Hyndman Award

The Vancouver Bar Association is pleased to announce that the Peter S. Hyndman Mentorship Award will once again be awarded at the Annual General Meeting (VBA AGM) on November 21, 2023.

The Peter S. Hyndman Mentorship Award is conferred annually in recognition of a lawyer who has distinguished themselves as an outstanding mentor. Peter was an exemplary mentor who made extraordinary efforts to pass on his legal skills, wisdom, ethical insights, good judgment, idealism, and commitment to decorum and civility to those who had the good fortune to work with him.

Candidates must be British Columbia lawyers, retired lawyers or former lawyers now appointed to the bench. They must also be in attendance at the VBA AGM on November 21, 2023 to receive the award.

The VBA encourages nominations that represent candidates from all areas of practice, experience, and circumstances; from all sizes of firms throughout all of British Columbia. Importantly, prominence within the legal community is not a prerequisite for candidacy. Indeed, sometimes excellent mentors enjoy a lower profile precisely because of the private character of mentorship and its time demands, which may reduce opportunities for enhancing their own public profile. The overriding objective of the Peter S. Hyndman Award is to recognize those who dedicate great effort to bringing young lawyers along in the practice of law and celebrate their indispensable contribution to the legal community.

To make a nomination, kindly draft a letter of not more than 500 words outlining the reasons why you consider your nominee a fit and proper candidate for the award. The nomination must be endorsed by five additional letters of support, not more than 250 words each, and drafted by current or former members of the Law Society of British Columbia. Submit the six letters in one email to the 2023 VBA Past President, Jason Newton, at jnewton@guildyule.com by October 15, 2023.

Past recipients of the award include Karen L.M. Carteri , Gaynor Yeung, William S. Berardino, K.C., Richard C. Peck, K.C., Leonard T. Doust, K.C., Leon Getz, K.C., Robert G. Ward, K.C., Bruce R. Grist, Donald W. Yule K.C., Tom Roper K.C., Jan Lindsay K.C., Nazeer T. Mitha and Tom Braidwood Q.C.