The Hon. Marvin Catzman

Justice Marvin Catzman provides a comprehensive account of his legal career from articling through his appointment to the High Court in 1981. Born in 1938 to Frederick Catzman, a prominent Toronto lawyer, Justice Catzman describes his early inspiration to pursue law following his father to court as a child, his education at the University of Toronto Law School from 1959-1962 during the era of Caesar Wright and Bora Laskin, and his decision to article with Mason, Foulds rather than his father’s firm to gain broader litigation experience.

The interview details his entry into his father’s firm, Catzman & Wahl, as a junior lawyer in 1964, where he specialized in commercial civil litigation including bankruptcy, contract disputes, and insurance matters. Justice Catzman emphasizes how his father restructured the practice to accommodate litigation work, providing exceptional mentoring that allowed him to appear before the Supreme Court of Canada within two years of being called to the bar. He describes landmark cases including Wentworth Insurance (1968), Reid and Tonks, and the Albert Pearl case, highlighting his father’s exceptional skills in cross-examination and legal research.

The narrative concludes with his appointment to the High Court of Ontario in 1981, reflecting on his transition from practicing alongside his father to the judiciary. Justice Catzman’s account provides valuable insights into legal practice in Toronto during the 1960s-1970s, the evolution of commercial litigation, and the dynamics of family law practice during a transformative period in Canadian legal history.

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