Larry and Judy Tanenbaum create $1 million scholarship program for Ryerson law students
Larry Tanenbaum is the chairman and CEO of Kilmer Group and chairman of MLSE.
Current and future students in the Ryerson law school (soon to be named Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University) have a whole lot to be happy about with the news that the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation has made a gift of $1 million in support of the Dale H. Lastman Leadership Scholarships.
The scholarship program is named in honour of Larry Tanenbaum’s friend and colleague Dale Lastman, chair of Goodmans LLP and a director of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE). The Dale H. Lastman scholarships reward excellence and address financial need, recognizing law students for demonstrated leadership in areas such as community service, athletics or academics.
"I am proud to support these scholarships, recognizing and encouraging excellence in Dale’s name,” said Larry Tanenbaum, chairman and CEO of Kilmer Group and chairman of MLSE. “He is a fitting role model for emerging lawyers, and I hope that the Dale H. Lastman Leadership Scholarships bring his contributions to corporate law, teaching and philanthropic giving to the attention of our future lawyers.”
The scholarship program is named in honour of Dale Lastman, chair of Goodmans LLP and a director of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE).
Responding to news of the honour, Lastman said, “I am incredibly flattered and humbled. I'm very proud of what Ryerson law is doing to transform legal education, and am excited to help share that impact more broadly with the next generation of lawyers.”
The donation from the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation is the largest single gift to date to the law school which opened in September of 2020, and a significant contribution to Ryerson’s ability to fulfil its vision as a place that will increase access to justice.
"We are so appreciative of the generosity expressed by the Tanenbaum family – this gift will help our students thrive in law school and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to expand the reach of justice and innovate the legal profession itself,” said Donna E. Young, founding dean of Ryerson Law. “Milestone gifts such as this are helping chart a path for the kind of impact that Ryerson Law expects to achieve in building a more just society.”
Scholarship will support outstanding student achievements
Nicholas Chai-Tang is one of this year’s scholarship recipients. Photo by Janick Laurent
Launching with awards for six students, the renewable scholarships will then be offered to three new students every year in perpetuity. This year’s recipients are Michelle Kosarnia, Alison Hansen, Arshad Auckbarallee, Shreeya Devnani, Manuela Jimenez Bueno and Nicholas Chai-Tang.
For Chai-Tang, who is also president of the Ryerson Law Students' Society (RLSS), “receiving this scholarship has been an honour, and has given me extra motivation to always strive to be a better leader in the Ryerson Law community and beyond. This year has been equal parts challenging and rewarding, and I am grateful to the Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation for their support and validation – I will not let you down!”
The Larry and Judy Tanenbaum Family Foundation gift is the second gift to Ryerson law inspired by Mr. Lastman. Last year, Nadir and Shabin Mohamed – Ryerson Board of Governors and Ryerson Image Centre Advisory members respectively – established a scholarship in his name for students with disabilities.
On April 7, Ryerson announced that the Faculty of Law will be renamed the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University. The renaming will be made official at an inaugural year-end celebration (external link) , which will take place virtually on May 6, 2021.