The Hon. Harriet Sachs

This interview with Justice Harriet Sachs chronicles her remarkable journey from a politically engaged childhood in Montreal to becoming a pioneering figure in Ontario’s legal profession. Born in 1951 to Jewish parents who had escaped Nazi Germany, Sachs grew up in a household where her mother was active with Voice of Women. After studying philosophy at Mount Holyoke College and spending a transformative year in Greece during the military junta, she became politically active during the Vietnam War era and chose law as a path to potentially pursue politics.

Sachs attended Osgoode Hall Law School in 1971, where she worked at the groundbreaking Parkdale Community Legal Services clinic and helped establish the Toronto Community Law School. After articling at Houlden, Murdoch in 1974-1976, she was called to the bar and founded one of the first all-women law firms with Mary Cornish and Gerry Waldman. Her career was marked by significant leadership roles, including serving as President of The Advocates’ Society in 1997, where she focused on major fundraising efforts and legal interventions in important cases. As a Law Society Bencher from 1995-1998, she chaired the equality committee, produced the bicentennial report on equality issues, and oversaw Bar Admission reform, establishing herself as a champion for women’s rights and professional equity in the legal profession.

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