Emerging Leader Impact Award

Reflecting our commitment to fostering a community of excellence and inspiration, the award honours a remarkable graduate who embodies the esteemed values of the Weldon Tradition, seamlessly merging outstanding professional achievements with a significant commitment to community. These exceptional alumni serve as beacons of inspiration to our students and fellow alumni, illustrating that success transcends personal accomplishments and is fundamentally measured by the positive influence one imparts on the broader community.

Eligibility

The Emerging Leader Impact Award seeks to recognize individuals who not only excel in their professional pursuits but also demonstrate a deep and sustained commitment to making a positive impact on the broader community.

Nominees should demonstrate excellence in some aspect of the legal profession within the first ten years of graduation from the Schulich School of Law in addition to one or more of the following:

• Community Impact: Exhibits a significant and positive impact on the community through dedicated volunteerism and sustained acts of service.

• Commitment to Social Justice: Demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing social justice, equity, and fairness through their professional and volunteer efforts.

• Leadership and Mentorship: Displays leadership and mentorship qualities, inspiring and influencing others to contribute positively to their communities.

• Demonstrated Advocacy: Engages in advocacy for legal and social issues, contributing to positive change and making a meaningful impact.

• Collaboration and Partnership: Collaborates effectively with diverse groups and stakeholders to address societal challenges and promote positive change.

• Inspiration to Others: Serves as an inspiration to current and future students, encouraging them to actively engage in community service and ethical leadership.

Requirements

• The nominee must be graduate of the Schulich School of Law. The nominator does not have to be an alum (new for 2025!)

• The nomination package must contain at least:
  
  
  • One letter of nomination outlining the candidate鈥檚 contributions and/or achievements as defined in the above eligibility requirements 
    
    
  • An outline of the nominee鈥檚 professional achievements (either their CV, their LinkedIn profile, or a biography) 
    
    
  • Note: We encourage and welcome the inclusion of letters of support as part of the nomination package. While not mandatory, these letters provide valuable insights and perspectives that can enhance the overall nomination. Letters of support can be written by individuals other than alumni, allowing for a diverse range of perspectives to contribute to the nomination process.

• Recipients of the Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service, Bertha Wilson Honour Society Inductees and honorary degree recipients from 鲍鱼tv University are eligible for nomination.

• The candidate cannot be nominated posthumously.

• Self-nominations will not be accepted.

• Nominations are considered for one year. To be considered for a subsequent year, the nomination package must be updated and resubmitted.

1. A call for nominations will be sent out via email in February to all law school alumni, posted on the law school鈥檚 website and shared on social media channels.

2. All nominations received by the Alumni Office are forwarded electronically to the Selection Committee for review and then will meet to review each nomination and select one recipient.

3. The Selection Committee will consist of:

• The DLAA PresidentThe DLAA Young Alumni Officer
• a Schulich School of Law faculty member
• a Schulich School of Law graduate from Western Canada (recent graduate within 10 years)
• a Schulich School of Law graduate from Central Canada (recent graduate within 10 years)
• a Schulich School of Law graduate from Eastern Canada (recent graduate within 10 years)
• the Director of Alumni Relations (as a non-voting member)

4. The Selection Committee鈥檚 choice will be forwarded to the Dean for approval. The Dean will then call and congratulate the recipient.

5. A press release will be issued, and the recipient鈥檚 name and photograph will be published on the law school website, shared on social medial channels, announced at the alumni reunion, and featured in Hearsay.

6. Recipients will receive a framed certificate that will be presented during the alumni reunion.

From left: Schulich Law Dean Sarah Harding and Emilie Coyle (Photo by Nick Pearce)

This story originally appeared in the 2024 edition of Hearsay, the Schulich School of Law Alumni Magazine.

The 鲍鱼tv Law Alumni Association (DLAA) Emerging Leader Impact Award was established this year to recognize the exceptional accomplishments of an alum who has graduated from the Schulich School of Law within the past decade.

Reflecting the law school鈥檚 commitment to fostering a community of excellence and inspiration, the new award honours a remarkable graduate who embodies the esteemed values of the Weldon Tradition of unselfish public service, seamlessly merging outstanding professional achievements with a significant commitment to the community.

The inaugural recipient, Emilie Coyle (鈥�14), is described by her former classmates as 鈥渨arm and welcoming, open and non-judgemental, a calm in the turbulent waters of legal education.鈥�

Aaron Dewitt (鈥�14), James Foy (鈥�14), Caitlin Urquhart (鈥�14) and Amanda Whitehead (鈥�14), classmates of Coyle, nominated her. They believe she truly embodies the Weldon Tradition through her commitment to social justice and by living those values through her work, volunteerism and advocacy.

Coming to Schulich Law later in life with years of work experience and a young family, Coyle knew why she was at law school and what she was hoping to gain.

鈥淗er leadership style is welcoming, open, caring and full of compassion,鈥� they share. 鈥淚n class, she was practical and never afraid to challenge conventional wisdom or the status quo, especially when she saw that it did not align with her moral compass or would further oppress or marginalize vulnerable communities.鈥�

Her community building at Schulich Law resulted in her selection as valedictorian in 2014, where she delivered, in her nominators鈥� words, 鈥渁 spoken word masterpiece we will never forget,鈥� 

鈥淐ommunity involvement and community building are at the core of all of the work and volunteerism that I have been involved with over the years,鈥� says Coyle. 鈥淲hat appeals to me about that work is the collective drive to create a world where everyone has what they need, and everyone can find their place.鈥�

After graduating, Coyle articled and worked in private practice in Dartmouth, before moving to Ottawa with her family to join the YMCA-YWCA as senior director of newcomer services. Eventually, she moved on to the role of director of national programs at the Refugee Hub while also teaching refugee law at the University of Ottawa.

In addition to supporting refugees and newcomers, she has been a long-time ally and advocate of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. In her volunteer work, she has supported several Rainbow Refugees, those fleeing persecution due to their sexual orientation or gender expression, and has spoken out against protests at drag story time in her neighbourhood.

鈥淓milie has a great skill for hard conversations, for holding people and institutions accountable with grace and for holding space for conflict and disagreement without ever losing sight of her values,鈥� say her former classmates.

Her passion to give back led her to run for Ottawa City Council in 2018 and while she did not unseat the incumbent candidate, she raised awareness about many issues impacting vulnerable members of her community and inspired and energized new voters and volunteers.

Two years later she was selected as the executive director of , replacing now-Senator Kim Pate (鈥�84). In this role she demonstrated her skills as an advocate with numerous appearances before parliamentary committees, authoring articles in a variety of publications and sitting on many panel discussions on issues such as solitary confinement, bail reform, housing and the overrepresentation of Indigenous women in federal prisons.

鈥淓milie has proven that a law degree is not solely a gateway to the practice of law but can lead to the pursuit of a better world,鈥� say her nominators. 鈥淪he鈥檚 an inspiration to all who come to know her.鈥�

Coyle is grateful to her classmates for the recognition. 鈥淭his award is shared with them and with everyone who leads in their own big or small ways, as this world requires us all to work together.