Up-and-coming lawyers to be recognized with the Douglas Miller Rising Star Award

  • October 23, 2019

Every profession needs to nurture its next generation of leaders and the Douglas Miller Rising Star Award, to be given out for the first time in 2020, will recognize an up-and-coming lawyer who is realizing their potential.

Nominations are due by Friday, November 8, 2019. Applications are reviewed by the CBA Award Selection Panel and a recommendation will be made to the CBA’s Governance and Equality Committee.

The award is named in honor of Douglas Miller of Yellowknife, an active CBA member who participated enthusiastically in association activities, enjoying both the work and the people involved. It was first presented in 1996 to a CBA member who demonstrates outstanding dedication and team spirit in his or her ongoing involvement with the association.

As part of the CBA’s review of its awards programs and in consultation with the family of the late Douglas Miller, the award name has been revised and the criteria has been reoriented to recognize an individual in the early stages of his or her career.

The new nomination criteria set out to reward those who already demonstrate characteristics of leadership to the profession. Nominees must be under 40 years of age and/or within their first ten years of call to the bar—and be CBA members in good standing. In selecting a winner, the candidates are assessed on how they exhibit:

  • professional excellence;
  • service to the profession; and
  • outstanding dedication and team spirit in his or her ongoing involvement with the CBA.

The award—a framed photograph of the sculpture entitled "Crane" carved from Muskox horn by Northwest Territories artist Rex Goose—will be presented at the President's Dinner on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 in Ottawa.

For more information, contact: Rachelle Watson, Project Manager, rachellew@cba.org.