Academic Prizes & Awards
Exceptional students may be recognized in one of the following award categories. We thank our community for their generous benefaction in establishing these academic awards and prizes.
The Burgoyne Award of Excellence
The newly established Burgoyne Award of Excellence is our largest and most distinguished awards program, to be awarded to JD students across all three years.
The first awardees will be named in 2024/2025.
Academic achievement awards
- Aird & Berlis Prize for Overall Academic Excellence in First Year awarded to the two first year students standing first and second in their year after the first-year examinations.
- Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Prizes for Academic Excellence in first year awarded to three students who, in the opinion of the faculty, have demonstrated academic excellence
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Awards for Academic Excellence in first year awarded to five students obtaining honours in the annual examinations
- Langford Rowell Prize for ranking first in first year awarded to the student who ranks highest with honours at the annual examinations
- McCarthy, Tétrault Prizes for Academic Excellence in first year awarded to two students, who, in the opinion of the teaching faculty, merit special recognition for academic achievement
- McMillan LLP Prize for Academic Excellence in first year awarded to a first year student who has demonstrated academic excellence after completing the first-year annual examinations and demonstrated leadership in extra-curricular activities.
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP Prize for ranking first in second year to be awarded to the student ranking first in second year
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP Prizes for academic achievement in second year for ranking first and second in second year
- McCarthy, Tétrault Prizes for academic achievement in second year to be awarded to two students in second year who, in the opinion of the teaching faculty, merit special recognition for academic achievement.
- The Norton Rose Group Award for academic achievement in second year to be awarded to a student in second year on the basis of academic excellence, as well as a demonstrated commitment to teamwork, as evidenced by his/her interactions with faculty and fellow students.
- Justice Michael J. Moldaver Prize for standing first in third year to be awarded to the student standing first in third year.
- Class of 1967 Prize* for ranking second in third year
- Class of 1967 Prize* for ranking third in third year
Gallant Ho Prize* awarded to the graduating student who obtains the highest cumulative average over three years.
*Awarded at Convocation
Academic achievement in areas of law
Awards by subject area.
- Goodmans Prize in Administrative Law to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in Administrative Law.
- McRuer Scholarship in Administrative Law to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in Administrative Law.
A. Alan Borovoy Prize in Civil Liberties to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in Civil Liberties.
Honourable Jerry S. Grafstein, K.C. Prize in Communications Law to be awarded annually to the student or students attaining the highest place(s) in Communications Law.
Laskin Prizes in Constitutional Law awarded to students taking the highest places in Constitutional Law.
Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP Prizes awarded to the students taking first, second and third place standing in contracts in first year.
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Prizes in Business Organizations to be awarded to up to three students taking the highest places in Business Organizations.
- Edward J Kowal '65 Prize for achievement in commercial law courses to be awarded to two or more students in second or third year taking the highest places in commercial law subjects.
- Rocco Marcello Prize in Securities Law to be awarded annually to an outstanding student in a course or courses in the area of securities law.
- Lionel H. Schipper, Q.C. Prize for achievement in the Advanced Business Law Seminar to be awarded to the student taking the highest place in the Advanced Business Law Seminar.
- Professor Alan A. Mewett, Q.C. Prize in Criminal Law to be awarded to the student or students in the graduating class with an outstanding record in the field of criminal law.
- Michael John Eccles Prize in Criminal Law awarded to one student achieving the best results in criminal law.
Justice Michael J. Moldaver Prize in Criminal Procedure to be awarded to the student standing first in Criminal Procedure.
Gerald Flaherty Prize in Entertainment and/or Communications Law to be awarded to a student with a demonstrated interest in the area of entertainment and/or communications law, on the basis of academic excellence and financial need.
Warren Lefton Prize in Estate Planning to be awarded to two students taking the highest places in Tax and Estate Planning.
- Leonard Feigman, Q.C. Prize in Evidence to be awarded to the student or students taking the highest place(s) in Evidence Law.
- Genest Murray Prize in Evidence to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in Evidence.
Fay Keen Prize to be awarded to two students taking the highest places in Family Law.
The Judy LaMarsh Prize in Feminist Analysis of Law to be awarded to a student in second or third year for outstanding accomplishment in the area of feminist analysis of law.
Samuel and Clara Shime Prize for achievement in Law and Medicine to be awarded annually by the Faculty to a student for outstanding accomplishment in the field of law and medicine.
John Yaremko Award in Human Rights to be awarded to an outstanding student in any year who, in the opinion of the faculty, merits special recognition for academic achievement in the area of human rights.
Louis Linden Prize in Immigration Law to be awarded annually to a student attaining first class honours in Immigration Law.
Bereskin & Parr Prize in courses concerned with intellectual property to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in a course or courses concerned with intellectual property.
Macdonald Prize in Public International Law to be awarded annually to the student(s) considered by the Faculty to be outstanding in the field of Public International Law (International Law I)
Nancy Park Book Prize in International Women's Rights to be awarded to the top student or students taking the highest place(s) in International Women's Rights Law.
Norman Levy Prize in Jurisprudence to be awarded to the student(s) taking the highest place(s) in courses in jurisprudence.
- Jeffrey W. Egner Prize in Labour Law Awarded to a student who merits special recognition for excellence in the field of labour law with preference given to a student who has volunteered with the AIW clinic.
- Jacob Finkelman Prize in Labour Law Awarded to the students taking the highest places in Labour Law.
- Alexander C. Pathy Q.C. Prize in Labour Relations Law to be awarded annually to the student in the graduating class with the most outstanding record in the field of labour relations law.
- J.F.W. "Ted" Weatherill Prize in Labour Arbitration to be awarded annually to the most outstanding student in labour arbitration.
- Warren K. Winkler Prize in Labour Law to be awarded annually to an outstanding student in a course or courses in the area of labour law.
Osgoode Society Legal History Book Prize to be awarded to a student who, in the opinion of the Faculty, merits special recognition for work in legal history.
John Atkinson Prize for achievement in litigation to be awarded to the student who, in the opinion of the faculty, merit special recognition for achievement in litigation courses including Evidence, Trial Advocacy, Criminal Procedure and Practice of Criminal Law.
- Craig Carter Prize for Excellence in Real Estate Law to be awarded to an upper year student of the Law School that shows demonstrated outstanding interest and leadership in real estate law through academic excellence in upper year courses or seminars in real estate law.
- Orey Fidani Prize in Real Estate Law to be awarded annually to an outstanding student in a course or courses in the area of real estate law.
- Margaret Grimshaw Prize in Real Estate to be awarded annually to an outstanding student in a course or courses concerned with real estate.
- Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP Prizes in Taxation to be awarded to up to three students taking the highest places in Taxation.
- Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Prize in Corporate Taxation to be awarded to the student taking the highest place in corporate taxation.
- Thorsteinssons Prize for achievement in taxation awarded to a graduating student for outstanding accomplishment in the area of taxation.
Overall academic achievement
Awarded to graduating students.
Angus MacMurchy Gold Medal to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the highest cumulative average while at law school.
W.P.M. Kennedy Silver Medal to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the second highest cumulative average while at law school.
James B. Milner Bronze Medal for graduating with the third highest cumulative average while at law school to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the third highest cumulative average while at law school.
Overall academic achievement in a combined program
Awarded to graduating students.
Gerald W. Schwartz Gold Medal for the highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program.
Gerald W. Schwartz Silver Medal for the second highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the second highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program.
Gerald W. Schwartz Bronze Medal for the third highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program to be awarded to the student in the graduating year with the third highest cumulative average over four years in the JD/MBA program.
Academic prizes for legal writing
Prizes awarded based on nominations from faculty. With the exception of the Private Law Prize, there is no application process.
The James Jefferson Prize in Health Law was established in 1992 by the members of the Class of 1985 in memory of their classmate James Jefferson who died of AIDS on November 26, 1991. Awarded annually to a student who, in the opinion of the Faculty, merits special recognition for producing a paper of publishable quality in the field of health law. The field of health law shall be broadly defined as including medical jurisprudence; public health law; aspects of social welfare law and family law that relate to access to medical care and related social assistance; and aspects of environmental law that relate to the promotion and protection of the health of individuals and/or society.
Patricia Julia Myhal Scholarship in legal writing to be awarded annually to one or more second or third year students for excellence in legal writing. Pat Myhal (Class of '72) was the first woman to become a corporate lawyer at Tory, Tory, DesLauriers & Binnington. She was a community leader and a strong advocate of the right to die.
U of T Law is unique in the breadth and depth of its coverage of private legal relations from diverse theoretical perspectives. The Private Law Writing Prize (application required) is a $250 honorarium for the best student paper on a topic in private law. The competition is open to our current JD students. To be eligible for consideration, the paper must be written during the current academic year in conjunction with a course or directed research project at the Faculty of Law. Students should include a brief abstract along with the paper. Papers must not exceed 30 pages (double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font).
Lily Rubenstein Prize for an outstanding paper on fundamental freedoms to be awarded in the discretion of the Faculty to a student who writes an outstanding paper on the protection of fundamental freedoms, or a fundamental freedom, under Section 2 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Only students who are awarded an Honours or High Distinction grade on the paper are eligible for this prize.
The Nathan Strauss Q.C., Essay Prize in Legal Ethics is awarded annually to a full-time student in our JD or graduate program who produces an essay of exceptional merit on any issue relating to legal ethics and/or professional conduct. The prize of $1,000 was established by Lilly Offenbach Strauss to honour the memory of her late husband Nathan Strauss Q.C., a Life Bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada and a distinguished member of the Ontario Bar, whose name was synonymous with integrity and exemplary professional conduct among fellow lawyers and generations of clients. The Essay Prize aims to promote student interest in legal ethics and to stimulate debate about conduct proper to the practice of law as an honourable profession and a force for the good in the community at large.
Michael J. Trebilcock Prize in Law and Economics is a $1,000 prize for the best student paper applying economic analysis of law to a legal topic. To be eligible for consideration, the paper must be written during the current academic year in conjunction with a course, clinic, graduate degree or directed research project. The prize is open to our current JD, LLM and SJD students. Generally, the prize is awarded in May each year.
Achievement in mooting
Awarded to a graduating student.
The Stephanie Fleur Couzin Medal in Mooting is awarded annually to a student who has demonstrated outstanding performance in the mooting program and a strong commitment as both a participant and coach. The endowment that supports the Medal was established in memory of Stephanie Fleur Couzin (Class of 2009) through the generous support of her family, the firm of Lenczner Slaght and many friends and colleagues. Stephanie was an outstanding mooter and competed in the Grand Moot while in law school.
Convocation awards
Additional prizes selected by the Dean and graduating class.
Dean's Cecil A. Wright Key is presented to student(s) who have displayed the greatest interest in extra-curricular work of an academic nature.
John Willis & Gina Caldarelli Memorial Prize for School Spirit is named in honour of Prof. John Willis (1949 to 1972) and in memory of Gina Caldarelli (LLB 1997), the student choice award recognizes a JD student who has made substantial and meaningful contributions to the law school and demonstrated interest in the well-being of their classmates (graduating class choice).
The Valedictorian is chosen by the graduating class as the student who best exemplifies law school leadership and spirit.
The Hail & Farewell speech is given by a professor chosen by the graduating class to “send them off” with a few words (graduating class choice).
Alan Mewett Award for Excellence in Teaching is given to one professor who exhibits excellence in teaching, as selected by the graduating class.
Staff Appreciation Award is presented to a staff member who has shown extraordinary commitment to assisting students (graduating class choice).
Leadership awards
Co- and extra-curricular contributions.
The Faculty of Law Dean's Student Leadership Awards aims to spotlight the remarkable contributions of our first- and second-year students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership qualities and have significantly enriched our law school community.
The Dean’s Leadership Award seeks to honor individuals who have consistently exhibited outstanding leadership traits, displayed a steadfast commitment to enhancing our law school environment, and actively engaged with their peers.
Nominations are solicited from faculty, staff, and fellow students. We encourage you to consider students who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in various areas, including:- Student Organizations: Recognizing individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in managing student organizations, fostering engagement, and orchestrating events that enhance the law school experience.
- Community Service: Honoring students who have actively participated in community service endeavors, generously devoting their time, skills, and resources to benefit society.
- Academic Excellence: Acknowledging individuals who have excelled academically while also assuming leadership roles within our law school community.
- Mentorship and Support: Recognizing students who have gone above and beyond in supporting their peers, extending guidance, mentorship, and assistance in academic and personal matters.
- Advocacy and Social Justice: Commending individuals who have been champions of social justice causes, demonstrated a fervent commitment to advocacy, and worked tirelessly to foster inclusivity and diversity within our law school community.
The University of Toronto Student Leadership Award continues U of T’s long-standing tradition of recognizing outstanding student leadership, volunteer service, and commitment to the university. During the award’s 25-year history, it celebrated the exemplary contributions of more than 4,000 students whose commitment and volunteerism had a lasting impact on their peers and the university.
This award recognizes students in their final year of study, with a minimum cumulative GPA (CGPA) of 2.70.
Don’t miss out!
Visit U of T’s Awards Explorer database to search for additional awards provided to U of T students.