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REGIONAL WRAP-UP THE PRAIRIES WALSH WAS DEAN OF CANADIAN CRIMINAL LAWYERS take credit for that," he said. "I never had a hanging in any case where I was the senior lawyer. We have no right to take the life of anybody." In 2000, the Law Society of Manitoba named him one of the province's top 10 lawyers in history. A veteran of the Second World War, Walsh was also a founder of the Jewish Foundation of Manitoba. In his eulogy at Walsh's funeral, noted Winnipeg criminal lawyer Greg Brodsky spoke of his 40-year relationship with Walsh. "Mr. Walsh was my mentor," Brodsky said. "As a young lawyer, he taught me the importance of careful preparation." Wolson joined Walsh Micay & Co. in 1974 because, he says, he wanted to work with Walsh. He worked with him until 1995 and the two remained close friends. Wolson remembers one case while Harry Walsh was the oldest practising laywer in Canada when he died at 97. leged to have been able to attend his old Winnipeg high school's 100th anniver- sary celebrations. Then, in the fall, he learned he was being presented with the Order of Canada — in recognition of his leadership in having the death penalty abolished in our country — and he was able to go to Ottawa to receive the award. "He was really happy about receiv- 2 ing the Order of Canada," says Richard Wolson, a longtime associate of Walsh who died on Feb. 23 from complica- tions from a fall in his home two weeks 010 was a good year for Harry Walsh. In June, just about the time he turned 97, he was privi- earlier. "He was a wonderful human being." Walsh was Canada's oldest practising lawyer. Up until his accident, he was still going into the office (which he shared with his son, Paul, since 1999) every day and was still able to recall cases from long ago in precise detail. In a career that spanned 71 years, he represented thousands of clients. His proudest accomplishments were his leadership in establishing a legal aid program in Manitoba, which was even- tually adopted across Canada, and his role in the abolition of the death penalty. Walsh recently told the Winnipeg Free Press that he considered that work his crowning achievement as a lawyer. "I was responsible for that and I want to 10 A PRIL 2011 www. CANADIAN Lawyermag.com he was still a junior associate. "It was a sexual assault case," he recalls. "At one point, Harry suddenly asked me to cross-examine the next witness. He was a background witness and I fumbled through it. I resolved in future to always be prepared to cross-examine a witness if called upon. He never asked me again, but I learned a valuable lesson about always being prepared." Wolson recalls another case he worked on with Walsh that involved a murder trial in northern Manitoba. "Our client was involved in a duel. Harry was brilliant in cross-examination. He suc- cessfully argued self-defence." Wolson recalls that despite Walsh's brilliance, he remained humble and approach- able. Brodsky noted that Walsh never turned down a case because the client couldn't afford to pay. "We're going to miss him." — MYRON LOVE