica Anderson & Susan Barker2017
• Nancy McCormack2018
• Nadine Hoffman2020
• Tim Knight2024
• Erica Friesen2025

The Emerging Leader Award honours the memory and work of Nancy McCormack who was a long-time and contributing member of CALL/ACBD. Nancy was the Head Law Librarian at Queen’s University as well as a professor of legal research and of torts. She was a warm and empathetic person who embodied a love of teaching, knowledge and scholarship. She was very supportive of the newer members of CALL/ACBD and mentored many of them over the years. Nancy encouraged members to look beyond the ordinary and to excel in their roles as librarian, teacher and researcher. She was admired by her staff, her students, faculty at Queens University, and members of CALL/ACBD.

The Nancy McCormack Emerging Leader Award will be given to a CALL/ACBD member in good standing who is normally in the first ten years of their law library career and who has demonstrated the qualities embodied by Nancy. They must have made significant contributions to the Association and have shown excellent potential for continuing service and leadership.

Recipients of the Award will receive $2000 and a plaque. This Award will be presented annually, where possible, when a qualified candidate has been chosen. It will be presented at the CALL/ACBD Annual Meeting.

The Nancy McCormack Emerging Leader Award is sponsored through the generosity of Thomson Reuters.

Nomination Process

• One letter of nomination may come from individual members or SIGs and should include two additional endorsements from colleagues. They must emphasize how the nominee meets the criteria for the Award. Nominations should also demonstrate how the nominee embodies the qualities of Nancy McCormack.
• Nominations are requested by April 1st of each year and should be sent to the Scholarships and Awards Committee

Selection Process

• The Scholarships and Awards Committee will review the nomination and endorsements and will consider the demonstrated impact the nominee has had on the Association and/or the law library profession as a whole.
• The Scholarships and Awards Committee will determine a winner before the early bird registration rate for the conference expires in order to encourage the winner’s attendance.

Please send the nomination by April 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and successful nominees will be notified prior to the early bird registration deadline for the annual conference in order to encourage attendance.

Past recipients

• Hannah Steeves2022
• Doris Wagner2025
• Jacob Ericson2026

The Gisèle Laprise Prize was generously established by Thomson Reuters, and has been enlarged by Gisèle's family. These awards, each in the amount of $1500, recognize an outstanding contribution by a member of CALL/ACBD to an understanding and appreciation of the civil and common law systems in Canada. The contribution may be in the form of an article, book, course, research, activities/advocacy or a body of work. The nominated material should build bridges and understanding between the Common Law and the Civil Law, something that Gisèle worked for tirelessly.

Nomination Process

• Nominations may come from any member of CALL/ACBD including, but not limited to, a reader or participant of the recommended contribution. Self-nominations are welcome
• The nomination application should include the name, affiliation and contact information of the nominee and nominating member(s), as well as a letter explaining the reason for the nomination, with reference to the scope of the award. A copy of the article, a course description, the bibliographic citation of the book should be provided where feasible. Supporting documentation such as book reviews or course comments are encouraged.
• Nominations are requested by April 1st of each year and should be sent to the Scholarships and Awards Committee.

Selection Process

The Scholarships and Awards Committee will consider the following when evaluating a nominee:

• Does the work enhance understanding of common law and/or civil law?
• Is the work novel in its delivery or message?
• Who is the intended audience, and does the nominated work seem to meet their needs?
• Is there documentation to prove that the audience is benefiting from the work (evaluations, reviews)?

Please send the nomination by April 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and successful nominees will be notified prior to the early bird registration deadline for the annual conference in order to encourage attendance.

Past recipients

• Clare Mauro2017
• Nathalie Léonard2024

Established in honour of the late Diana M. Priestly, a distinguished Canadian law librarian, and in recognition of her distinctive contribution to Law Librarianship, the Scholarship is intended to support professional development in the field and is awarded to a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant:

• who has previous law library experience and will be enrolled in an accredited Canadian Library School during the next academic term/year; or
• who has a degree from or is currently enrolled in an accredited Canadian Library School and will be enrolled in an approved Canadian Law School during the next academic term/year; or
• who has a degree from or is currently enrolled in an approved Canadian Law School and will be enrolled in an accredited Canadian Library School during the next academic term/year; or
• who will be concurrently enrolled in an approved Canadian Law School and an accredited Canadian Library School during the next academic term/year.

One scholarship will normally be awarded each year in the amount of $2,500.00. It is non-renewable except in exceptional circumstances. The award may be withheld or cancelled for lack of suitable candidates or upon termination of schooling. The money will be disbursed to the successful candidate upon supplying proof of enrollment. The applicant's work experience, letter of application and letters of reference will form the basis of selection. Preference will be given to members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit but all persons with suitable library experience may apply.

Applications are due by February 1.

The applicant understands that the award is given in good faith and on the understanding that the school year will be successfully completed. The Association reserves the right to request full or partial return of monies for failure to complete the above obligation. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure their application is complete by the deadline.

Past recipients

• Mary Tastad1987
• Cynthia Ryan1988
• Anna Holeton1989
• Alison Fowles1990
• Diane Wollard1991
• Karen Reschke1992
• Ginette Theriault1993
• Lynda Roberts1995
• Sandra Wilkins1995
• Kimberly Clarke1996
• Jennifer Gray1997
• Eric Leduc1998
• Heather Ritchie1999
• Ann Marie Melvie2000
• Terri Badiou2001
• Kate Green2002
• Clare Mauro2003
• April Brousseau2004
• Catherine Cotter2005
• Amy Kaufman2006
• Nadège Arsa2007
• Shannon McSheffrey2008
• George Tsiakos2009
• Catherine Joudrey2010
• Stéphanie Pham-Dang2011
• Sandra Geddes2012
• Sarah Richmond2013
• Veronika Kollbrand2014
• Lynn Marshall2016
• Michelle Terriss2018
• Nancy Li2019
• Carole Aippersbach2020
• Jonathan Bowie2021
• Andria Huculak2022
• Hannah Steeves2023
• Emma Scott2024
• Thomas Gagnon-van Leeuwen2025

Members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit who have been in good standing for a minimum of twelve months are invited to apply for funding from the CALL/ACBD Education Reserve Fund. The Education Reserve Fund will be used to award money to members to further their education in pursuits that do not fit the guidelines of already established scholarships. These could include such activities as library and/or law courses given outside Canada, study leaves and/or sabbaticals, or other educational activities that do not involve structured courses. These activities should be relevant to the applicant's career in law libraries and/or contribute to the development of law libraries or law librarianship. Attendance at the annual conferences of associations such as AALL, BIALL, IALL or CALL is not normally eligible.

Members of CALL/ACBD are encouraged to take advantage of this funding to further their professional education.

A written letter of support accompanying the application is encouraged but not mandatory. Recipients of grants from the Fund shall report back to the Scholarships and Awards Committee in writing, outlining the benefits they received.

Please send application by April 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential. Successful applicants are required to claim allowable approved expenses according to the normal practice of the Association which includes the submission of receipts.

Past recipients

• Louise Tsang1998
• Mona Pearce1998
• Ted Tjaden2000
• Siromi Fernando2000
• Barbara Burrows2000
• Anne Matthewman2003
• Mark Lewis2003
• Karen MacLaurin2004
• Rick Leech2004
• Greg Wurzer2006
• Sonia Poulin2006
• Janine Miller2006
• Rick Leech2006
• Serena Ableson2006
• Caroline Hyslop2008
• Tanya Davis2009
• Mark Lewis2009
• Mary Mitchell2010
• Jacquelyn DeGreeve2010
• Karen Sawatzky2011
• Jennifer Thornhill2011
• Allan Chan2011
• David Michels2011
• Julia Miller2012
• Brenda Lauritzen2012
• Kim Clarke2013
• Linda Aiken2014
• Veronika Kollbrand2016
• Natalie Wing2016
• Louise Cooke2018
• Hannah Steeves2018
• Julie Wettstein2020
• Karen Sawatzky2023
• Kirsten Wurmann2023
• Sarah Sutherland2025

Members of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries/Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit are invited to apply for funding through the James D. Lang Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship is designed to support attendance at a continuing education program, be it a workshop, certificate program or other similar activity deemed appropriate by the CALL/ACBD Scholarships and Awards Committee. Support for attendance at annual conferences normally does not fall within the terms of reference for this scholarship.

This scholarship fund was established in memory of James D. Lang, a long time employee of Carswell and member of CALL/ACBD. Thomson Reuters has donated the money for this scholarship fund, and the Scholarships and Awards Committee would like to honour Jim's memory by awarding this scholarship to a CALL/ACBD member. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity to further your professional education.

Members of CALL/ACBD who have been in good standing for a minimum of twelve months are invited to apply for funding through the James D. Lang Memorial Scholarship.

Applications will be considered twice a year; the deadlines are: February 1 and August 1.

Applications are due February 1 and August 1.

Applications received to date will be reviewed on February 1 and August 1 of each year. The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and not subject to appeal. Successful applicants are required to claim allowable approved expenses according to the normal practice of the Association which includes the submission of receipts.

Past recipients

• Shawn Whatley1999/2000
• Louise Tsang1999/2000
• Jane Taylor1999/2000
• Joan Rataic-Lang1999/2000
• Barbara Burrows2000/2001
• Rick Leech2001/2002
• John Eaton2001/2002
• Susan Crysler2001/2002
• Sonia Poulin2002/2003
• Nancy McCormack2002/2003
• Mark Lewis2002/2003
• Jennifer Bettger2002/2003
• Jane Parkinson2003/2004
• Yoko Beriault2003/2004
• Phyllis Thornton2004/2005
• Lynda Roberts2004/2005
• Beth Millard2004/2005
• Michael Lines2004/2005
• Brenda Carbone2004/2005
• Sarah Leyenaar2005/2006
• Beth Millard2006/2007
• Mary Hemmings2006/2007
• Martha Foote2006/2007
• Louise Berman2006/2007
• Cecilia Tellis2007
• Annette Demers2007
• Sharon Wang2008
• Tim Knight2008
• Sandra Wilkins2009
• Mary Mitchell2010
• Leslie Taylor2010
• Ian McDonald2010
• Jennifer Adams2010
• Tim Knight2011
• Allan Chan2011
• Tom French2011
• Wendy Reynolds2011
• Shabira Tamachi2011
• Susannah Tredwell2012
• Amy Kaufman2012
• Liana Giovando2012
• Catherine Cotter2013
• Jennifer Adams2013
• Susannah Tredwell2013
• Katie Thomas2014
• Bronwyn Guiton2014
• Mary-Jo Mustoe2014
• Jennifer Adams2014
• Amy Kaufman2015
• Natalie Wing2015
• Leah Strudwick2016
• Ilana Newman2018
• Helen Mok2018
• Yemisi Dina2018
• Stef Alexandru2018
• Amy Kaufman2019
• Carolyne Alsop2019
• Rebecca Tomlinson2021
• Hannah Rosborough2023
• Eve Leung2024
• Erin Clupp2024
• Karen Norman2024
• Jane Klementti2026

The purpose of the Fellowship is to provide funding annually for one CALL member to attend the Law via the Internet Conference, an initiative of the Legal Information Institutes worldwide that constitute the Free Access to Law Movement. Expenses up to a maximum of $2,500 will be covered.

Guidelines

• All members of CALL/ACBD who have been in good standing for a minimum of twelve months are eligible to apply for the Fellowship.
• The applicant's résumé, letter of application, and at least two letters of reference will form the basis of selection. In their letter of application, applicants should outline how attendance at the conference will benefit them in their current position and/or in their career as a law librarian.
• The successful applicant will write a report of the conference for publication in the Canadian Law Library Review.

Please send application by August 1.

The deliberations of the Scholarships and Awards Committee shall be confidential and not subject to appeal. Successful applicants are required to claim allowable approved expenses according to the normal practice of the Association which includes the submission of receipts.

Past recipients

• Yemisi Dina2012
• Rosalie Fox2013
• Holly James2017
• Margo Jeske2018
• Kim Nayyer2025
• Emily Landriault2026