The J. Shirley Denison Award
In April 2015, Convocation approved the establishment of an award in honour of former Treasurer John Shirley Denison, to be bestowed annually in recognition of significant contributions to access to justice and/or poverty issues.
Both paralegal and lawyer licensees of The Law Society of Ontario are eligible for this award, established to honour Denison’s commitment to helping others.
For more information on the J. Shirley Denison Award, please see the Heritage Committee Report to April 2015 Convocation.
2024 recipient
Trudy McCormick
Called to the Bar in 1987, Trudy McCormick has served as the Northwest Community Legal Clinic's (NCLC) executive director since its founding in 2009.
The clinic’s journey and the lives it has touched have been inextricably shaped by Trudy’s tireless efforts to provide high-quality services to her community and her commitment to addressing the unique legal needs of low-income people in rural Northwestern Ontario.
Trudy’s leadership has left an indelible mark on the Ontario community legal clinic system. Trudy was instrumental in establishing the Association of Community Legal Clinics of Ontario as a force for advocacy on behalf of clinics and the low-income clients they serve. She has routinely led engagement and negotiation efforts with provincial officials and Legal Aid Ontario to ensure that the needs of clinics are understood and reflected in funding and policy decisions.
Under Trudy’s direction, the NCLC mobilizes its resources towards positive social change and advocacy that supports the basic needs of marginalized people, including housing, food security, mental health and social inclusion. These efforts are rooted in a holistic vision – championed by Trudy – that access to justice is reflected in, and codependent on, our capacity for community health, safety and wellness.
Past recipients
Tami Moscoe, 2023
Professor François Larocque, 2022
Laurie E. Joe, 2021
Mary Birdsell, 2020
Amanda Ross, 2019
Antree C. Demakos, 2018
Grace Alcaide Janicas, 2017
Jenny Vuay Quan, 2016
About John Shirley Denison
Born in Montréal in 1870, Denison attended Upper Canada College in Toronto, and then Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1892 and was made King’s Counsel in 1910, under George V. He was elected a bencher of the Law Society in 1931, and was re-elected in 1936, ‘41 and ‘46. Denison served as chairman of the Legal Education Committee from 1936 until 1944, when he was elected Treasurer. He was made a life bencher in 1946.
Denison practised law in Toronto with Angus MacMurchy, K.C., under the name of MacMurchy & Denison, for more than 40 years. They were solicitors for the Canadian Pacific Railway and jointly produced a number of volumes on railway law. Denison was also on the staff of Osgoode Hall Law School from 1910 to 1925, lecturing on wills, property and conveyancing.
The J. Shirley Denison Fund was established under the terms of the will of John Shirley Denison, KC, who served as Treasurer for three terms from 1944 to 1947. The generous provisions of Mr. Denison’s bequest provided financial support for many lawyers in the years prior to the development of a reliable social security safety net.
From 2000–2014, the Fund paid a total of $432,000 to 134 applicants.
By naming an award in his honour the importance of his legacy will be recognized and celebrated each year as will the activities of recipients in making a significant contribution in the area of access to justice and poverty.