Held November 8th, 2016, at the historic and luxurious Fairmont Palliser hotel in downtown Calgary, the Enbridge Famou5 Speaker Series event, in which Pipella Law partakes as one of the sponsors, saw Madam Justice of the Alberta Court of Appeal, Sheilah Martin, address a delighted audience about the current and potential future state of women in the Canadian legal profession. Pipella Law is proud to sponsor such an inspirational event that honours today’s female trailblazers.
The Famous 5 Foundation
The goal of The Famous 5 Foundation (or Famou5) is to celebrate women’s successes and inspire them to become Nation Builders in the legacy of the Famous Five—the five courageous and idealistic Canadian women who fought to legally enshrine the rights of Canadian women to vote, own property, and be treated as equal members of society.
Established on October 18th, 1996, (the 67th anniversary of the precedent-setting “Persons” case that ruled Canadian women were eligible to sit in the Senate), and fully incorporated as a non-profit charity in 1997, the Famous 5 Foundation aims not only to celebrate the spirit of the original Famous Five, but also to inspire and empower future generations of leaders.
The Famou5 Speaker Series sees a number of successful women from all walks of life—from media personalities and politicians to brilliant entrepreneurs—discuss their personal challenges and triumphs, their place in society, their ethical responsibilities, and the consequences of their actions.
Madam Justice Sheilah Martin
Madam Justice Martin’s passion for the law extends back decades. After earning a Doctorate of Juridical Sciences from the University of Toronto, Justice Martin worked for 10 years as a professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Calgary—a tenure she capped off with an additional 4 years serving as Dean. Justice Martin’s time as an educator focused on Advanced Constitutional Law, Legal Theory, Equality and the Charter, Torts and Loss Compensation, Evidence, and Ethics.
In June of 2016, Justice Martin was appointed to the Alberta Court of Appeal.
Justice Martin has received a plethora of accolades; the Distinguished Service Award for Legal Scholarship, the Law Society of Alberta’s Certificate of Merit, and the YWCA’s Advancement of Women Award—just to name a few.
In addition to her many awards, Justice Martin has traveled the world participating in judicial education seminars, sat as a board member or chair on multiple legal/community-based organizations, and has authored a great number of publications.
Justice Martin’s unwavering focus on advancing the role of women in Canada’s courts, (and her tireless devotion to the legal system that unites Canadian society), made her an easy choice for Famou5 Speaker—Pipella Law is overjoyed to have been a part of the event.