David Estrin awarded Law Society Medal

16 March 2016

Last week, the Law Society of Upper Canada announced that David Estrin, counsel in Gowling WLG’s Toronto office, is one of 14 members of Ontario’s legal community who will be recognized for their outstanding career achievements and community contributions. Estrin will be presented with the Law Society Medal at an awards ceremony at Osgoode Hall on May 25, 2016.

“This is a tremendous and well-deserved honour for David,” said Peter Lukasiewicz, CEO of Gowling WLG Canada. “Through his work as a lawyer, author, mentor and educator, David has been at the forefront of environmental law for over 40 years, and he continues to be a true pioneer in the field.”

Considered one of the “founding fathers” of Canadian environmental law, David Estrin is among the country’s most experienced and most respected environmental law specialists. As counsel to government agencies, corporations, institutions and First Nations groups, he has established leading court and tribunal precedents in the areas of environmental, land use planning, resources and Aboriginal law. He has lectured widely at law faculties and environmental studies, and is the author of Business Guide to Environmental Law (Carswell), Canada’s authoritative text on environmental law, the co-author of Environment on Trial: a Citizen’s Guide to Ontario Environmental Law, as well as the founding editor of the Canadian Environmental Law Reports.

Estrin provides leadership on climate change justice and human rights both as a full-time senior research fellow with the Centre for International Governance Innovation and in his volunteer role as a senior officer of the International Bar Association. He was a founder and first general counsel of the Canadian Environmental Law Association clinic, and recently co-founded Osgoode Hall Law School’s Environmental Justice and Sustainability Law Clinical Program, of which he is also co-academic director (part-time).

In 2006, the Canadian Bar Association established the David Estrin Prize, awarded annually for best scholarly essay in environmental, energy or resources law by a Canadian law student to honour his achievements.

ABOUT GOWLING WLG

Gowling WLG is a new international law firm created by the combination of Gowlings, a leading Canadian law firm, and Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co (WLG), a leading U.K.-based international law firm.

With more than 1,500 legal professionals in 18 cities worldwide, we provide our clients with in-depth expertise in key global sectors and a suite of legal services at home and abroad. We see the world through our clients’ eyes, and collaborate across countries, offices, service areas and sectors to help them succeed, no matter how challenging the circumstances.