Micheline Rawlins

Micheline A. Rawlins (born 1951) is a lawyer and judge in Ontario, Canada. She was the first black woman appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice.^[1]

Micheline Rawlins
Born	1951 Montreal, Quebec
Citizenship	Canada
Education	McGill University (BA) University of Windsor (LLB)
Occupation	Lawyer · judge
Years active	1986–1992 (assistant crown attorney) 1992– (judge)

Education and career

She was born in Montreal, Quebec and received a BA from McGill University in 1974 and a LLB from the University of Windsor in 1978.^[2] She was called to the Ontario bar in 1982.^[1] Rawlins was an assistant Crown Attorney in Kent County from 1986 until she was named to the bench in 1992.^[3][2]

Rawlins has served on the board of governors for the University of Windsor.^[1] She has also served on the boards for various organizations such as the Girl Guides, the Boy Scouts, Robinson House, the Windsor Urban Alliance and the Windsor Media Council.^[3]

In 2002, Justice Rawlins received national media attention for attacking a female lawyer's choice of clothing, and adjourning a case for "lack of counsel" because she objected to the lawyer's attire.^[4]

Community contributions

Rawlins was the president of the Chatham Youth Soccer Association from 1990 to 1993 and is also a qualified hockey trainer.^[2] She served as the President of the North American Black Historical Museum (2003–07 and of the Association of Black Judges of Michigan.^[5]

Honours and awards

Madame Justice Rawlins has received:

• the North American Black Historical Museum Community Contribution Award in 1994
• the African-Canadian Achievement Award in Law in 1997
• the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers Black Judges in Canada Recognition Award in 2000
• the Congress of Black Women of Canada Outstanding Contribution to Women, to Law and to Canada Award in 2002

In 2004, she was named Windsor Woman of the Year.^[3]

The Loop named her in its list of 10 amazing Canadian women who deserve to be on a 100-dollar bill.^[6]