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John S. Fitzpatrick, QC Named Weldon Award Winner

Posted by School of Law on July 25, 2014 in Alumni & Friends, News, Awards

 

The 2014 Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service will be presented to John S. Fitzpatrick, QC, LL.B '84

The Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University will present its 31st Weldon Award for Unselfish on Friday, October 17, 2014. This year the award will be presented to veteran Halifax lawyer John S. Fitzpatrick, QC of BoyneClarke.

Fitzpatrick has been a committed volunteer for a myriad of community and professional organizations. He has been an enthusiastic  fundraiser for Alzheimer’s Society of Nova Scotia, Apple Tree Landing Children’s Centre (Canning), Autism Nova Scotia and the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. He has also served for many years on the Board of Directors of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Kings County. He is currently a board member of the World Wildlife Fund, Canada, Atlantic Council.

His alma mater, Saint Mary’s University, has always been close to his heart. He is the longest serving board member having volunteered for over 18 years. He is the chair of the Board of Governors, the Executive Committee, the Advisory Committee to the President on Labour Relations, the Presidential Search Committee and has served as the chair of the university’s finance, human resource and government corporate affairs community.

Fitzpatrick has been active in politics for more than 20 years. He was the area chair for federal and provincial leadership campaigns and has served as past president and executive member of provincial and federal riding associations.

Fitzpatrick has also been an advocate for literacy causes: “I have a strong belief in the need to address the devastating impact of inadequate literacy skills on individuals, communities and our economy,” he says. He has made a significant contribution to the Peter Gzowski Invitational Tournaments for Literacy. While he was chair, these tournaments were hugely successful, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to help literacy programs. For ten years, he served on the Board of Directors and the Executive of ABC Literacy Foundation (now ABC Life Literacy) in Toronto – a national charity that supports the development of a fully literate Canadian population.

“Volunteering over the past number of years has given me a great sense of accomplishment,” says Fitzpatrick. “I believe lawyers and the skills they offer are welcomed by many different organizations and charities. There are countless lawyers in Nova Scotia who are dedicated volunteers and who contribute greatly to the community.”

About the Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service

The Weldon Award for Unselfish Public Service, sponsored by the Dalhousie Law Alumni Association, was established in 1983 to serve as a tribute to the ideals of the Law School’s first dean, Richard Chapman Weldon. The award will be presented by Dean Kim Brooks at Schulich School of Law Annual Alumni Dinner in October 2014.