Mr. Peter White

This interview with Junior (Peter White Junior) traces the remarkable legal dynasty of the White family in Canadian law. Beginning with the family’s arrival in Canada in 1813 when his great-grandfather Peter White served on a British warship during the War of 1812 and later founded Pembroke, the interview chronicles the family’s transition from lumber business to legal prominence. Peter White Senior, born in 1872, established himself as a significant legal figure through his education at University of Toronto, articling with Sir James Bicknell, and building a successful practice in Pembroke from 1896-1916 before moving to Toronto to join Jimmy Bain’s firm.

Junior’s portion of the interview focuses on his legal education at Osgoode Hall from 1934-1937, where he experienced the case-based teaching methods and learned from notable professors including Caesar Wright from Harvard. He describes his articling period with his father’s firm and his early career as a junior lawyer from 1937-1941, working on diverse legal matters including collections, foreclosures, criminal cases, and significant matters like the Re Sifton case at the Privy Council. The interview provides valuable insights into legal education and practice in the 1930s and early 1940s, illustrating the continuity of legal tradition across generations in one of Canada’s prominent legal families.

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