PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
February 3, 2006
(Toronto, ON) - Graduates of the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law joined Dean Mayo Moran and Clay B. Horner ('83), President of the Law Alumni Association, in a special tribute to the Honourable Mr. Justice John C. Major ('57), who was given the 2006 Distinguished Alumnus Award on Thursday, February 2, 2006 at the Four Seasons Hotel.
The Award recognizes the achievements of the Law Faculty's most illustrious graduates to commemorate their contributions to the law school.
The dinner ceremony also honoured Jennifer Orange ('98), the recipient of the inaugural Ann Wilson and Robert Prichard Award for Community and Professional Service. The award was established to celebrate the achievements and contributions of a recent graduate of the Faculty who demonstrates the highest standards of professional integrity, excellence and leadership, and who has made a significant contribution to the legal profession and/or community through his or her public interest work, pro bono activities and/or community service.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE JOHN C. MAJOR
The Honourable Mr. Justice John C. Major was born in Mattawa, Ontario in 1931. He received his B.Com. from Loyola College (now Concordia University), and his LL.B. from the University of Toronto in 1957. Called to the Alberta Bar in 1958, he went on to practice law with Bennett, Jones, Verchere in Calgary, becoming a senior partner in 1967, and Queen's Counsel (Q.C.) in 1972.
Justice Major had a highly distinguished career in practice. He was Counsel to the Canadian Medical Protective Association (Alberta) from 1971 to 1991 and Senior Counsel to the City of Calgary Police Service from 1975 to 1985. He also served as Counsel to a number of high-profile commissions and inquiries including the McDonald Commission regarding the RCMP, the Estey Commission into the collapse of the CCB and Northland Bank, and Code Inquiry into the collapse of the Principal Group of Companies (representing the province of Alberta). Justice Major was appointed to the Alberta Court of Appeal in July 1991, and became a member of the Supreme Court of Canada in November 1992. He holds honourary degrees from Concordia University (2003), University of Calgary (2005) and the University of Toronto (2005).
BIOGRAPHY OF JENNIFER ORANGE
Currently an Associate at Tory LLP in Toronto, Jennifer Orange practices civil litigation in a variety of areas including corporate/commercial, class actions, administrative, international, trade and constitutional law. She has appeared as counsel in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the Federal Court of Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada and in commercial arbitrations. Jennifer has significant class actions experience. Jennifer is fluent in oral Japanese and proficient in written Japanese. Jennifer participated in the Work in Japan program at the University of Toronto. This included working as a law clerk at the firm of Hamada & Matsumoto in Tokyo for one year, where she assisted the lawyers with their international corporate transactions. During the summer of 2003, Jennifer interned for Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and U.N. High Commission of Human Rights, at her new non-profit organization, The Ethical Globalization Initiative. She received her B.A. (Asian Studies) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1993, her LL.B. from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law in 1998, and she was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2000. Three years later, she received her LL.M. from New York University.
PREVIOUS DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD RECIPIENTS
2002 The Honourable Paul E.P. Martin '64
1998 The Honourable John Sopinka '58 (awarded posthumously)
1996 The Honourable Madam Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella '70
1994 Professor J. Bruce Dunlop (Emeritus) '54
1992 The Honourable Edwin A. Goodman, O.C., Q.C. '40
1990 John J. Robinette, O.C., Q.C. '26
1988 The Honourable Charles L. Dubin '41
1987 Lionel H. Schipper, O.C., Q.C. '56 & James M. Tory, Q.C. '52
1985 The Honourable G. Arthur Martin '35
1982 The Right Honourable Bora Laskin '33
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kathleen O'Brien, Communications Officer, University of Toronto, Faculty of Law, 416.946.8188 or kathleen.obrien@utoronto.ca
