Women Lawyers Forum

From programming and advocacy to peer recognition and relevant resources, OBA Section membership connects you with education, engagement and leadership opportunities to propel you to the forefront of your professional community.

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Resources, Articles, & Advocacy

Advocacy | June 11, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of June 9

Legislative Update | June 06, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of June 2

Ford Government Passes Mining Legislation: Bill 5, or the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, passed third reading this week and has been granted royal assent by the lieutenant governor. The legislation will create so-called special economic zones where laws, ranging from municipal approvals to environmental rules or even labour law, won’t apply. At Queen’s Park on Wednesday, cries of protest rang out from the galleries inside the legislature as MPPs voted. Indigenous leaders have vowed to keep fighting against the legislation.

Advocacy | May 30, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of May 26

Article | May 27, 2025

Pathways to Power: Women Lawyers Rising Above Discrimination and Harassment

On April 30, 2025, the Women Lawyers Forum of the Ontario Bar Association marked the 10th anniversary of its award-winning Pathways to Power program with a powerful celebration. Women lawyers from various backgrounds came together, both in-person and online, to reflect on how far we’ve come, share strategies, and forge new bonds in the face of persistent gender-based discrimination and harassment in the legal profession.

Legislative Update | May 26, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of May 19

Toronto Passes Controversial 'Bubble Zone' Protest Bylaw: Toronto councillors have passed a bylaw aimed at restricting protests around places of worship, daycares and schools in the city. The bylaw – slated to come into effect on July 2 – allows schools, childcare centres and places of worship to request the city restrict protest within a 50-metre radius around their properties.

Advocacy | May 16, 2025

Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of May 12

Province Tables Tariff-Era Budget: The Ford government plans to run a substantial deficit of almost $15 billion and spend more than $230 billion this year. On Thursday, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy presented the government’s 2025 budget, a document dominated by the tariff response and how it will impact the economy.