LogoutMiss Margaret Smith
Margaret Smith’s oral history traces her journey from a Depression-era childhood in Toronto to becoming a pioneering woman lawyer in Ontario. Born into a family with English, Scottish, and Northern Irish roots, Smith was influenced by lawyer uncles in Halifax to pursue law at age 16. After graduating from Trinity College in 1941, she entered Osgoode Hall Law School during wartime, facing significant challenges in securing an articling position in 1942 when 20 law firms rejected her, with one senior lawyer telling her women shouldn’t practice law.
Despite these obstacles, Smith eventually articled with Smily, Shaver, Adams, DeRoche and Fraser through family connections, where she gained extensive experience in registry office work, corporate law, and various legal procedures during the war years when other students had enlisted. Called to the bar in June 1944, she negotiated to remain with the firm and built a distinguished career that spanned several decades.
Smith’s career culminated with her long tenure at Smith, Shaver, Selzer and McLuskie, where she took pride in the firm’s commitment to serving both corporate executives and individual families with high ethical standards. Her story reflects the challenges faced by early women lawyers in Canada and the gradual acceptance of women in the legal profession during and after World War II.
This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.
References
The following are a selection of topics discussed in this oral history.
- Central Office
- County Courts
- Court of Appeal
- Old City Hall Courts
- Supreme Court of Canada
- Supreme Court of Ontario
- Surrogate Court
- Weekly Court
- Chicago Kent University
- Osgoode Hall Law School
- St. Augustine's College at Canterbury
- Trinity College
- Agricultural Loan Development Board
- CNR
- Department of Agriculture
- Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs
- Department of Munitions and Supply
- Fire Marshall's Department
- Grand Trunk Railway
- Public Trustee's Office
- Great Depression
- Halifax Explosion
- Munich Crisis
- World War I
- World War II
- Buffalo
- Cape Breton
- Chicago
- China
- Halifax
- London, England
- Manitoba
- New York State
- Nova Scotia
- Ontario
- Paris
- Saskatchewan
- Toronto
- Washington
- West Germany
- Winnipeg
- Blakes
- Borden & Elliot
- Burchell, Smith
- Faskens
- Fleming, Smoke, Mulholland
- Gregory, Armstrong
- Holden, Murdoch
- Holmstead, Sutton
- Johnston Grant
- Lang Michener
- Mason Foulds
- McCarthy
- McMaster Montgomery
- Robertson, Lane
- Sinclair, Goodenough
- Smily, Shaver, Adams, DeRoche and Fraser
- Smith, Shaver, Selzer and McLuskie
- Stewart, Smith
- Tilley Carson
- Athenia case
- Tilley v. McCarthy
- Women Lawyers
- Alpha Hodgins
- Belva Gordon Gibson
- Bertha Hawkins
- Bill DeRoche
- Caesar Wright
- Charlie Dubin
- Christine J.N. Kates
- Clara Brett Martin
- Cyril Carson
- Dr. Harriet Banting
- Eileen Mitchell
- Eleanor Roosevelt
- Elizabeth Maclennan
- Elizabeth Newton
- Evelyn Harrison
- Fay Feldman
- George Drew
- George McPhedran
- George Shaver
- George Walsh
- Gertrude Haines
- Grace Hunter
- Helen Binkley
- Helen Kinnear
- Helen Okuloski
- Helen Palen
- Helen Tripp
- Jack Kimber
- Jean Carrie
- Jean Howard Reilly
- Jean O'Rourke
- Jean Oldrieve
- John Tory
- Judge Florence Allen
- June Ryan
- Laura Lees
- Laura Legge
- Margaret Campbell
- Margaret Fraser
- Margaret Hyndman
- Margaret Smith
- Marion Bullock
- Marion Darte
- Marion Lamey
- Mary Gallagher
- Mary Lamont
- Mr. Adams
- Mr. Smily
- Mr. Sweatman
- Pauline McGibbon
- Sadie McLean
- Sarah Goldstick
- Sue Brown Hassell
- Sybil Bennett
- Vera Parsons
- Walter Williston
- Canadian Bar Association
- Kappa Beta Pi
- Law Society of Ontario
- Local Council of Women
- Women's Law Association
- York County Law Association
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- Admiralty Law
- Articling
- client relations
- Corporate Law
- Criminal Law
- Estate Law
- Family Law
- Income Tax Law
- Insurance Law
- Litigation
- mortgage work
- Professional Ethics
- Real Estate Law
- registry office procedures
- Rent Control
- trust work
- Wills
Some of these references were generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies.
Archive Details
Files consist of oral history records documenting the life and career of Margaret Smith (b. 1920), a retired lawyer from Toronto. Interview topics include: University of Toronto; World War II; Osgoode Hall Law School; Women's Law Association; Kappa Beta Pi, women's legal sorority; articling; Smily, Shaver firm; corporate law; changes in the firm. Interview conducted by Christine J.N. Kates. File includes nine audio cassettes from a series of four interviews and a transcript with index (267 p.).