Lee Akazaki’s election as president of the Ontario Bar Association is the latest in an emerging and encouraging trend — that of underrepresented subsets of the legal community ascending to prominent positions of influence.
Akazaki, an associate at Gilbertson Davis Emerson LLP who’s fluent in both of Canada’s official languages, was born in Japan. His tenure as OBA president comes hot on the heels of two women appointed to top Canadian legal posts: new Advocates Society President Marie Heinen, and incoming Law Society Treasurer Laurie Pawlitza. (Obama’s two Supreme Court appointments haven’t hurt the cause, either.)
In an OBA press release, Akazaki identifies three of his key goals for the organization, including a focus on preserving “the legal profession’s culture of continuous learning and diversity.” It’s a crucial aim, certainly, but recent appointments like his indicate that the legal community’s concerted efforts to promote equality are indeed having an effect.