A Windsor law student has won the inaugural $1,000 Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize and chooses to pay into a scholarship fund for Black and Indigenous students with his winnings.
The Royal Society of Canada established the prize to honour the first Jewish woman appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. It’s set to be awarded each year to one student in each of the country’s 23 law schools who is most likely to positively influence equity and social justice.
Tyrone Sequeira is a second-year student in the Dual JD program at the University of Windsor, and the University of Detroit Mercy.
He’s being honoured for taking leadership roles to support marginalized communities. Among his efforts is an initiative to educate children with incarcerated parents or family on visitation and legal processes.
This also comes with the establishment of the student-run Black and Indigenous scholarship fund, which with his award donation, is about halfway to its $10,000 goal.
Dean of Law Reem Bahdi called Sequeira a “shining light.”
“Tyrone’s vision and commitment to access to justice stands out even in a law school whose student body is dedicated to advancing justice,” she said. “I have no doubt that he will make an indelible contribution to the legal profession and society.”