Cochrane Sinclair Partner and Manitoba Bar Association President Stacey Soldier brought greetings to Manitoba’s newly called lawyers during the 2026 Call to the Bar Ceremony in Winnipeg.
The ceremony recognized lawyers who had completed their articles and were formally entering the profession, surrounded by the families, friends and mentors who supported them throughout their journeys.
Stacey began by acknowledging the important role those supporters played in helping the new lawyers reach this milestone. She then returned to a message she had shared with some members of the group when they first entered Robson Hall:
“Be the reason people still believe in good lawyers and justice.”
Her remarks reflected on the responsibility that accompanies the privilege of practising law. Drawing from her own identity and experience as an Anishinaabe woman and lawyer, Stacey spoke about the generations of legal advocacy that helped advance Indigenous rights and the responsibility today’s lawyers now inherit.
“Every right I have as an Anishinaabe and as a woman is because a lawyer somewhere at some time heard our voices and asked, ‘How do I help?’” she said.
Stacey encouraged the new lawyers to approach their work with excellence, integrity and inclusion. She also emphasized the importance of protecting the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, particularly at a time when legal institutions and decisions are increasingly discussed without the full facts or context.
Strengthening trust through inclusion
During her address, Stacey drew inspiration from remarks delivered by lawyer, educator and adjudicator Antoine Collins, recipient of the Canadian Bar Association’s 2026 Touchstone Award.
The award recognizes contributions to equality within Canada’s legal profession, judiciary and legal community. Collins has dedicated his career to helping create a more inclusive profession for Black and LGBTQ2S+ legal professionals.
Properly crediting Collins’s message, Stacey reflected on his view that advancing equity and inclusion is not about recognition, but responsibility: responsibility to the law and to the idea of justice.
She connected that responsibility to public trust. When people recognize their experiences, dignity and communities within the legal system, they are more likely to understand that they belong within it. Representation, mentorship and meaningful inclusion do not weaken legal institutions; they help make those institutions stronger and more deserving of the trust placed in them.
Stacey urged the newly called lawyers to continue opening doors, building bridges and widening the circle so that future generations will not have to wonder whether there is a place for them in the law.
A call to participate
Stacey concluded by encouraging the new lawyers to be active participants in protecting the legal system and the principles it serves.
“Let’s not be spectators,” she said. “Let’s use our influence and our privilege as lawyers to be fearless and defiant to protect the rule of law.”
Reflecting on the 18 years since her own Call to the Bar, Stacey congratulated the new lawyers and shared her anticipation for the contributions they will make throughout their careers.
Cochrane Sinclair congratulates Manitoba’s newest lawyers and recognizes the families, friends, colleagues and mentors who helped them reach this important professional milestone.