Mr. Alan Marshall

This oral history interview features Alan T. Marshall Q.C., a prominent Hamilton lawyer who transitioned from private practice to become the first director of the Law Society of Ontario’s Practice Advisory Service in 1980. Marshall began his career in 1955 after graduating from Osgoode Hall Law School, articling with Ross & Robinson in Hamilton and later with Tory, Tory, Deslauriers & Binnington in Toronto. He established a successful general practice focused on real estate, wills, estates, and commercial work, while also becoming deeply involved in professional organizations and law reform.

The centerpiece of Marshall’s career was his decade of service (1980-1990) at the Law Society, where he created and directed the Practice Advisory Service. This innovative program provided practice management assistance to lawyers experiencing professional difficulties, often referred through the complaints and discipline departments. Marshall developed comprehensive educational materials, including handbooks on office management and practice standards, and traveled across Ontario conducting workshops and one-on-one consultations. He addressed systemic issues like mortgage discharge procedures that were causing insurance fund losses, and helped establish professional standards programs including competency reviews.

Throughout his career, Marshall was actively involved in law reform through the Canadian Bar Association, including work on divorce law reform in the 1960s and the establishment of law reform commissions. His interview provides valuable insights into the evolution of legal practice in Ontario, the development of professional regulation, and the challenges facing lawyers during periods of economic change and increasing competition in the legal profession.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.