From her favourite events and her hidden talents, her best advice for students and her hopes for continued court modernization, her early heroes and her upcoming mandate to create space for lawyers to come together to discuss difficult issues in a safe, constructive, respectful way, find all about Incoming President Kathryn Manning in this candid Q&A.

What drew you to the legal profession and what surprised you most once you joined it?
I was drawn to law because growing up, I watched my father litigate cases that fundamentally impacted people’s rights, including some of the first Charter equality cases. What surprised me once I was a lawyer was the diversity of ways that individual lawyers can make an impact and help clients outside of those type of cases. Every day, lawyers do work that impacts our clients and the public in meaningful ways.

If you could go back in time, what advice would you give to your law-school self?
Don’t think that where you begin is where you will end up. Like many students, I fell prey to the “land a summer job” stress and thought that I had to choose an area of law and firm that I would stay with for my whole career. I started in a big national firm and now I am a founding partner in a litigation boutique. Every experience was meaningful – make the most of where you start but end where you are the most happy.

What’s the most underrated skill a good lawyer possesses?
Patience. I think we assume good lawyers need to be quick on their feet or to always respond quickly but being patient and stepping back to see the big picture before responding not only helps our clients but makes us better lawyers. It also makes the practice of law more enjoyable.

How did you begin volunteering with the OBA and what did you take away from that early association leadership experience?
I sat on a Section Executive when I was an associate. What I learned then and what has continued throughout my OBA experience, is that the OBA is a welcoming place where students and lawyers of all levels of experience can find a place to contribute, to meet new friends and colleagues, and to make an impact in the lives of other lawyers, our clients and the public. I have been involved in many legal organizations, and the OBA is truly a leader in how we govern ourselves – our elections for Sections, Council and the Board are open, transparent and allow for new people and ideas to regularly come into the organization.

When you assume the OBA presidency in September, you will be the fourth consecutive woman to hold that office – with two more set to follow in your footsteps. What does that mean to you?
I am thrilled that the presidency has passed from woman-to-woman multiple times in the last few years and that it will continue to do so for at least two years following my term. When Karen Perron succeeded Charlene Theodore, no woman president had passed the presidency to another woman – now it is happening for six consecutive terms. The time has finally come when women lawyers can look to their peers and see that anything is possible – that we are leaders in the bar and that this is never going to change.

Lawyers are leaders – we hold positions of power and privilege in society. I believe that it is critical that we be able to work together, even when we disagree, in a constructive and positive way.

Your presidential mandate will focus on providing tools, space, education and a framework to foster constructive, civil discourse in the face of complex and difficult issues and events that are affecting – and dividing – lawyers deeply. Why do you see that as so important right now?
We have all faced the impact of the divisive discourse and the recent rise in expressions of hate and anger that have reached unprecedented levels, particularly over the last year. Lawyers are deeply affected by this – it has created stress and divisions in the profession that I have never experienced in my 26-year career. Building space for us to come together and discuss difficult issues in a safe, constructive, respectful way – to appreciate our different perspectives and beliefs – has never been more important. Lawyers are leaders – we hold positions of power and privilege in society. I believe that it is critical that we be able to work together, even when we disagree, in a constructive and positive way.

Through the OBA, you have been very involved in efforts toward court modernization and improved access to justice. What do you see as the greatest accomplishments in that area over the past couple of years – and what progress do you hope to see made in the near future?
The last few years, we have seen huge progress in court modernization – at the start of 2020, the courts were fully paper-based; now we regularly file and work with electronic documents. I hope that progress will continue so that the courts have a seamless, end-to-end platform that allows litigants – whether represented by lawyers or not – to navigate the system more efficiently through the use of technology.

Is there a favourite OBA event you’ve attended recently?
That’s a tough one – I love OBA events, including the diverse cultural celebrations, our awards ceremonies, and our Fall Council. But the one that stands out to me the most right now is the very recent Thomas G. Heintzman Member Recognition Dinner where we celebrated senior members of the bar who have been longstanding OBA members. Meeting lawyers who have been members for 50 plus years or past presidents I didn’t know was really special for me, particularly as I get ready to assume the presidency. The history of the OBA is one of collegiality, friendship and fun and that was on full display at this wonderful event.

A year from now, what do you hope you’ll be able to say about your time as OBA president?
I hope that I will be able to say that I connected with lawyers and students across the province in a meaningful way, helped foster respectful and civil discourse about hard issues that impact our members both in practice and beyond, and continued the positive engagement we have with our justice sector partners like MAG and the courts as we work to move closer to full modernization of the justice system.

Let’s finish with some rapid-fire questions…

• Your dream destination? A trip to Africa with my kids
• Childhood hero?  Terry Fox
• Place you go to think? On a walk or swimming in a lake
• Best concert you’ve attended? Taylor Swift Eras tour at Wembley Stadium
• Most-loved quote? “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.”