The Hamilton Law Association 

The Hamilton Law Association’s (HLA) affairs are governed by trustees and officers who ensure that Association undertakings are within the mandate and in the best interests of our legal community. The many valued volunteers who are members of the numerous committees within the structure of the HLA strive to represent our membership consistently and effectively. The Anthony Pepe Memorial Law Library, operated within the scope of the HLA, is one of the largest law libraries in Ontario and houses over 30,000 volumes.

The Hamilton Law Association continues to strive to educate and support its membership in the practice of law as well as to advocate for their interests as lawyers.

The staff of The Hamilton Law Association Library cannot provide legal advice or research to members of the public directly. The HLA Library is a private library for the use of its members, and members of the Law Society of Ontario only. For information on finding legal help in Ontario please try the Bora Laskin Law Library's Guide to Finding Legal Help in Ontario, or to search for a lawyer practising in the Hamilton area try the HLA Find a Lawyer page.

This site is not intended to provide legal advice. It is intended to supply general information to our members. The information contained and distributed on this site does not contain any legal opinions and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of The Hamilton Law Association.

HLA By-Laws

• By-law-1-2023

HLA Policies

• Accessibility Standards Policy  (November 2018)
• Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination Policy (May 2011)
• Anti-Workplace Violence Policy (June 2011)
• Bencher Election Policy (January 2019)
• Privacy Policy (January 2005)

Past Presidents

1879-1888	A. Emilius Irving	1984-1985	J. Douglas Thoman
1888-1904	Edward Martin	1985-1986	R. John Harper
1904-1906	Francis Mackelcan	1986-1987	James R. Turnbull
1906-1916	Stephen F. Lazier	1987-1988	W. Ian Gordon
1916-1920	William Bell	1988-1989	Dermot P. Nolan
1920-1939	Thomas C. Haslett	1989-1990	Harrison S. Arrell
1939-1940	Hon. George Lynch-Staunton	1990-1991	David E. Ivey
1940-1942	James Chisholm	1991-1992	James A. Scarfone
1942-1943	D'Arcy Martin	1992-1993	George Czutrin
1943-1945	Stanley R. Jefferess	1993-1994	David J. Sherman
1945-1946	William Hazell	1994-1995	Jane A. Milanetti
1947-1948	C. W. Reid Bowlby	1995-1996	Robert S. Whitmore
1949-1950	J. A. Soule	1996-1997	Daniel J. Rosenkrantz
1951-1952	E. G. Binkley	1997-1998	Randall S. Bocock
1953	J. R. Marshall	1998-1999	Lawrence R. Bremner
1954-1955	H. S. Robinson	1999-2000	Kendra M. Coats
1956	W. K. Lees	2000-2001	Lynda J. Rogers
1957-1958	R. F. Inch	2001-2002	Helen Pelton
1959-1960	A. J. Polson	2002-2003	Paul S. Dixon
1961-1962	Argue Martin	2003-2004	Sandra R. Stephenson
1963-1964	W. G. Welby	2004-2005	Joseph J. Sullivan
1965	W. E. Griffin	2005-2006	Allen J. Wynperle
1966	F. J. L. Evans	2006-2007	Liza Sheard
1967	H. F. Lazier	2007-2008	Andrew J. Spurgeon
1968	William Schreiber	2008-2009	Philip J. Clay
1969	E. D. Hickey	2009-2010	David A. Elliot
1970	J. G. Langs	2010-2011	Michael Winward
1971	M. J. Moriarity	2011-2012	Michael Bruder
1972	F. S. Weatherston	2012-2013	Michelle Stark
1973	David Goldberg	2013-2014	David W. Howell
1974	G. W. Howell	2014-2015	John O. Krawchenko
1975	Morris J. Perozak	2015-2016	Kirsten Hughes
1976	John F. Evans	2016-2017	Michael Bordin
1977-1978	Herman Turkstra	2017-2018	Robert J. Hooper
1978-1979	W. J. Litwiller	2018-2019	W Patric Mackesy
1979-1980	William Morris	2019-2020	Mark Giavedoni
1980-1981	Martin Luxton	2020-2021	Kanata Cowan
1981-1982	Nicholas J. Zaffiro	2021-2022	Andrew Confente
1982-1983	John J. Lawlor	2022-2023	David van der Woerd
1983-1984	Anthony M. J. Pepe	2023-2024	Hussein Hamdani

HLA Awards

Distinguished Solicitor Award

To honour a solicitor member of The Hamilton Law Association who has distinguished himself/herself throughout his/her career by exemplary service to our Association, to our profession, and/or to our community.  Past winners of this award include:

• 2009 - Lawrence R. Bremner
• 2014 - Paul S. Dixon
• 2016 - Albert I. Foreman
• 2018- Michael J. McHugh
• 2023- David A. Elliot
  

Edward Orzel Award

To honour a member of the Hamilton Law Association for excellence in trial advocacy for a single outstanding trial effort or for a career in trial advocacy in any area of law.  Past winners of this award include:

• 2006 - Michael Baker
• 2007 - David F. Smye, Q.C.
• 2008 - Dean D. Paquette
• 2009 - Francis A. DeSantis
• 2010 - Jeffrey R. Manishen
• 2011 - John F. Evans, Q.C., LSM
• 2013 - Brent Bentham
• 2016 - Helen Pelton
• 2018 - Dermot Nolan
• 2020 - Kirsten Hughes
• 2024 - James Scarfone 

AEmilius Irving Award

To honour a member of the Hamilton Law Association who has made an outstanding contribution towards furthering the goals of the Hamilton Law Association through participation in Association activities, service to the legal community, contributions to academia, Continuing Professional Development, or contributions to the community generally.  Past winners of this award include:

• 1987 - Jay W. State
• 1989 - John L. Agro, Q.C.
• 1989 - James R. Turnbull
• 1994 - John F. Evans, Q.C.
• 1995 - Mary Lou Dingle, Q.C.
• 1997 - Bertram H. Leggat., Q.C.
• 2000 - Dermot P. Nolan
• 2002 - Harrison S. Arrell
• 2004 - Roger D. Yachetti, Q.C.
• 2006 - William Morris, Q.C.
• 2009 - Sandra R. Stephenson
• 2011 - Gerald A. Swaye, Q.C.
• 2013 - Joseph J. Sullivan
• 2017 - Michael J. Winward
• 2019 - John O. Krawchenko
• 2022 - Robert Hooper

Patricia Wallace Award

To honour a lawyer who practices primarily family law in the Hamilton area and whose community service and professional conduct best exemplifies the qualities we all admired in Justice Wallace.  Past winners of this award include:

• 2006 - William J. Tidball
• 2007 - Caroline Brown
• 2009 - Salvatore Garcea
• 2011 - Catherine Cassidy
• 2013 - David Sherman
• 2015 - Gordon Morton
• 2017 - Gloria Nardi-Bell
• 2019 - Joel Kerr
• 2021 - Virginia Mendes da Costa
• 2023 - Jamie Mountford