The Hon. James Spence

This comprehensive interview with Justice James MacDonald Spence provides detailed insights into his remarkable journey through Canadian legal history, from his beginnings as a student to his distinguished career culminating in his appointment to the Ontario Court. Born in 1940 to a family with deep legal roots (his grandfather James Houston Spence was both a lawyer and Senator), Spence’s path was influenced by tradition but shaped by his own diverse experiences.

The interview extensively covers Spence’s legal education at the University of Toronto Law School, where he learned under legendary figures like Caesar Wright, Bora Laskin, and John Willis. His articling and early career at Tory Tory DesLauriers & Binnington exposed him to corporate and tax law during a period of significant legal reform, including the 1971 Income Tax Reform. A particularly notable chapter involved his secondment to Ottawa’s Foreign Investment Review Agency (FIRA) from 1974-1976, where he worked directly with federal ministers on high-profile foreign investment decisions, providing unique insights into government-legal profession interactions during the Trudeau era.

The most significant portion of the interview details Spence’s nine years as a Bencher (1983-1992) and two years as Treasurer (1990-1992) of the Law Society of Upper Canada. During this period, he championed progressive reforms including the advancement of women in the legal profession, equity initiatives for visible minorities and Indigenous lawyers, legal education reform (the ‘Spence Report’), and the challenging navigation of the Lang Michener disciplinary crisis. His tenure as Treasurer was marked by efforts to modernize the Law Society while preserving its traditions, including hosting Prince Charles as an Honorary Bencher. Throughout these roles, Spence demonstrated thoughtful leadership during periods of significant change in the legal profession, balancing tradition with necessary reform in service of both the profession and the public interest.

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