What people say

Jonathan is, as advertised— hardworking, dedicated and energetic. He has a real feel for what younger members of the bar face in our dynamic marketplace. Although happily, I haven’t needed his services on the criminal side of the practice, I have had the opportunity of teaching with him in many venues, including training crown attorneys in Alberta, law students in the US, young practitioners in Ontario.  He believes in what we do and he spends a lot of volunteer hours training others in the belief that the better we all are at what we do, the better it is for our profession.  I have all the confidence that he will continue to work as hard as a bencher in the future as he has in the past.  He will continue to bring perspectives and ideas especially in the areas of access to justice and professional regulation.

Sheila Block, Partner, Torys

As one of the great contributors to the legal profession, it is no surprise that Jonathan has been a dedicated and thoughtful bencher over the last four years.

Malcolm Mercer
Partner, McCarthy Tétrault LLP

Jonathan is a strong voice for promoting access to justice and transparency at the Law Society.  As a very committed bencher, he advocates strongly for ensuring competence in the profession.  His experience as a criminal lawyer brings an invaluable and critical lens to Convocation. He was one of the hardest working Benchers during my time as treasurer.  I cannot endorse Jonathan more strongly.

Paul Schabas, Blakes

Jonathan Rosenthal is a compassionate and dedicated advocate whose clear and progressive voice has made a significant contribution to our profession. He has earned my unqualified endorsement and deserves your support.

Brian Greenspan

 I am proud to support Jonathan Rosenthal’s candidacy for re-election as a bencher. Jonathan has worked tirelessly for all aspects of the profession. He is a strong voice at convocation and his community efforts are tremendous. I have also had the pleasure of working with Jonathan and witnessed his incredible fundraising efforts in support of the Lawyers Feed the Hungry Program. I strongly endorse his re-election as a bencher.

Ian Hull

 For those who know me well, they know I wouldn’t endorse someone if I didn’t truly think (s)he would be a great Bencher.  It is my pleasure to once again endorse Jonathan Rosenthal for re-election as Bencher.  Jonathan worked as endlessly hard as a bencher as he has in the past in other endeavours.  He continued to advance many important issues to our Bar.  All lawyers would be very fortunate to have him as one of our Benchers again.  Jonathan has my vote.  I hope he has yours.

Brian Heller, Partner Heller Roubel

 I am pleased to endorse Jonathan Rosenthal once again for re-election as Bencher.  Jonathan is a respected and leading member of the criminal defence bar and a past Vice-President of the Ontario Criminal Lawyer’s Association.  His leadership and commitment to the profession, and to education within our profession, is well known and respected.  Jonathan brings energy and commitment to key challenges facing our profession, especially those of sole practitioners, including education, professional regulation, access to justice, diversity and mentoring.    His voice has been critical in Convocation on these issues and will continue to be so on the significant issues that face the legal profession in the years ahead.

Isfahan Merali, Tribunal Counsel, Consent & Capacity Board

 Jonathan Rosenthal is one of the best teachers I have worked with — best from the standpoint of the consuming advocates to be. Jonathan is a skilled lawyer who understands the judicial process and the skills necessary to be a competent, compassionate, and ethical advocate.  He is generous to a fault in sharing his time and talents with young lawyers.
Jonathan would bring fresh insights and a generous sense of humour to the law society governance of lawyers in Ontario.

James Seckinger, Professor, University of Notre Dame Law School

In the many years, Jonathan has been a child advocate with Beyond Borders, the qualities I look for in volunteers have in Jonathan’s case always been surpassed. Jonathan works always pro bono, always with chutzpah, always with integrity, and most importantly always with an enormous amount of success. He has never once let us down no matter the challenge. Thanks to Jonathan, the entire way Canada deals with global child sexual offenders has been upgraded both through legislation and policy.

Ros Prober, Founder and President Beyond Borders, ECPAT Canada

I enthusiastically endorse Jonathan Rosenthal for re-election as Bencher of the Law Society. Anyone who knows Jonathan knows that he is a true leader—in legal education; in the criminal defence bar; and, as he has shown over the last four years, in the broader legal profession. He has been among the most progressive benchers that we’ve had. Among other things, he has strongly supported initiatives to address the challenges faced by racialized licensees, and vigorously resisted misguided efforts to roll back those initiatives. Above all else, he’s a wonderful human being. We need him at the Law Society for another term.

Gerald Chan, partner Stockwoods 

 It is a personal and professional privilege for me to enthusiastically support Jonathan Rosenthal’s candidacy for re-election as a Bencher.  Jonathan is hard-working and diligent.  He has an extremely acute sense of what works and what doesn’t.  His practical approach to the resolution of difficult problems bespeaks a heavy dose of common sense – which is in short supply in today’s legal profession.  This common sense and Jonathan’s hard work made him a highly successful Bencher.  These attributes will continue to serve the profession well when he is re‑elected.

Jonathan has always conducted himself with civility and professionalism.  He did not require the Law Society to teach him how to behave!  He is also smart and fully dedicated to whatever he takes on.  In addition, Jonathan is insightful, personable and generous in assisting professional colleagues, law students and members of the public and he gives freely of his time in doing so.

Jonathan has already made a very significant contribution to our profession by teaching advocacy skills to a generation of lawyers and law students at Osgoode Hall Law School, Notre Dame Law School and at other academic and professional institutions in Canada and internationally.  Each summer for the last 19 years, Jonathan has devoted a full week of his time to teach as a team leader at the Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop (I.T.A.W. run by Osgoode Hall Law School).  This is a highly demanding role for the instructors as it requires tremendous stamina and focus for the full 6 teaching days of the program.  I.T.A.W. is the premier advocacy training program for lawyers in Canada.  To a large extent I.T.A.W. is as successful as it is, because of dedicated and indefatigable team leaders like Jonathan.  Jonathan’s loyalty to I.T.A.W. is borne out repeatedly in everything that he takes on.

Jonathan has made a significant contribution to the profession in his first term as Bencher.  I am fully confident that he will continue to do so when he is re-elected.

I fully endorse Jonathan’s candidacy for re-election and urge others to do the same.

Frank Gomberg, Partner Teplitsky Colson

I have had the pleasure of knowing Jonathan for over twenty years. Throughout that time I have sought his advice on many personal and professional issues. He is a reliable friend, a relentless advocate and a trusted teacher and mentor. He is loyal and passionate about the law and our legal community, including issues affecting younger members of the Bar. It is my pleasure to endorse Jonathan for a second term as bencher.

Jared Schwartz, Partner Fogler Rubinoff LLP

For the last 16 years I have taught law students and trained lawyers in Canada and the U.S. with Jonathan.  I know him well through this work, through our charity work on behalf of the homeless, and through his advocacy for children’s right.  He is truly a fearless advocate – never hesitant to stand up for the underdog. He is also one of the most passionate and compassionate lawyers I know.  For the last four years, he has brought those passions to his tireless work as a bencher.  I hope he will be elected so he can continue to do so.

Sandra Barton

Jonathan has taught hundreds if not thousands of young lawyers in Osgoode’s Intensive Trial Advocacy Workshop and has been actively engaged in the program’s continuous improvement for many years.  He is passionate, a generous team-player and deeply committed to helping young lawyers and improving the justice system in Ontario.  His energy, creativity and enthusiasm would be real assets to Convocation.

Victoria Watkins, Executive Director, Osgoode Professional Development, Osgoode Hall Law School

Jonathan is not only a respected and accomplished member of the Bar but has been a remarkable mentor and teacher to generations of young litigators.  I first encountered Jonathan as my coach at the Osgoode Trial Advocacy Course about a decade ago.  Jonathan was unrelenting yet compassionate and gave it his all to bring out the best in each of us. Jonathan brings the same qualities of industry, conviction and perseverance to his duties as a bencher.  As a longstanding advocate of diversity and equity, I unreservedly support his candidacy.

Jayashree Goswami, Immediate Past Chair, Roundtable of Diversity Associations, Senior Counsel, Intact Insurance 

This is an important election – and Jonathan offers that rare combination of both experience and the kinds of insights that can carry our profession into the future.

Scott Hutchison, Henein Hutchison LLP

I am delighted to endorse Jonathan Rosenthal’s re-election as a Bencher of the Law Society of Ontario. Given Jonathan’s active role as a current Bencher, his years of work on behalf of clients in the criminal justice system, his active and long-time efforts in legal education, and his devotion to student and lawyer mentoring, Jonathan has spent his professional life immersed in many of the pressing access to justice, regulatory, diversity and innovation issues that face lawyers and the profession today. Since first being elected, Jonathan has taken his work as a Bencher incredibly seriously as an active contributor to many LSO committees and initiatives. Given the important issues that are now facing lawyers and the public, the profession in this province needs the dedication, experience, judgment, and vision of Benchers like Jonathan to lead the LSO at this important time.

Trevor C.W. Farrow, Ph.D.
Professor & Associate Dean (Academic)
Osgoode Hall Law School, York University