Media Releases

Incoming OBA President Kathryn Manning sees a bar more divided than it has ever been before in her 26 years of practice and she is determined to do something about it when she takes the reins of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA) on September 1st.

Colin Lachance will work with lawyers to integrate AI into profession

The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) is excited to introduce Colin Lachance as its 2024-25 Innovator-in-Residence. In this role, he will spearhead a groundbreaking initiative aimed at assisting lawyers with effectively integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their practice to better serve their clients.

Ontario Bar Association President Kelly McDermott is recognizing three lawyers from the law firm of Conway Baxter Wilson LLP in Ottawa with the annual OBA President’s Award.

The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) is delighted to unveil the recipients of the annual Association Awards. These distinguished individuals will receive recognition at the upcoming OBA Awards Gala on June 20 in Toronto.

The Ontario Bar Association has introduced a new award to encourage and recognize initiatives that improve mental health in the profession. The award will be named in honour of Orlando Da Silva, a former OBA president whose 2014 Opening Remarks initiative opened up a critical conversation about mental health in the profession, and who bravely shared his own story to help reduce stigma.

Ontario Bar Association Offering Free Public Sessions

TORONTO – The Ontario Bar Association (OBA) is launching a first-of-its-kind Peer Support Network for Lawyers Living with Disabilities, providing a robust complement of constructive resources, tools and engagement opportunities for lawyers.

Katy Commisso has been elected 2nd vice-president of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA). The lawyer from Thunder Bay will be the first OBA president from the Northwest in more than 50 years when she takes office in 2025. Kelly McDermott will continue her presidency, while Kathryn Manning – as 1st vice-president – will become the next president of the OBA in September of 2024.

As she takes the reins on March 1st, new OBA President Kelly McDermott is determined to ensure all Ontario lawyers come to know what she herself knows firsthand – the OBA is a supportive community that makes careers more satisfying and steps up when life and work collide. McDermott will focus her presidency on creating and formalizing reliable and accessible support networks to assist lawyers facing challenges in their careers and lives.