Outstanding Women Lawyers Honoured With Bar Awards

VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - March 13, 2015) - The Women Lawyers Forum (WLF) of the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch (CBABC) announced the recipients of their awards today honouring two outstanding women lawyers.

The Women Lawyers Forum Award of Excellence and the Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award are bestowed every two years. "The list of candidates nominated for these awards is incredibly impressive. The decision to select only two women to receive these prestigious awards is very difficult, yet a rewarding challenge that the WLF is proud of," stated Deborah Taylor, chair of the CBABC Women Lawyers Forum. "The opportunity to showcase the amazing work these women have done in their areas of practice, for women and for all lawyers in BC is truly inspiring," continued Taylor.

The two BC women recognized are as follows:

BC WLF Award of Excellence

The Award celebrates the accomplishments of a woman who has succeeded in breaking new ground for women in the legal profession in British Columbia. The Award recognizes an exceptional woman who has taken risks, fostered change and ultimately opened doors for women lawyers. In this award we are not only celebrating the woman's distinguished career achievements, but her outstanding contributions to women in the legal profession as a change agent, leader and mentor.

The 2015 recipient of the WLF Award of Excellence is the Honourable Judge Patricia L. Janzen, Provincial Court of British Columbia.

Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award

This award honours the memory and accomplishments of Debra Van Ginkel, QC, an extraordinary woman and member of the legal profession. Debra sincerely believed that all people, women lawyers especially, need a mentor to support and encourage them in their profession and their lives. The CBABC WLF Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award seeks to keep her vision alive by recognizing in other mentors the qualities and commitment she demonstrated throughout her life and her legal career.

The 2015 recipient of the Debra Van Ginkel, QC Mentoring Award is Carla Forth, QC, Guild Yule LLP.

Alex Shorten, president of the CBABC, also commented, "On behalf of the 6700 members in BC, we are proud of the extraordinary women who practice law in this province led by the two women selected to receive awards this year.  They are both great examples of lawyers raising the bar even higher, both for mentorship and overall excellence for all lawyers."

The two award recipients will be recognized at the 2015 WLF Awards Luncheon on April 23^rd at a special presentation held at the Hyatt Regency in Vancouver.  The bi-annual event will also feature guest speaker the Right Honourable Kim Campbell.  Details regarding event registration can be found at here.

The Canadian Bar Association is the professional organization representing more than 38,000 lawyers, judges and law students in Canada, including 6,700 members in British Columbia.