Re-elect Jeffrey Lem for Toronto Bencher – Keep him working for your profession!

One of the youngest current Benchers in the Toronto region is seeking your votes for re-election this year.

Jeffrey Lem, the current Director of Titles for the Province of Ontario and a LSUC Certified Specialist in Real Estate Law, is currently one of the youngest sitting Benchers for the Toronto region. Those who know him and who have worked with him over his career are not surprised at what he has accomplished in his career so far – just ask any of them and they will tell you that he has been a dynamic lawyer and a leader in law his whole career.

Prior to being appointed Director of Titles for the Province of Ontario last year, Jeffrey was in private practice for over 20 years with several major law firms in Toronto. Over the course of his career, Jeffrey has been an instructor in real estate law for the Bar Admission Course and is the long-standing Editor-in-Chief of the Real Property Reports. He is the author of the real estate volume in Halsbury’s Laws of Canada, and has also written hundreds of articles and case commentaries for various legal journals and magazines, including regular real estate law columns in Law Times and Building Magazine. He is the Director of the Masters of Law Program in Real Estate at Osgoode Hall Law School and has spoken at almost all of the major real estate CPD events in the past two decades.

If re-elected for the new four-year Bencher term, Jeffrey hopes to continue bringing a solicitor’s perspective to Convocation. Within the existing cohort of Benchers, there are very few Benchers with solicitor practice backgrounds, and this lack of strong representation affects solicitors on every level from discipline to policy. Jeffrey believes that Convocation should reflect the myriad of practices found in the bar itself. He states, “If re-elected, I would serve all lawyers by bringing a solicitor’s perspective to Convocation as well as the perspective of a provincial regulator and a public sector lawyer”.

In 2009, Jeffrey was the recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s Award for Excellence in Real Estate, and in 2013, he was the recipient of the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers’ Lifetime Achievement Award. Just last month, Jeffrey was the grateful recipient of this year’s Toronto Lawyers Association’s Honsberger Award, which recognized him for his selfless support of his colleagues through decades of mentoring countless young lawyers, his dedication to the legal profession, and leadership as a diverse lawyer. That evening at his award acceptance speech, Jeffrey emphasized the importance of giving back to the profession, and explained:

I am a firm believer in public service, and was convinced that I could best give-back to the profession by being re-elected as a Bencher. I have always worried that, in its zeal to protect the public interest, Convocation might lose sight of the welfare of the very lawyers who make up the membership of the Law Society. I have always firmly believed that, if we take care of the profession, we ultimately end-up taking care of the public, and hope that serving as a Bencher will give me an opportunity to do just that.

Jeffrey represents the ideal balance of age, work experience, and legal expertise for serving as a Law Society Bencher – he is a seasoned legal professional, with the ability to collaborate seamlessly with established senior lawyers from all practice groups, as well as the ability to understand the needs of the younger, up-and-coming lawyers. He is a dynamic, dedicated, and passionate lawyer with a proven track-record for serving the profession and being a leader in the law.

This election, it is more important than ever that you cast your vote and let your voice be heard. YOUR PROFESSION MATTERS! Re-elect Jeffrey Lem for Toronto Bencher and keep him working for your profession!