In May, Melissa Kluger, the founder and publisher of Precedent Magazine and The Precedent A-List, received the Law Society Medal. One of Ontario’s most prestigious legal prizes, the medal recognizes lawyers “who have made a significant contribution to the profession.”
In its formal announcement, the Law Society of Ontario applauded Kluger for her long-standing commitment to legal journalism: “Her work has provided the profession with something new and refreshing—a stylish publication that celebrates lawyers of all backgrounds. Melissa has always prioritized high-quality investigative journalism on topics like mental health, access to justice, addiction, diversity and reconciliation.” The announcement went on to note that Kluger “has filled a journalistic void in Ontario’s legal world and has done so with professionalism and integrity.”
After Kluger graduated from law school at the University of Toronto, in 2001, she articled at Cassels and then practised in media law at a small firm. In 2007, she founded Law and Style Media Inc., which publishes both Precedent Magazine and The Precedent A-List.
Rebecca Durcan, a bencher at the Law Society of Ontario, presents Precedent founder Melissa Kluger with the Law Society Medal
Since its inception, Precedent has produced deeply reported and carefully fact-checked journalism. The magazine appeared in print until 2024, when it transitioned to a fully digital model. Under Kluger’s leadership, Precedent has won a wide range of industry awards, including Best Magazine at the National Magazine Awards (B2B)—the country’s highest honour in the world of trade media.
Launched in 2010, The Precedent A-List is a unique website for career announcements and job opportunities for lawyers. For 15 years, Kluger has combined her editorial expertise and digital savvy to build a popular platform that continues to serve its target audience.
In her acceptance speech, Kluger looked back on the early days of her publishing career. “When I launched Precedent Magazine, I wanted to put a fresh spin on the profession,” she said. “It was 2007, a time pretty much before social media. There weren’t a lot of ways for young lawyers to connect. The traditional industry magazines were very practice-focused and tended to highlight the more senior members of the bar. I wanted to do something different. I wanted to make a magazine that included more junior lawyers and that would make the profession better.”
Kluger also described how much she has enjoyed covering the best of the legal community. “We highlight up-and-coming lawyers who deserve recognition,” she said. “I have been so proud to watch some of the lawyers we profiled early in their careers go on to become judges, managing partners, general counsel and tech-company founders.”
Finally, she thanked the Law Society for honouring her unconventional career path: “As someone who left private practice very early in my career to start my own company and publish a magazine, I don’t fit the mould of a traditional lawyer. And it is for this reason that I am especially grateful to the Law Society for recognizing my unique contribution to the profession.”
Portrait of Melissa Kluger by Nick Wong. Photograph of Kluger and Rebecca Durcan courtesy of the Law Society of Ontario.