We are delighted to share that U of T Law graduates Melissa Kluger (LLB 2001) and Yola Ventresca (LLM 2007) have received a 2025 Law Society of Ontario award.
Kluger has received a Law Society Medal. The award is given for outstanding service within the profession, whether in the area of practice, in the academic sphere, or in some other professional capacity where the service is in accordance with the highest ideals of the legal profession.
Ventresca has received the Laura Legge Award, recognizing women lawyers from Ontario who have exemplified leadership within the profession. The award was established in 2007 in honour of the late Laura Legge, OOnt, QC, the first woman ever elected as a bencher of the Law Society and the first woman to serve as Treasurer.
Ventresca and Kluger, along with Professor Jim Phillips, will be honoured at the Law Society Awards on May 28, 2025.
LSO Citation:
Melissa Kluger: Called to the Bar in 2002, Melissa has made a unique and long-lasting contribution to the legal profession.
Melissa left a traditional legal career behind to start a media company, Law and Style Media Inc., and its flagship publication, Precedent Magazine. For nearly 20 years she has been using the platform she built to foster community, highlight the diversity of the Bar and push for change where change is much needed. She has combined her knowledge of law and journalism to target previously underserved members of the legal community, from law students to new lawyers to lawyers of diverse backgrounds.
Her work has provided the profession with something new and refreshing – a stylish publication that celebrates lawyers of all backgrounds. Melissa has always prioritized high-quality investigative journalism on topics like mental health, access to justice, addiction, diversity and reconciliation.
Under Melissa’s leadership, Precedent has received several prestigious journalism awards including Gold in the Best Magazine category at the National Magazine Awards (B2B) — the highest honor in Canadian trade journalism. She has filled a journalistic void in Ontario's legal world and has done so with professionalism and integrity.
Yola Ventresca: A first-generation Canadian of Lebanese descent called to the Bar in 2006, Yola is a visionary leader dedicated to breaking down systemic barriers in the legal profession and creating a more equitable, diverse and inclusive practice.
At Lerners LLP, Yola maintains a thriving litigation practice focused on labour, employment, education and health law. She is also a certified workplace investigator. Her legal expertise has earned her numerous external awards and accolades.
Elected an equity partner at Lerners in 2015, Yola made history in 2022 when she became managing partner of the firm's founding office in London, Ontario — the first racialized woman, first woman with young children and youngest person ever appointed to this role.
Yola champions mentorship, challenging traditional approaches to professional development for junior lawyers, especially women in law. She speaks to diverse audiences and dedicates her time and expertise to various charitable and advocacy causes.
Her commitment to dismantling systemic discrimination extends through her service in leadership positions. A career-long member of The Advocates' Society, she has held various roles including chair of the (now) Mid-Career Advocates' Standing Committee. She serves on the Dean's Advisory Council at Western Law, where she has also been an adjunct professor.
In 2024, Yola was appointed to the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) National Board. She also serves on the board of governors of her alma mater, Huron University College at Western University and actively partners with community organizations to mentor female-identifying high school students.
Her leadership and advocacy have earned her numerous recognitions, including being named a Gowling WLG Female Trailblazer awardee (Canadian Lawyer Magazine, 2022 & 2023). She was also honored by her local Member of Parliament as a distinctive Londoner, primarily for her efforts to retain women in private practice.
Through her professional excellence, groundbreaking leadership, and unwavering commitment to diversity and inclusion, Yola exemplifies the transformative impact one individual can have on the legal profession and broader community.
