Each year, the Law Society of Ontario presents the Law Society Medal to lawyers who have made significant contributions to the profession. This distinction recognizes outstanding service across various areas, including legal practice, academia, or other professional roles aligned with the highest ideals of the legal profession.
Dr. Amy Salyzyn is one of Canada’s leading scholars on legal ethics and the responsible use of technology to enhance access to justice and delivers better legal services – some of the most pressing and complex challenges facing the justice system and the legal profession today. In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the legal profession, she has been awarded the 2026 Law Society Medal.
Dr. Amy Salyzyn is a Faculty member at the Centre for Law, Technology and Society, and an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law, Common Law Section at the University of Ottawa. She recently received the Research Professorship in Technology and Justice Futures and is widely recognized as a leading expert on artificial intelligence and its impact on legal practice, frequently consulted by both the profession and the judiciary.
Dr. Salyzyn serves as Chair of the Canadian Association of Legal Ethics, having previously served as its President and Chief Information Officer and she is the only Canadian member of the Board of the International Association of Legal Ethics. Her service to the profession is truly extraordinary. She has worked with major Canadian legal organization, including the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the Canadian Bar Association and its provincial branches, the Advocates’ Society, the Ontario Bar Association, the Law Society of Ontario and other law societies.
Dr. Salyzyn also works closely with community organizations to improve access to justice. In collaboration with the Ontario Justice Education Network, she helped develop and launch the Apps for Justice Challenge, whichinvites high school students to design technological solutions to access to justice problems. She has also worked with Community Legal Education Ontario and the Law Foundation of Ontario on research aimed at makingcourt forms more accessible through technology.
Congratulations to Dr. Amy Salyzyn!