Judith Huddart coaches our Walsh Family Law Negotiation Competition. Judith is a founding member and Past Chair of Collaborative Practice Toronto, and past President of the Ontario Collaborative Law Federation, now The Ontario Association of Collaborative Professionals (OACP), representing Ontario's 19 Collaborative Practice Groups. During her 39-years of practice Judith took extensive training to be able to offer her family law clients safe no-court options where they could be heard and empowered during the separation process. She continues her work in consensual dispute resolution as Executive Director of the OACP and Executive Director of Collaborative Professionals of Canada.
Judith is a past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association's National Family Law Section. Leading family law lawyers from every province and territory in Canada sit on this Section's Executive. The federal government consults the National Family Law Section on the implementation of proposed changes to the Divorce Act, child support guidelines, custody and access, spousal support and marriage.
In 2003 the Ontario Bar Association presented Judith with its Award for Distinguished Service in recognition of her years of leadership and service in the Association. As Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s 10 National Forums, Judith sat on the CBA’s Board of Directors. She is also a past Chair of the Association’s Women Lawyers Forum. She has served as Chair of the Ontario Bar Association's Family Law Section and Feminist Legal Analysis Section and has devoted thousands of volunteer hours to Bar Association Committees and Continuing Legal Education programs.
Judith was honoured to receive the Ontario Collaborative Law Federation's 2010 James Macdonald Award for her contribution to the development of Collaborative Practice in Ontario. The Women's Law Association of Ontario, President's Award was presented to Judith in June, 2013 to recognize her outstanding service within the profession and leadership roles in advancing the position of women and women lawyers in Ontario. In 2021 the Law Society of Ontario presented Judith with the Law Society Medal in recognition of her work in family law.
