The Hon. Allan Rock

This interview traces Allan Rock’s legal career from his early days as a University of Ottawa law student through his service as Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1992-1993. Rock articulates with John Sopinka at Fasken Calvin before becoming a Law Society Bencher in 1983, where he focused particularly on legal education reform and modernizing the profession’s governance.

As a Bencher, Rock played a key role in resolving conflicts between the Law Society and law schools over curriculum requirements, advocating for a more flexible approach that respected law schools’ academic independence while ensuring practical preparation for practice. He served on numerous committees including Legal Education, Professional Conduct, and Discipline, and was instrumental in developing the Law Society’s specialization certification program in the early 1990s.

Rock’s tenure as Treasurer was marked by efforts to modernize Convocation procedures, improve efficiency, and promote equitable access to the legal profession. He emphasizes throughout the interview his view that the Law Society’s primary function is governing the profession in the public interest, distinguishing this role from advocacy organizations like the CBA. His year as Treasurer ended when he decided to enter federal politics, ultimately serving as a Cabinet minister under Jean Chrétien.

This description was written by AI and may contain some inaccuracies.