TORONTO—Lawyer Dianne Corbiere’s career has been highly successful. An elected bencher (part of the Law Society governing body overseeing the legal profession in Ontario) she is a managing partner of Nahwegahbow Corbiere, one of the first Anishinaabe-owned and operated law firms in Ontario. She is the former president and board member of the Indigenous Bar Association, and Ms. Corbiere, of M’Chigeeng First Nation, was recently honoured with the prestigious Law Society Medal.
Each year, the Law Society of Ontario awards the medal to selected lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the profession. The award is given “for outstanding service within the profession, whether in the area of practice, in the academic sphere, or in some other professional capacity where the service is in accordance with the highest ideals of the legal profession. It may be awarded for devotion to professional duties over a long term or for a single outstanding act of service.”
Ms. Corbiere was called to the Bar in 1998 and in her 29 years at Nahwegahbow Corbiere, she has continually championed the advancement of legal and social justice for First Nations Peoples in Canada. She was instrumental in the evolution of case law and, most recently, she has been involved in Restoule v Canada at the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. Ms. Corbiere is also part of the class counsel team representing the Assembly of First Nations in Assembly of First Nations et al. v Canada. Both cases have achieved historic Canadian compensation awards for the First Nation clients.
Ms. Corbiere served as an elected bencher of the Law Society of Ontario from 2015 to 2023, during a period when the legal profession was being called upon to respond with substance to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. Over the course of her career, Ms. Corbiere has been instrumental in educating, informing and shaping policy to ensure the Law Society and the legal community at large is responsive and accountable to the country’s Indigenous reconciliation work.
Originally struck in 1985, the Law Society Medal has been awarded to more than 100 lawyers in recognition of distinguished service. The Medal is made of sterling silver and is in the shape of a heraldic rose; the petals covered in white enamel. The white rose of York was chosen because it forms part of the Law Society’s coat of arms; it symbolizes the fact that the Law Society’s seat was in York County, and that Toronto was called York at the time when Osgoode Hall was created in 1829.
The Law Society’s motto, “Let Right Prevail,” appears in a red enamel circle in the centre of the rose, surrounded by a stag. The stag came originally from the coat of arms of Sir John Beverly Robinson, an early Treasurer. A beaver was also included as it appears in the Law Society’s coat of arms.
Recipients of the medal are permitted to wear it on appropriate occasions and can also use the designation LSM (short for Law Society Medal) after their names.
