The Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (“FACL”) is pleased to accept applications to the Omatsu FACL Scholarship. The Omatsu FACL Scholarship was established to honour Justice Maryka Omatsu, Canada’s first East Asian woman judge. Before her appointment to the bench, Justice Omatsu practised law in Toronto for 16 years. She worked for all levels of government and taught in China, Japan and Toronto. She was Chair of the Ontario Human Rights Appeals’ Tribunal and a LSUC referee. During the 1980s, Justice Omatsu was a member of the National Association of Japanese Canadians’ negotiation team and helped win Redress for her community for the WWII violations. In 1992, her book, Bittersweet Passage: Redress and the Japanese Canadian Experience, won several prizes and was published in Japan. In February 1993, Justice Omatsu was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice. She has presided in Toronto’s criminal courts, co-chaired the National Judge’s Association Equality and Diversity Committee, and co-edited a manual on Section 15 of the Charter. She retired from the bench in 2012. Justice Omatsu has received FACL’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee Medal and numerous other awards and honours. Justice Omatsu is one of FACL’s founders.
Up to two awards in the amount of $1,000 each will be awarded in 2015 to a law student or students based on the following considerations:
- Leadership & Community Involvement
- Law Student Vision
- Academics
- Financial Need
- Personal Statement
The successful applicant must also meet all of the following criteria:
- Self-identifies as of Asian descent (East Asian, Southeast Asian, or South Asian)
- Has demonstrated some past, current, and/or future involvement in promoting social justice
- Has appropriate status in Canada (either citizen or permanent resident)
- Is a student at a law school (pursuing a JD/LLB) in Ontario, Alberta, Quebec, British Columbia, or the Maritimes
- Is a member of FACL
Please complete the attached 2015 Application Form and submit by email, along with your CV, university and law school transcripts, to students@facl.ca no later than July 17, 2015.