UAlberta Law 3L student Emma Banfield speaks at 28th annual Prizes and Awards Reception
The University of Alberta Faculty of Law recognized award-winning students and generous donors at the 28th annual Prizes and Awards Reception on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
After welcoming remarks from emcee Professor Roderick Wood, Dean Paul Paton was on hand to bring greetings from the Faculty and distribute the awards in front of an audience that included many alumni and practicing lawyers.
Emma Banfield is one of three student award recipients who spoke at the event. She was recognized for her academic achievements and involvement in the community.
Banfield is in her final year at UAlberta Law. Even though she already has a doctorate of music, the mother of two decided a return to school would open doors and allow for the intellectual engagement and community involvement she thrives on.
Banfield said she didn't excel in her first year of law school; like many students, she found her groove after enrolling in courses and extracurricular activities that interested her. Many of the skills she's learned as a violinist - self-discipline, the ability to focus, multitasking - have driven her to success in both academia and the community.
During her time at the Faculty, she's worked with the Indigenous Law Students' Association and the Women's Law Forum. Additionally, she's on the parents' council for her son's preschool where she also helped to start a French club.
"You always have time to do the things that are important to you," said Banfield about managing coursework, community involvement and home life.
Drawing attention away from her own achievements, Banfield spoke about the hard work and accolades of her peers.
"We really believe in justice, we believe in fairness, we believe in the ability to balance the communities that we live in," she said of her colleagues.
Dylan Gibbs is one of those colleagues.
Also a third-year law student who also spoke at the reception, he was recognized for his community involvement.
After an undergraduate degree in computing science, Gibbs returned to school with an "all-in" mindset, a work ethic he said he didn't have during his previous tenure as a student.
This year, Gibbs was involved with the Faculty's strategic planning. He's also on the Alberta Law Review and is co-president of the Law and Business Association.
To stay connected to his technology background, he volunteers with Canada Learning Code - an organization where he can mentor women and youth to learn computer programming.
Gibbs said practicing law comes with a large amount of public trust, so it's important for him to be active in the community and help shape the Faculty and profession for those that come after him.
As someone who was reluctant to get involved during his undergraduate degree, Gibbs said through his new interest in extracurricular activities, he's built connections and met people he'll stay in touch with throughout his career.
"Meeting other people who have the same interests is really important for building your professional network, and I think that has benefited me in law," he said.