UCalgary Law announces award winners from Class of 2021

UCalgary Law is pleased to announce the winners of the Class of 2021 Awards.

Campbell McLaurin Achievement Award – Jared Armstrong

This award, representing outstanding achievement by a graduating student, is presented annually to the graduating student who has not only achieved high academic standing, but who has also made a significant contribution to the life of the Law School during the three years of the Bachelor of Laws degree.

Jared was involved with Student Legal Assistance, the Society of Law Students, several sports teams, and faculty committees. Specifically, Jared was a champion for student mental health initiatives in 2020, working with members of SLS to create a new Wellness Club and organizing events to help his fellow classmates, and taking the initiative to create wellness packages for first-year students. As one nominator explained "Anyone who knows Jared would undoubtedly describe him as reliable, enthusiastic, and always willing to lend a helping hand.

Dean Mike Wylie Social Responsibility Award – Dalal Souraya

The Social Responsibility Award honors a graduating student who has made a significant contribution to the understanding or resolution of social or human rights issues while acquiring his/her legal education at the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary.

Dalal served as president of the Society of Law Students in 2020-2021 and was instrumental in creating the new SLS bursary for low-income students. As an aspiring criminal defence lawyer, she has a passion for wrongful convictions and rights of the accused. According to one nominator, "One thing I have always found remarkable about Dalal is the way that she empathizes with others and this empathy bleeds into everything that she has done so far in her legal education and will carry forth into her career."

Grant McKibben Prize – Lisa (Dahlke) Rodriguez

This prize, in honor and memory of a highly popular member of our first graduating class, is presented to “a graduating student who epitomizes the energy and spirit of the Calgary Law School community.”

Throughout her time at UCalgary Law, Lisa has been involved in activities that enhance everyone's experiences, including her volunteer work with Pro Bono Students Canada, the Runnymede Society, and law school events generally. In the nominations, Lisa was described as "...the friendly face you are always happy to see in the hallways. Lisa never hesitates to cheer on her peers. She is active on Twitter and you can see her reaching out to students in all years to lend an ear or promote their latest accomplishment. She is always raising everyone up around her."

William A. McGillivray Gold Medal in Law - Ana Cherniak-Kennedy

Ana Cherniak-Kennedy’s background in business and foreign language studies led her to pursue a Juris Doctor after graduating from the Haskayne School of Business. During law school, she volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada, the Student Ambassadors and the Admissions Committee. Ana won the 2018 Dentons Negotiation Competition and competed in the 2021 Donald G.H. Bowman National Tax Moot. She provided pro-bono assistance to start-ups through the BLG Business Venture Clinic and worked as a summer student in the field of international energy law through the Bill Winters MEGlobal Memorial Internship. Ana is articling at Dentons Canada LLP in Calgary.