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  • Services
    • Temporary service changes due to COVID-19
    • COVID-19 and the courts: Answers to frequently asked questions
    • Our services
    • Criminal legal issues
    • Domestic Violence
    • Family legal issues
    • Mental health legal issues
    • Refugee and immigration legal issues
    • Legal clinics
    • How to apply
    • Find a lawyer
      • Finding the right legal aid lawyer
    • What do you think about our services?
  • For legal professionals
    • COVID-19: Ongoing list of supports for lawyers
    • LASA 2020 process updates for lawyers
    • Changes to policies and certificate coverage
    • Roster resources
      • Audit & Compliance
      • Billing
      • Case management
      • Forms library
      • Legal Aid Services Act, 2020 policies
      • Legal Aid Online
      • LAO LAW
      • More resources
    • Do legal aid work
    • Mentoring
    • Test case funding
    • News for lawyers
    • B3 Newsletters
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Sidney B. Linden Award

Call for nominations

It’s time to send in your nominations for the Sidney B. Linden Award! The deadline for submission is Friday, February 10, 2023, at 5:00 p.m.

The award is named after Justice Sidney B. Linden, the first chair of Legal Aid Ontario (LAO), who has been involved with legal aid for over 37 years. LAO created the Sidney B. Linden Award to honour exceptional individuals who have demonstrated a longstanding commitment to helping low-income people, and given their time, expertise, and/or service to ensuring access to justice in Ontario.

Who is eligible?

  • Lawyers in the private sector
  • Community legal clinic staff
  • People who work at a Student Legal Service Organization
  • Paralegals
  • Academics
  • LAO staff lawyers and employees
  • Other professionals

Nominate someone!

Please consider nominating someone you know by completing the nomination form and sending it to LAO’s Communications department.

NOTE: At this time, LAO is unable to accept hard copy submissions. All submissions will need to be emailed with .doc or .pdf files. These can be sent to us either as email attachments or as a link to a Google Drive folder. (Dropbox cannot be used).

For more information contact:
Kirsten Vanstone
Executive Assistant
vanstok@lao.on.ca

The award

Sidney B. Linden Award statue

Legal Aid Ontario created the Sidney B. Linden 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.

Since its inception, the Sidney B. Linden Award has been presented to 15 deserving recipients: Lois Cromarty, Danny Morton, Timothy Lutes, Mary Birdsell, Grace Pluchino, Ryan Peck, Bob Richardson, William A. (Bill) Sullivan, Fergus J. (Chip) O’Connor, Peter G. Kirby, Michael Bossin, Barbara Jackman, J. Robert Kellermann, Paul Copeland and the late Dianne Martin.

The award statue

Toronto sculptor Siggy Puchta designed the Sidney B. Linden Award. The statue depicts the concept of access to justice through the upward and open gesture of ‘the lady of justice’ holding the scales of justice while at the same time welcoming those in need of legal aid services. Siggy’s design also captures the spirit of LAO’s logo.

Past Sidney B. Linden Award recipients

  • Lois Cromarty — 2021
  • Danny Morton — 2020
  • Timothy Lutes — 2019
  • Mary Birdsell — 2018
  • Grace Pluchino — 2017
  • Ryan Peck — 2016
  • Bob Richardson — 2015
  • William A. (Bill) Sullivan — 2014
  • Chip O’Connor — 2013
  • Peter G. Kirby — 2012
  • Michael Bossin — 2010
  • Barbara Jackman — 2008
  • J. Robert Kellerman — 2007
  • Paul Copeland — 2006
  • Dianne Martin — 2005


  • This form is feedback only.

Further Reading Pages

Sidney B. Linden Award: Past winners

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