The County of Carleton Law Association (CCLA) has awarded Ottawa-based associate Reem Zaia with the 2023 Regional Senior Justice Award.
The Regional Senior Justice Award recognizes one individual each year for making an "outstanding contribution as a litigator or as a solicitor within the profession through their excellence as a professional, as well as outside the profession by making an outstanding contribution to the community." Individuals who have practised for 10 years or less are eligible for this award.
Since joining Gowling WLG in 2018, Reem has made her mark in the areas of professional liability and regulation, administrative law and white-collar crime. She also maintains an active academic and advisory practice on a broad range of issues related to privacy and government affairs.
As one of the emerging pillars in the greater Ottawa legal community, Reem co-founded an "Extremism in Canada" course for the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law. Additionally, she recently served as the Director of Policy and Legal Affairs to Canada's Minister of Public Safety, the Honourable Marco Mendicino, where she directed policy development for all major public safety files on a national scale.
"The Regional Senior Justice Award highlights Reem's tremendous commitment to the legal field as a litigator, trusted advisor, educator and scholar," said Wayne Warren, managing partner of Gowling WLG's Ottawa office. "We are incredibly proud of her accomplishments, and are confident that she will continue to make an outstanding contribution to our profession and our community."
"It has been the honour of my career to serve as a member of the local bar and to be in the company of past recipients whose exemplary contributions have left an indelible impression on our profession," said Reem. "I am indebted to the Gowling WLG family for their unwavering support of entrepreneurialism and bold advocacy."