Mr. W.P. Clement

This oral history interview with W.P. Clement provides a fascinating glimpse into legal practice in early 20th century Ontario. Born into a legal family—his father Edwin P. Clement was a Berlin lawyer called to the bar in 1873—Clement followed the traditional path from Victoria College (1905-1909) to Osgoode Hall Law School (1909-1912). He joined his father’s firm in 1912, creating a practice of “three Clements” in the growing industrial center of Berlin, which was renamed Kitchener during World War I.

Clement served as Crown Attorney for Waterloo County from 1934 to 1951, a part-time position that allowed him to maintain his private practice while handling criminal prosecutions across the county’s expanding population. His recollections illuminate the transformation of legal practice from a more generalized profession serving smaller communities to the increasingly specialized field it became by mid-century. The interview also reveals Clement’s lifelong passion for music, particularly string instruments, which he balanced with his legal career throughout his 67 years of practice.

Beyond his professional life, Clement offers valuable insights into the social and educational networks that shaped Ontario’s legal profession, including his connections at Victoria College, the fraternity system, and his relationships with prominent legal figures like Jack Falconbridge at Osgoode Hall. His observations on the evolution of legal practice, the growth of industrial centers like Kitchener-Waterloo, and the changing nature of Crown Attorney responsibilities provide important context for understanding the development of Ontario’s legal system in the early-to-mid 20th century.

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