Ontario Bar Association honours Prof. Cossman for advancing women's equality

Prof. Brenda Cossman, LLB 1986, has been awarded the Ontario Bar Association’s Women Lawyers Forum’s Award of Excellence in the Promotion of Women’s Equality. This recognition honours outstanding contributions to social justice advocacy or substantive law scholarship made by feminist lawyers in advancing women’s equality rights in Canadian society. These contributions, exemplifying Charter and human rights values, can be made through the practice of law, in teaching and scholarship, law reform advocacy or community service. 

Cossman is a professor of law and the director of the Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. She co-chaired the first human rights conference at the World Pride event in Toronto last year.

Her teaching and scholarly interests include family law, law and sexuality, and freedom of expression. She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2012, and was awarded the Mundell Medal in 2009 for significant contributions to letters and law.

“This OBA award is a very well-deserved honour for Prof. Cossman,” said Dean Ed Iacobucci, “She has demonstrated an outstanding, sustained commitment to the advancement of women’s equality in Canada. Please join me in congratulating her on this fantastic accomplishment!”