On October 22, 2020, around 50 public sector lawyers and students gathered virtually for the Public Sector Lawyers Section’s event titled: “Welcome to the Practice of Public Law: Exploring Careers in the Broader Public Sector,” chaired by Kate Julien, a strategic policy advisor at the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
The event began with a thoughtful keynote address by Yasir Naqvi, former Member of Provincial Parliament, Cabinet Minister, including Attorney General for Ontario, and current CEO at the Institute for Canadian Citizenship.
Naqvi recounted that prior to his political career he practiced as an international trade and competition lawyer. In this role, he worked with administrative and regulatory law principles, appeared before the Canadian International Trade Tribunal, and observed the impact on Canadians of a body of public law and policy. As an MPP and Cabinet Minister, he became a public law maker. Currently, he works for a not-for-profit corporation formed by former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.
The overriding theme of Naqvi’s address was that public law, if practiced well, results in public good. He observed that the goal of public law is a well-regulated society grounded in the Rule of Law. Naqvi noted that by practicing public law, lawyers help to create and implement effective public policy, which positively impacts lives.
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