For Immediate Release
August 13, 2007
CALGARY - Donald J. Manderscheid, Q.C., senior legal counsel with the City of Edmonton, has been awarded the Canadian Bar Association's (CBA) 2007 CBA John Tait Award of Excellence as an outstanding Canadian public sector lawyer.
Manderscheid, 57, has worked for the City of Edmonton since 1981, occupying positions of increasing responsibility. He has been the lawyer responsible for a number of civic projects, and has maintained his involvement with the CBA while giving back to the legal community by mentoring and acting as the principal for several lawyers during their articles of clerkship.
"Don's selfless devotion to bettering the lives of Edmonton residents and what he's been able to accomplish are examples that a career in the public sector can be fulfilling and rewarding," said J. Parker MacCarthy, Q.C., President of the CBA. "Edmonton wouldn't be the city it is today without him."
Manderscheid's involvement with civic projects hasn't been limited to any one area, but all have had impact on Edmonton residents. On the national and international stage, Manderscheid worked on agreements bringing numerous events to Edmonton, such as the 2001 World Championships in Athletics, the 2001 International Triathalon Union World Championships, the 2004 Juno Awards and the 2005 World IMGA Masters Games.
He has also been extensively involved with the city's sports franchises, including working on agreements with the former Edmonton Trappers baseball team, the Canadian Football League's Edmonton Eskimos on the 1997 and 2002 Grey Cups, and the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers. Most recently, Manderscheid was instrumental in the deal that saw the Edmonton Cracker Cats of the Northern League of Professional Baseball start play in 2005.
From the unique perspective of both a city lawyer and a user of the service, Manderscheid, who is quadriplegic, also co-led the City of Edmonton's review of its Disabled Adult Transit System in 2002. As a result, his implementation of certain recommendations on this service has been enriched.
In addition to carrying on a busy legal practice with the City of Edmonton, Manderscheid has authored 21 legal Articles, as well as a Master of Laws thesis. These writings have greatly benefited the legal community by providing a valuable source of information on a number of relevant legal topics.
Manderscheid was also instrumental in a number of administrative reforms, including the drafting of Edmonton's City Administration Bylaw, incorporating major delegations to the city manager under the "natural person" powers of a municipality. Edmonton was one of the first municipalities to deal with these powers under the revised Alberta Municipal Government Act. Manderscheid was also instrumental in incorporating alternate dispute resolution processes into city construction contracts, and development and leasing agreements.
Manderscheid received his bachelor of arts from the University of Alberta in 1975, his bachelor of laws in 1979, and his masters in law in 1983. He was called to the Alberta bar in 1980.
The John Tait Award of Excellence is presented by the CBA's Public Sector Lawyers Forum during the Canadian Legal Conference in Calgary as part of the John Tait Reception, on Monday Aug. 13 in the Glen 201 room at the Telus Convention Centre.
The award was established in 1998 to honour, recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of public sector lawyers in Canada. The award honours the memory of John Tait, an outstanding lawyer, public servant and friend of the CBA who passed away in the summer of 1999. The reception is open to accredited journalists 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 37,000 lawyers, law teachers, and law students from across Canada are members.
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CONTACT: Hannah Bernstein, Canadian Bar Association, Aug. 10-14,Telus Convention Centre, Glen 208 Room, 403-218-7856; E-mail: hannahb@cba.org.
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