Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award
Legal Aid Ontario created the Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award to honour exceptional individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to helping low-income people, and have given their time and expertise towards ensuring access to justice in Ontario.
Previously presented as a single award, LAO now honours four individuals each year for their exceptional impact at different stages of careers dedicated to access to justice and legal aid work.
The award categories are:
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Student Award – Recognizes post-secondary students who demonstrate exceptional promise in advancing access to justice and legal aid services. Eligible nominees include students currently enrolled in a post-secondary program in Ontario, including but not limited to law school, university programs and college programs.
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Rising Leader Award – Recognizes professionals in the early stage of their careers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to access to justice and legal aid services. Eligible nominees include individuals in the first 10 years of their careers.
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Changemaker Award – Recognizes professionals who are driving innovation and systemic change in access to justice and legal aid services. This award is open to individuals at any career stage whose work has tangibly addressed barriers to justice or reimagined how legal aid and justice services are delivered.
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Lifetime Achievement Award – Recognizes individuals whose careers reflect a sustained, distinguished dedication to advancing access to justice and legal aid services in Ontario. This award honours career-spanning contributions that serve as an inspiring example of unwavering commitment to low-income Ontarians.
Nominees may be lawyers, paralegals, LAO service providers (including staff of community legal clinics, student legal services organizations and Indigenous legal services organizations), academics, post-secondary students, policy professionals, and other professionals.
LAO announces winners of expanded Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Awards
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) is proud to announce the recipients of this year’s Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Awards.
Established more than 20 years ago, these awards honour individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to advancing access to justice for low-income Ontarians. This year marks a major expansion to four categories: Student Award, Rising Leader Award, Changemaker Award, and Lifetime Achievement Award.
LAO is excited to celebrate this year’s outstanding recipients. Their work, spanning career stages, regions, and areas of practice, reflects the very best of the legal aid community.
- Lifetime Achievement Award — Richard Pharand, KC
- Changemaker Award — Sandra Ka Hon Chu
- Rising Leader Award — Douglas Varrette
- Student Award — Jamie Holmes
From a student shaping new approaches to Indigenous legal services to a lawyer who has devoted nearly six decades to his community, this year’s recipients demonstrate the many ways individuals can champion access to justice. LAO congratulates each of them and thanks their nominators for bringing forward their extraordinary contributions.
The award
Legal Aid Ontario created the Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award to honour exceptional individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to helping low-income people, and have given their time and expertise towards ensuring access to justice in Ontario.
The award is named in honour of Justice Sidney B. Linden, Legal Aid Ontario’s first chair of the board of directors. Justice Linden has been involved with legal aid for over 37 years, and his distinguished professional career has been characterized by a genuine commitment to issues concerning access to justice.
Past Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award recipients
Since its inception, the Sidney B. Linden Access to Justice Award has been presented to 22 deserving recipients:
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2025 winners