Suzanne Lalonde, a Legal Aid lawyer in Moose Jaw, has been named the president of the Law Society of Saskatchewan (LSS) for 2024 and has also received a provincial accolade honouring her efforts in her field.
At its Dec. 7 meeting, the LSS board elected Lalonde as president and Adam Touet as vice-president for next year; Lalonde had served as board vice-president this year.
The Law Society of Saskatchewan regulates the legal profession, which consists of more than 2,000 lawyers actively practising law. It sets and enforces standards for the admission, competency and professional conduct of its members. Twenty-three benches govern the society, including individuals who are not lawyers.
Meanwhile, on Dec. 18, the Ministry of Justice announced that 14 Saskatchewan lawyers — including Lalonde — were receiving the King’s Counsel (K.C.) designation for their contributions to the profession and overall public service.
King’s Counsel appointments are based on recommendations from a selection committee consisting of Saskatchewan’s Justice minister and attorney general, the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal or Chief Justice of the Court of King’s Bench, and past presidents of the Saskatchewan branch of the Canadian Bar Association and Law Society of Saskatchewan.
Lalonde graduated with distinction from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2000 and began her law practice at Neil & Jeanson in Unity before joining the Moose Jaw Legal Aid office as a staff solicitor in 2008. Since 2014, her practice has been exclusively in criminal defence, including duty counsel work.
Lalonde has been a bencher since 2018 and has served on several committees, including the King’s Counsel Selection Committee. She chaired the conduct investigation committee from 2022-23 and the competency committee from 2021-23.
Her volunteer work has included serving on the board of directors for Diversified Services, on the Phoenix Academy Community Council, and volunteering with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan.
Law Society appointment
Lalonde is excited to continue working with the LSS as president, which is a one-year term commencing Monday, Jan. 1, 2024, and concluding on Dec. 31, 2024, she said by email.
She said she will work with the board and LSS staff to build consensus around the organization’s six primary goals, which include strengthening regulations; enhancing competency; increasing diversity, inclusion and equity; advancing truth and reconciliation; increasing access to justice; and increasing wellness in the profession.
“One other area of importance is the impact of artificial intelligence on the profession and we intend to provide guidelines to the profession around AI in the new year,” she continued. “As president, I will also have the privilege of representing the Law Society of Saskatchewan at the national Federation of Law Societies’ conference in 2024.”
Lalonde added that 2024 marks her sixth year on the board, and though she will remain on as past president in 2025, that’s also the last year she can serve on the board.
King’s Counsel designation
Lalonde said she was grateful to have made the list of King’s Counsel appointees, especially since there are many other deserving lawyers whom the ministry considered. This designation was also a surprise since she only found out when the province published the news release.
She explained that lawyers who have the K.C. designation can go to the “front of the line” in court and have their clients handled relatively quickly. Moreover, lawyers will now refer to her as “my learned friend” in court instead of “my friend.”
“It is an honour to share this designation with Saskatchewan lawyers (who) I respect and who have made significant contributions to the legal profession,” she added. “That includes Mervyn Shaw, K.C., who has been a mentor to me throughout my career at Legal Aid.”
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