Laurie H. Pawlitza is a partner focusing on family law. She acts in disputes involving high incomes, significant property, and custody and access issues. Her practice includes mediation and arbitration. She appears in courts at the trial and appellate levels. Between 2010 and 2012, she was elected as 63rd treasurer (president) of the Law Society of Ontario, the regulator governing all lawyers and paralegals in Ontario. She was only the third woman to hold this office since the Law Society was founded in 1797. She was an elected bencher (director) of the Law Society of Ontario (2003–12). She co-chaired the Justicia Project, aimed at advancing women lawyers within the profession, a project that has now been adopted by several other provincial law societies. She was elected to the Council of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association, based in London, UK. In 2012, she was named by Canadian Lawyer as one of the "Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada" and received an honourary doctorate from the Law Society of Ontario for her work, particularly on the Justicia Project. She writes and speaks on issues relating to family law, professionalism, legal education, and women's issues in the profession. She has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in Canada.
