David Lepofsky

David Lepofsky holds an LLB from the Osgoode Hall Law School (1979) and an LL.M from Harvard Law School. He has been a member of the Ontario Bar since 1981, and an adjunct faculty member at U of T Faculty of Law since 1991.

From 1982 to 1988, he was counsel with the Crown Law Office (Civil) of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General. From 1988 to 1993, he was counsel with the Ministry's Constitutional Law & Policy Division where his practice focused on litigating constitutional issues at all levels of court, and advising the government on constitutional matters.

From November 1993 through 2015, he was counsel with the Crown Law Office (Criminal), where he argued criminal appeals for the Crown at the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court.

He was promoted to General Counsel. This is the highest promotion in the Ontario Public Service (outside management). It is reserved for the most senior counsel, to recognize career achievement in handling the most complex work, demonstrated diversity of expertise, creativity, professional leadership, judgement, and mentoring/role modelling. He has appeared on over 30 cases in the Supreme Court of Canada, and some 200 cases in the Ontario Court of Appeal.

On retiring from the Crown, he served from 2016 to June 2023 as a visiting professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. Starting in the fall of 2023, he will serve as an adjunct research professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Western Ontario.

He has lectured widely on various aspects of constitutional and administrative law, human rights, disability rights and other topics across Canada, as well as in the U.S., Israel, Ireland, Denmark, Belgium and New Zealand.

He is the author of "Open Justice - the Constitutional Right to Attend and Speak About Criminal Proceedings in Canada," as well as numerous articles on constitutional and human rights topics. His publications have been cited with approval in several decisions of the Supreme Court of Canada, and by trial and appeal courts across Canada.

His volunteer community advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities has led him to receive the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, honorary doctorates from Queens, Western, the Law Society of Ontario and Brock, and numerous other awards.

His input on disability issues has also been sought by the governments of Manitoba, BC, Alberta, Israel, New Zealand, and the European Union.

He was humbled when the Canadian Lawyer Magazine August 2010 edition listed him among Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers. However, he was left wondering: “If I am so influential, why doesn’t anyone listen to me?”

Photo credit: Metroland file photo