Greg Monforton & Partners is pleased to announce that founding partner Greg Monforton has formally declared his candidacy for Bencher in the 2023 Law Society of Ontario bencher elections.
Greg embarks on this exciting journey, along with a formidable team of bencher candidates intent on returning the Law Society of Ontario to good governance.
What is the Law Society of Ontario?
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) was originally founded in 1797 and is responsible for governing and regulating paralegals and lawyers within the province of Ontario. This important task includes ensuring that the people of Ontario are served by lawyers and paralegals who meet high standards for competence, learning and professional conduct.
What is a Bencher?
Benchers are the board of directors that govern the LSO. This board contains 53 benchers in all, 40 of whom are lawyers. Of these 40 benchers, 20 are elected from the greater Toronto area (GTA), and the remaining 20 come from outside the GTA.
The role of bencher is a highly respected and coveted position within the legal community. Lawyers decide on who fills each bencher position through an election process. Once elected, each bencher serves a four-year term.
To obtain a more focused perspective on what it takes to become a bencher, Greg has been working for over a year garnering advice and support from legal leaders across the province.
The Good Governance Coalition and What it Means
Greg was hoping to establish a coalition of like-minded lawyers for the upcoming elections. He soon learned that others shared his vision and they have come together with a formidable and unprecedented team called the Bencher Good Governance Coalition.
This Coalition formally launched about 2 weeks ago. Its objective is to counter the alarmingly divisive rhetoric of a slate of Benchers elected in 2019.
The Good Governance Coalition currently has 28 candidates in all, but this number will increase as the campaign unfolds in the coming months.
2023 LSO Elections
These upcoming elections, which will be held in April 2023, counters the FullStop slate, formerly known as the StopSOP. The intent of this Coalition is to prevent FullStop from gaining ground and to protect self-regulation of the law in Ontario.
You can learn more about the upcoming elections, including the Coalition’s news release, by signing up for the newsletter.
Greg is quoted in this news release and has been appointed Coalition spokesperson for all media inquiries outside the GTA. The Coalition spokespersons within the GTA are Atrisha Lewis of McCarthy Tetrault and Megan Shortreed of Paliare Roland.
Good luck Greg. We are so proud of you!