Law Society of Saskatchewan Announces 2026 E.M. Culliton Scholarship Recipients 

July 22, 2026

The Law Society of Saskatchewan has announced the three recipients of the 2026 E.M. Culliton Scholarship, which supports post-graduate studies in criminal law. This year’s recipients will pursue advanced legal studies at institutions in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. Their research covers a broad range of issues in criminal law, including the role of gender in matters where clients are accused of sexual offences, proposed sentencing reform, and constitutional rights related to criminal justice policy. 

Kennedy Marley, a Métis lawyer from Treaty 4 Territory, graduated with Great Distinction from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2024 before clerking at the Court of Appeal for Saskatchewan. A Rhodes Scholar, she recently completed a Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Oxford, where her research focused on Canadian cases involving Indigenous youth sentenced as adults for homicide. This fall, she will return to Oxford to undertake a Master of Philosophy in Law, examining how gendered expectations influence the professional and strategic decisions of women criminal defence lawyers representing clients accused of sexual offences. 

Emma Neufeld will seek a Master of Laws at the University of Toronto with a concentration in criminal law. Her research will examine Canada’s dangerous offender regime, including its constitutional implications, access to treatment for offenders, and the unequal impact of dangerous offender designations on Indigenous people. By comparing similar legal policies across Commonwealth countries, she seeks to discover potential reforms that strengthen both fairness and public safety. 

Jessica Quan, a Crown Prosecutor and University of Saskatchewan graduate, has prosecuted criminal matters in Saskatoon, Regina, and La Ronge over the past five years. She will enroll in a Master of Laws at Columbia Law School, where her studies will concentrate on criminal law, comparative legal systems, and trial advocacy. Her research will examine approaches to prosecuting serious interpersonal violence and examine international best practices that could strengthen Canadian therapeutic courts, including Indigenous courts, mental health courts, drug treatment courts, and domestic violence courts. 

The scholarship was established in honour of former Chief Justice of Saskatchewan Edward McCourt Culliton. It recognizes individuals who have shown outstanding academic achievement, strong research potential, and probable contributions to the legal profession in Saskatchewan. 

For more information about the E.M. Culliton Scholarship and other Law Society awards, visit the Law Society’s Awards, Bursaries, and Scholarships page.