This honour highlights the remarkable achievements of young leaders who are making a significant impact in their fields and their communities. Their success is a testament to the strength, creativity, and service-minded spirit fostered at the Faculty of Law (Common Law Section).
Andrée-Anne Martel, LLB ’11, is a passionate advocate for the Franco-Ontarian community whose career has been defined by leadership, service and a commitment to social justice. She views the honour not as an individual achievement, but as a reflection of the many people and organizations that have shaped her journey.
“It reflects the work of a group,” she says. “I’m the one who’s received the award, but the recognition is for all of us.”
Since graduating from the French Common Law Program in 2011, Martel has dedicated her career to advancing access to French-language services. She began at the Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Ontario (AJEFO), where she worked to strengthen access to justice in French. Today, as Executive Director at the Centre des services communautaires Vanier, she supports access to justice, employment, settlement and family services for Francophones and newcomers.
“The cause I care the most about is definitely the Francophonie,” she says. “I’m really lucky to work in a world where I can further the Francophone cause in many areas.”
Her community involvement extends beyond her professional roles. Over the years, she has served on several boards and committees, including the Montfort Hospital Board of Directors and the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee. She currently sits on the board of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA), the national voice of Francophone communities across the country.
The French Common Law Program was particularly formative, she says, deepening her understanding of language rights and connecting her to the Francophone organizations that would launch her career. It remains the foundation of her lifelong commitment to Francophone communities throughout Canada.
Andrée-Anne credits much of her passion for advocacy to her time at uOttawa.
“They were the best years of my life,” she recalls. She loved the academic challenge of law school, the opportunity to learn from exceptional professors and the lifelong friendships she formed with classmates, many of whom remain close friends today. For Martel, uOttawa is a family tradition—her parents, sister and partner are all alumni.
Frances Shapiro Munn, JD ’11, LLL ’12, has spent her entire legal career at Nelligan Law, crediting much of her success to the people around her.
Reflecting on her recent Forty Under 40 recognition, Frances says, “I feel like I’ve been so lucky to have had nothing but great mentors and excellent support. I truly feel like I wouldn’t have received that award but for the amazing support I’ve had at Nelligan.”
She practices personal injury, insurance law, estates litigation and professional liability litigation. Her experience representing both individuals and insurers gives her a unique advantage in supporting her clients, and she’s not afraid to take on challenging and novel cases.
Before pursuing private practice, she was drawn to law by a passion for human rights and refugee advocacy. Shapiro chose uOttawa Law because of its reputation for human rights and its holistic approach to legal education. Early in her career, she was involved in efforts to support Syrian refugees resettling in Canada—an experience she describes as deeply meaningful and a reminder of the privilege of being able to give back.
As an alumna, she remains closely connected to the Faculty through her involvement with the first-year Nelligan Moot. Looking back, she regrets not participating as a student herself, which has only strengthened her commitment to making the experience available to others. “I think every student should take the opportunity to do it,” she says. “The moot is so different from anything else you get to do in first year. It gives students a chance to experience what litigation is actually like.”
What she values most is the opportunity to connect with students at the beginning of their legal journeys. “It’s so amazing to get to connect with first-year students and to see all the passion and excitement for the journey they have before them,” she says. Through mentorship, she continues to invest in the next generation of legal professionals, helping students and colleagues build confidence, embrace new challenges, and discover where their own paths in the law may lead.