Alumni award winner Kristin Muszynski, Law’05, with Harold Van Winssen, managing partner of Templeman Menninga LLP
Alumni award winner Kristin Muszynski, Law’05, with Harold Van Winssen, managing partner of Templeman Menninga LLP

‘Outstanding Young Alumna’ encourages peers to get involved with alma mater

Dozens of Kingston and Belleville alumni came together at the University Club at Queen’s on July 15 to catch up with each other, get the latest news from Queen’s Law, and applaud one of their own. Kristin Muszynski, Law’05, newly elected Frontenac Law Association President, received the inaugural Dan Soberman Outstanding Young Alumni Award at the event.

“Dan Soberman would have been delighted to have this award named in his honour and doubly proud of Kristin as the first recipient,” said Dean Bill Flanagan as he re-presented the award to Muszynski (the official ceremony for all three alumni awards was held seven weeks earlier in Toronto) in front of a crowd of local alumni.

“I feel so lucky to have been practising in Kingston for nine years,” said Muszynski, a partner with Templeman Menninga LLP, the firm sponsoring the event. After thanking members of the local bar for nominating her, she spoke about her ongoing relationship with Queen’s Law, where she started teaching an advocacy course in 2013 and coached a moot last year. “I have really connected with my students and I believe that has made me a better lawyer.”

Adding to the excitement of the occasion, Dean Flanagan filled the crowd in on the latest happenings at Macdonald Hall:

  • Construction will soon begin on a complete renovation of the Lederman Law Library’s ground floor to create a new dedicated study space for law students; the grand opening is set for October.
  • The David Allgood Professorship in Business Law, one of the school’s most successful fundraising campaigns, launched in April.
  • The Queen’s Law Clinics, which opened in January, marks the first presence of the school in downtown Kingston. Students in the five clinics are learning from each other and making substantial contributions to society.

Engaging with alumni helps students make such contributions. “For those of you in Kingston who are interested in becoming more involved with the law school, there are opportunities to do things such as advising moots,” Muszynski said. “My involvement with Queen’s Law has been so rewarding for me.”

Alumni, learn how to get involved with Queen’s Law.