The Canadian Bar Association Nova Scotia Branch was pleased to recognize our valued members and volunteers at this year’s President's Reception on September 8, 2025. The event took place at the BKS Lounge.
Constance R. Glube Spirit Award – Jennifer Taylor
We are pleased to present the Constance R. Glube Spirit Award to Jennifer Taylor. This award, meant to recognize an outstanding CBA spirit and dedication to the advancement of changes in the practice of law for women, finds a very deserving recipient in Jenn. Most notably, Jenn has made amazing strides as a member of the National CBA Women Lawyers Forum Section, first as an officer for 5 years, and now as an honourary member-at-large. Jenn has played a key role in organizing WLF symposiums over the past several years, and was instrumental in starting the WLF Identities Committee, which is engaged in making the WLF a more diverse and supportive community. She is a tireless advocate for reproductive rights in Canada, both within her work at the CBA and externally. Jenn was instrumental in drafting the 2024 WLF resolution requiring the CBA to oppose any efforts to restrict abortion rights and access and commit to working with governments and other stakeholders across Canada. Outside of her commitment to social justice work through the WLF, Jenn finds the time to be an incredible mentor to younger lawyers and law students, at her firm and beyond. Jenn's CBA spirit is well-known among the community of the Nova Scotia branch - it is rare for our branch to host an event where Jenn is not a fixture of the meeting, whether a reception or a PD session on even tangential interests of hers. Congratulations to Jenn on this achievement!
President’s Distinguished Service Award – Kathleen McManus, K.C.
The President's Distinguished Service Award honours and celebrates the exceptional service that a member has made to the Nova Scotia Branch and to the legal professional more broadly, and it is our pleasure to present this award to Kathleen McManus, K.C. Kathleen has had a storied legal career and has dedicated her expertise to working in the public interest. She spent the majority of her career representing the Federal Minister of Justice in the courts of the Atlantic Provinces and, in recent years, has continued this career of public service as a member of the Nova Scotia Regulatory and Appeals Board. Kathleen is dedicated to improving the practice of law, both through enthusiastically teaching Crown Liability at the Schulich School of Law for many years, and in co-founding and co-chairing the Crown Law Symposium. While these commitments alone make Kathleen a leader in our legal community, her years of dedicated service to the CBA, both at the NS Branch and National levels, set her apart. She sat on the Board of the CBA-NS for many years, serving as President in 2023-24 and providing critical leadership at a time when the Branch was coming out of the pandemic. We have Kathleen to thank for establishing the tradition of the President's Reception, born out of her desire to recognize the important work that has been done by the amazing volunteers at our branch. Kathleen was also instrumental in bringing back the Bench & Bar Dinner, which has been a resounding success. Kathleen continues to provide leadership at the CBA, representing Nova Scotia on the National Board of Directors. We could not be more thankful for Kathleen's years of distinguished service, or her ability to approach this work with curiosity, diligence, and humour. Please join us in celebrating Kathleen on this great achievement.
Section Award of Excellence – Family Law Section
This year's Section Award of Excellence is proudly presented to the 2024-25 executive of the Family Law Section, Michelle Axworthy, Sydney Hull, and Jessie Chisholm. It is a great pleasure to recognize this team for their efforts to bring quality programming to their section members, and to build meaningful community in their area of practice. Michelle, as Chair, with the help of Sydney and Jessie as Vice Chair and Secretary respectively, has established a consistent, monthly dinner and lecture series for the Family Law Section. These dinners regularly sell out, meeting – and often exceeding – the capacity of the boardrooms we host them in, providing a regular opportunity for family lawyers to gather and better their practice and connection to one another. This program was built with meaningful engagement from the Supreme Court – Family Division, and features Justices of this Court as speakers, often alongside members of the bar. The sense of collegiality and dedication across the small but connected family bar is remarkable and is owed in large part to the efforts of this section. Through regular PD and networking, it is clear that the family law community in Nova Scotia is invested in bettering their work, improving access to justice, and building strong connections that help serve their clients and the public. The strength of this section's work is a central tenet to the strength of this legal community and exemplifies all that the CBA hopes to achieve with our sections. Thank you, Michelle, Sydney, and Jessie, for your outstanding leadership!
Zoe Odei Young Lawyers Award – Robbie Mason
We are pleased to present Robbie Mason with the Zoe Odei Young Lawyers Award. This award is named for the late Zoe Odei, who was an active CBA member who exemplified distinguished and exceptional service to the Association and our legal community more broadly. We are so pleased to recognize Robbie's remarkable commitment to volunteerism, as well as her strength of character. Robbie's formal involvement with the CBA began in her first year of law school, when she first became eligible for membership. Her place as a champion for our branch, however, stems further back to childhood, when Robbie would accompany her mother to many CBA events, including the first ever meeting of the NS Women Lawyers Forum. Robbie is currently the Chair of the Young Lawyers Section, the Young Lawyers Chair on the CBA-NS Board, a member of the Professional Development Committee, the Young Lawyers Conference Planning Committee, and the Sexual Harassment Working Group. Outside of her extensive work at the CBA, Robbie is involved with STEP Atlantic, having been appointed as the youngest-ever Student Liaison. She has also played a pivotal role in the long-term project to modernize and implement updated bylaws for the Health Services Foundation of the South Shore, a project that the Executive Director of the Foundation notes would simply not have been completed were it not for Robbie's dedication, skill, and willingness to help. Robbie approaches her work as an advocate for her community with patience, good humour, pleasantness, and kindness. She is a natural leader, and we are thankful to have her making an indelible mark on our community. Congratulations, Robbie, on this achievement!
Community Service Award – Level Chan
The Community Service Award is proudly presented to Level Chan, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to community causes within the Nova Scotia legal community. Level has served as Chair on the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society Racial Equity committee for many years. This Committee, meant to support Council in the governance of the Society by monitoring and providing advice about programs that address issues of racism and discrimination in the legal profession, benefits from a fierce advocate and leader in Level. Included among his contributions to the REC are his leadership in guiding the Society's acknowledgement of systemic discrimination in the legal profession and the creation of the Racial Equity Survey Report. Level is also a longtime organizer of the Racial Equity Committee's yearly Honouring Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, and Racialized Clerks' Event, at which he recognizes each Clerk and provides words of encouragement, reinforcing the important role each of them has as future lawyers. Level also sits on the board of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (FACL) as President, representing his service to supporting the personal and professional development of Asian Canadian lawyers, law students, and other legal professionals. FACL has experienced a renaissance under Level's leadership, hosting many notable initiatives, including a mentorship program, group sessions on systemic discrimination in the Nova Scotia legal system, and a first-of-its-kind networking event for law students. To quote one of the nominations for this award: "Level's name is synonymous with FACL Atlantic. He has raised our profile and invested in our sustainability through development of governance structure. I can unequivocally say that we would not be where we are now without him. I am equally confident that if he were to hear me say this, he would immediately deflect with recognition for other members of our community." Level is motivated by his dedication to community and leads with tireless and steadfast action, earning a universal respect in the legal community of Nova Scotia. Please join us in celebrating Level Chan!
J. Michael MacDonald Access to Justice Award – PATH Legal
The J. Michael MacDonald Access to Justice Award is proudly presented to PATH Legal, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to improving access to justice for Nova Scotians who face social, economic, and systemic barriers. PATH, which stands for the People's Advocacy and Transformational Hub, was born out of a vision by Emma Halpern and Mike Dull, KC, colleagues and former law school classmates, who saw the need for a non-traditional legal practice to bridge the gaps in services that are accessible to individuals experiencing financial barriers, or whose cases fall outside of the scope of traditional legal aid. PATH Legal is dedicated to making legal services accessible to underserved communities, actualizing this strong commitment to bridging the gap between vulnerable individuals and their legal rights. They offer pro-and-low-bono services, with an inclusive approach that fosters trust and respect and ensures clients feel heard and understood through the difficult legal process. In short, PATH takes on cases and clients that have nowhere else to turn. In their relatively short time practicing, they have made an outsized difference in the legal landscape, setting legal precedent for the protection of Charter rights of incarcerated people and continuing advocacy for systemic reform in areas such as gender-based and sexualized violence. PATH Legal expands their reach through their supervision of over 15 students per year, which not only benefits the community that they serve, but exposes law students to unexplored areas of the law and instils a dedication to social justice in the future of the legal profession. Their effort to offer an example of how alternative legal careers are achievable expands the horizons of students and ensures that this work is protected and prioritized by lawyers of the future. We are grateful to the outstanding dedication of PATH Legal to access to justice, and pleased to recognize them with this award!