Steinbach lawyer heads up Law Society of Manitoba
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This article was published 06/07/2021 (1406 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Grant Driedger, partner at Smith Neufeld Jodin LLC law firm (SNJ), is stepping into bigger shoes as the president of The Law Society of Manitoba (LSM).
The Law Society is the independent regulator of the legal profession in Manitoba, comprised of 25 board members called the benchers.
Driedger served as the vice-president last year and traditionally the vice-president gets elected as the president said Driedger.
“In theory, they could have a little uprising, but it’s not what typically happens.”
Driedger got democratically chosen to serve a one-year term and said it’s an organization where benchers tend to operate fairly collaboratively.
As the president working with benchers, Driedger said a significant part of law society function is admitting new lawyers, being gatekeepers to make sure standards are there, and dealing with the disciplinary side of things.
Driedger said they’re working on initiatives such as adding more diversity into the law field and providing easier access to justice.
“There is a sense some people are not able to access legal services very effectively and we’re trying to work on ways to expand that,” said Driedger.
“These topics didn’t suddenly pop up, these things have been increasingly important over the past number of years.”
This summer, Driedger will also be on the judicial appointment committee, screening for judges’ positions.
This is the third time an SNJ lawyer has become an LSM president and he credits the firm’s strong sense of engagement in the community for it.
Driedger said there is a certain sense of obligation that has him feeling humbled and honoured.
“The goal really is to regulate the legal profession in a way that’s advancing public interests.”
Driedger graduated from the University of Manitoba Faculty of Law in 2001 and has been practicing law since he got called to the bar in 2002.
He specializes in civil and administrative litigation, real estate, wills, and estate matters.