As my grandfather says, ‘lawyers wither alone but thrive together’

Here is the speech Stephen Aylward delivered in accepting the Emerging Excellence Award at the Toronto Lawyers Association 2022 Gala.

It’s a pleasure to be here surrounded by friends and colleagues once again after two years of isolation and social distancing.

Hobnobbing is one of my favourite parts of being a lawyer and so the last couple of years have felt like a bit of a rip-off.

The practice of law just isn’t as fun without colleagues to learn from, argue with, and gossip about.

As my grandfather used to say, “lawyers wither alone but together we thrive.”

I’m reminded of how energizing it is to be surrounded by the passion, the intellect, and the curiosity of those in the profession.

Community is one of the three pillars of the TLA and it is great to be building that community together here tonight.

And as we build that community, it’s encouraging to see the profession making room for those from different backgrounds and with different experiences.

Since I was a boy, I wanted to be a lawyer like my grandfather and my father. But the path wasn’t always easy.

In 2016, I suffered complications from cataract surgery that left me functionally blind. The biggest setback was that I lost the ability to read printed text. As a young lawyer, that was a very scary thing.

Fortunately, my community was there for me. Family, friends, and colleagues helped me get through this dark time. With new technology, new attitudes, and new tricks, I learned at first to get by and then gradually to regain my confidence, learning ot compensate for weaknesses in some areas with strengths in others.

For me, this award marks an important step in that journey. It’s a sign that there is room in the legal profession for lawyers like me to thrive.

I would like to thank the TLA selection committee for honouring me with this award,

I would like to thank my professional home, Stockwoods, for teaching me about false intensifiers; Paul, Luisa and Brian for supporting my pro bono projects, even when they turned into never-ending legal battles through multiple levels of court.

I would also like to thank my family for their love and generosity, without which I would not be standing here.

Justice Cromwell used to say to me that the practice of law is a pie-eating competition where the prize is more pie. I look forward to seeing what flavour is coming next. Thank you.