REPEALING “THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES”

In 2016, a strange kind of disaster struck the profession. The Law Society of Ontario passed a radical requirement that every lawyer, every year, had to declare that they would live by and promote a certain political doctrine.

After a year of agonizing, the firm’s principal Murray Klippenstein concluded that he would not practice as a member of the supposedly independent bar if the governing body of his profession was going to force him to annually sign a declaration of ideological commitment – no matter what its content. Klippenstein decided he had to defy the Law Society and prepare for disbarment, including, sadly, by winding down his successful law firm. So that’s what he did.

Then, as a last attempt to defend freedom of thought in his profession, Klippenstein ran for Bencher in the 2019 Law Society election with a group of fellow concerned professionals. In a stunning development, Klippenstein was elected a bencher, garnering more votes than any other Toronto candidate, alongside the victory of every candidate who took a similar stand.

As the elected Regional Toronto Bencher, Klippenstein helped lead the repeal of the repugnant compulsory “Statement of Principles”, and has been working hard for freedom and integrity and competence in the profession ever since.

You can read the story of this stand for true professionalism here, and the news report of his election here.

Since then, in addition to diligently carrying out his Bencher duties, Klippenstein has continued his practice as a sole practitioner.