For Immediate Release
August 11, 2006
ST. JOHN’S, NFLD. – Pamela R. Kovacs, an associate at the Regina firm of McKercher McKercher & Whitmore LLP, has been selected as the winner of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA) 2006 Young Lawyers Pro Bono Service Award for outstanding legal services benefiting the community.
“Pamela’s work on both the local and provincial levels demonstrates the power of one person to make things happen,” said Sébastien Guénette, Chair of the Young Lawyers-CBA. “She’s out there on the front lines helping people directly, and is involved in trying to improve access to justice not only for residents of Saskatchewan, but for all Canadians.”
In 2005, shortly after moving to Regina to begin her articles at McKercher McKercher & Whitmore, Kovacs helped to establish the Regina Free Legal Clinic, which provides legal assistance to individuals who don’t qualify for legal aid, but can’t afford a lawyer. The clinic built on existing low-cost clinic models and Kovacs recruited lawyers to donate their services, established policy, organized the setup, and assumed the ongoing job of administering the clinic, to which she devotes countless hours of her own time.
Following the successful launch of the Regina clinic, Kovacs used the model to spearhead the creation of a similar clinic in Prince Albert. She continues to work towards establishing other clinics in the province.
In 2005, she became the chair of the Pro Bono Committee for the Saskatchewan Branch of the CBA, where she recruits lawyers to provide free services and works to raise the profile of pro bono initiatives. Her commitment to public service nationally can be seen through her involvement with CBA’s National Pro Bono Committee.
“Pamela’s accomplishments are especially impressive, given that she’s only 27 years old,” said Guénette. “She developed a successful model for these clinics, and then took it forward. It’s rare to find a combination of vision and dedication like the one she’s demonstrated.”
Kovacs received her LL.B. from the University of Saskatchewan in 2005. While a student at the U of S, she served as co-director of the Saskatchewan branch of Pro Bono Students Canada. As co-director, she helped co-ordinate the Saskatoon Free Legal Clinic, as well as implement policy for the organization.
Kovacs has been working as an associate at McKercher McKercher & Whitmore since May.
The CBA Young Lawyers Pro Bono Award recognizes outstanding pro bono publico (“for the public good”) legal services to the community by a Canadian lawyer who is younger than 40 years old or who has been in practice for fewer than 10 years. It takes the form of a $1,500 cash prize.
The award will be presented at the Closing Lunch, hosted by the Young Lawyers, on Tuesday, Aug. 15 in the St. John’s Convention Centre, Marconi Hall, St. John’s, Nfld., as part of the 2006 Canadian Legal Conference, Aug. 13-15. The event is open to accredited media who have registered with the CBA Media Centre.
The Canadian Bar Association is dedicated to improvement in the law and the administration of justice. Some 36,000 lawyers, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Aug. 11-15, Delta St. John’s Hotel and Convention Centre, St. Mary’s Room, (709) 726-7594; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
