The Ontario Bar Association congratulates current member and former chair of our Child and Youth Law Section, Mary Birdsell, recipient of the 2018 Guthrie Award. A dedicated and highly respected children’s rights advocate, Mary currently serves as Executive Director of Justice for children, a legal aid clinic that protects and advances the rights of children. This honour recognizes Mary as an exceptional access-to-justice champion.
Among those who supported Mary’s nomination is Cheryl Milne, executive director of the David Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights, who commented, “I have long admired the compassionate approach that Mary has taken to legal practice and her young clients. Her work with everyone, including colleagues, has been marked by kindness and caring – qualities… that humanize and facilitate interactions that bring justice for vulnerable individuals. She is the best of what the legal profession has to offer, particularly for young clients facing difficult life circumstances.”
Read more about the award http://www.lawfoundation.on.ca/news/mary-birdsell-to-receive-guthrie-award/