Each year, recognizes students whose achievements have shaped both academic and student life through the Dean’s Gold Key Awards.
These honours celebrate academic excellence as well as the leadership, service and initiative that contribute to the school.
Presented to graduating students who have made an outstanding contribution during their time at Osgoode, the 10 juris doctor students selected from dozens of nominations for the 2026 Dean’s Gold Key Awards have enriched the academic journey and advanced student experience through community building, governance, advocacy and extracurricular leadership.
“One of Osgoode’s greatest strengths is our community. The Dean’s Gold Key Awards recognize students whose leadership, service and academic excellence have strengthened the Osgoode experience,” says Dean Trevor Farrow. “These graduates have set a standard for what it means to contribute meaningfully to a law school and to the profession. We are proud to celebrate their achievements and the leadership they will carry forward as Osgoode alumni.”
Ebun Akomolafe
Akomolafe has demonstrated exceptional leadership, integrity and a sustained impact on mooting, student governance and peer mentorship. An internationally accomplished mooter, she has earned top oralist honours and helped advance Osgoode teams at the highest levels while also strengthening the institution through structural reform, serving as the inaugural ethics officer of the Osgoode Mooting Society and later redesigning training programs to improve access, fairness and support for junior competitors.
She has been a steady leader in student governance and a deeply committed mentor, providing extensive one-on-one support during recruitment and transitions, often without recognition. She is noted for her principled judgment, even-handed leadership and quiet dedication.
Avery Cameron
Cameron is noted for exceptional leadership and a lasting impact on student mooting and mentorship. As president of the Osgoode Mooting Society, she expanded access to oral advocacy, guiding dozens of students and helped deliver some of the school’s most successful mooting years, including revitalizing Lerner’s Cup and sustaining Baby Gale and Cassels Cup when organizers or sponsors withdrew.
She devoted extensive time to coaching, brought senior judges to campus, and led the creation of a more ethical, student-centred mooting culture through new conduct and accountability frameworks. Nominators credit her with leaving Osgoode’s oral advocacy community stronger, more inclusive and better positioned for future generations.
Allessia Chiappetta
Nominated for sustained leadership and lasting contributions to student life, Chiappetta has served as president and co-president of the Intellectual Property Society of Osgoode and co-president of the Canadian Italian Association of Osgoode. She is noted for expanding leadership opportunities, launching cross-club collaborations and building programming that strengthens professional, academic and cultural engagement across the school.
Chiappetta has also distinguished herself academically and professionally through faculty research assistantships, advanced work in emerging areas of law, acquiring more than 140 hours of clinical service supporting under-resourced innovators, and success in mooting competitions. As an upper-year mentor and orientation leader, she has provided consistent, practical support to junior students.
Brandon Connor
Connor’s nomination is rooted in values-driven leadership and a broad impact on student life, equity and community care. As co-president of Osgoode OUTLaws, he led major fundraising and programming initiatives, expanded mentorship initiatives and panels supporting queer students navigating the legal profession.
His work as equity officer and Faculty Council Equality Committee member focused on embedding equity into institutional processes, including recruit-focused supports for equity-seeking students and advocacy for stronger student representation. Across clinical work, residence life, mentorship and governance, nominators emphasize that Connor consistently identified gaps in support and took concrete steps to address them.
Michael Conroy
Conroy was nominated for exceptional leadership, service and mentorship across clinical education, governance, scholarship and student life. He is noted for his extraordinary contributions to the CLASP–KPMG Tax Clinic, where he went beyond his role to secure significant relief for low-income clients and continued supporting cases after his formal commitments ended.
As a student leader, Conroy strengthened Osgoode’s mooting culture and tax law programming, helped sustain major competitions and improved fairness and continuity through institutional reforms. He also made lasting contributions through high-level academic research and publication, while consistently mentoring peers, junior students and incoming cohorts with generosity and care.
Elad Dekel
Dekel was nominated for behind-the-scenes leadership that materially improved student life, systems and access. As co-chair of Orientation Week and treasurer of the Legal and Literary Society, he modernized outdated processes, automated workflows, stabilized finances and introduced cost-saving initiatives, including a new financial management platform and at-cost student printing that saved thousands of dollars.
He also strengthened student programming through leadership roles in the Entertainment and Sports Law Association and extensive clinical and volunteer work, while consistently pursuing essential tasks that kept student life running smoothly.
Gabrielle Gonsalves
Gonsalves is recognized for her transformative contributions to equity and access within the law school community. As treasurer of the Black Law Students’ Association, she vastly expanded financial supports, growing the LSAT bursary program from three to 13 awards and establishing an emergency fund for Black-identifying students facing crisis.
She is widely recognized for her intensive, hands-on mentorship, providing academic, recruit and personal support to law and pre-law students, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds. Across clinical work, student leadership and peer support, nominators emphasize that Gonsalves not only advocates for inclusion, but actively dismantles barriers and equips others to succeed.
Arianna Howse
Quiet leadership and a significant commitment to Indigenous student advocacy has earned Howse this award. From her first year onward, she has played a central role in the Osgoode Indigenous Students’ Association (OISA), serving as 1L representative, director of communications, and later co-chair, where she consistently acted as a bridge between cohorts, advanced student concerns and strengthened academic and community supports.
Her leadership contributed to record attendance at OISA events and record fundraising for Orange Shirt Day, while her mentorship of Indigenous students was sustained through co-leading training and transition sessions for incoming students. Her impact has been cumulative and enduring, marked by selfless service, careful mentorship and a measurable improvement in the Indigenous student experience at Osgoode.
Shivaansh Khanna
Khanna is recognized for leadership that enhanced student life, financial stability and community belonging. Through senior roles in student government and Orientation Week, he combined strategic planning with deep care for students, leading major initiatives that improved accessibility, inclusivity and long-term sustainability.
As a Legal and Literary Society representative, and later treasurer, he played a central role in restoring the society’s finances, eliminating a longstanding deficit through transparent decision-making and difficult but necessary reforms. Across governance, orientation and student programming, nominators describe Khanna as a calm, generous leader who mentors others and someone who takes on complex work without seeking recognition.
Jasmit Mander
Mander has demonstrated exceptional mentorship, principled leadership and a sustained commitment to equity and inclusion. As co-president of the Osgoode Sikh Students Association, he helped build a nationally connected student organization through mentorship programs, career panels, recruitment support and community outreach, while also amplifying student voices through council and strategic planning initiatives.
Through student governance, pro bono work and community leadership, Mander is described as someone who quietly expands access, builds confidence and walks alongside others without seeking recognition, leaving a lasting impact on the Osgoode community.