Conference agenda

Join us for two days of keynotes, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and practical learning sessions. Several of the panels at this conference have been accredited for professionalism hours.

Additional speakers and session details will be announced as they are confirmed.

Thursday, November 12, 2026

9:10 – 9:15 AM 

The conference will begin with a land acknowledgement delivered by members of PBO’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee. This acknowledgement recognizes the enduring relationships of Indigenous Peoples with the land and reflects our commitment to learning, respect, and reconciliation. 

• Carolyn Grandy – Staff Lawyer, Pro Bono Ontario
• Parissa Manteghi – Volunteer Manager and Hotline Coordinator, Pro Bono Ontario

9:15 – 10:15 AM 

A forward-looking conversation on the role pro bono will play in advancing access to justice over the next two decades. 

Session summary: This opening session will look ahead at the future of pro bono and its role in Canada’s access to justice landscape. Speakers will reflect on what has changed, where legal need is growing, and how the sector can work together to build stronger pathways to justice. 

Moderator: Mary Paterson – Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; Vice Chair, Pro Bono Ontario Board of Directors 

• Christine Laing – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Alberta  
• Jamie Maclaren KC – Executive Director, Access Pro Bono  
• Kirsti McHenry – Executive Director, Pro Bono Ontario 
• Anne-Marie Santorineos – Executive Director, Justice Pro Bono 
• Dominic Sikora – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

10:45 – 12:15 PM 

A discussion on how pro bono can support lawyer development while responding to real legal need.

Session summary: This session will explore how professional development and pro bono can work together. Speakers will consider how structured training, supervision, and practical hands-on file experience can help lawyers build skills while supporting clients and communities.

Moderator: Jane Southren – Founder, Southren Group Inc.; Board Member, Pro Bono Ontario

• Andrew Biteen – National Director, Pro Bono Students Canada 
• Bennett Jensen – Pro Bono Counsel – McCarthy Tétrault LLP
• Katrina Henn – Director of Volunteers & Strategic Partnerships, Pro Bono Ontario 
• Eowynne Noble – Chief People Officer, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP 
• Nicole Teehan – Director of Professional Services, Learning & Development, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP 

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

10:45 – 12:15 PM

A practical session on how firms can develop and strengthen internal pro bono programs. 

Session summary: This session will look at what firms need in place to make pro bono work effective and sustainable. Speakers will discuss internal leadership, program design, lawyer engagement, first-opportunity participation, and the systems that help move pro bono from goodwill to meaningful practice.

Moderator: Yonit Fuhrmann – Deputy Director, Pro Bono Ontario

• Lisa Dewey – Pro Bono Partner, DLA Piper LLP  
• Colleen Hoey – Pro Bono Lead, Dentons Canada LLP  
• Grace Pastine KC – Pro Bono Counsel, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP 
• Brandon Barnes Trickett – Partner, Dentons Canada LLP

This session has been accredited for 30 minutes of Professionalism Content and 30 minutes of EDI Professionalism Content.

10:45 – 12:15 PM 

A non-profit perspective on how law firms and community organizations can build stronger pro bono partnerships. 

Session summary: This session will explore what non-profits are looking for when they partner with law firms and legal volunteers. Speakers will discuss how projects are identified, how partnerships are structured, and what helps pro bono support translate into practical value for organizations and the communities they serve. 

Moderator: Christine Laing – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Alberta 

• Johanna Macdonald – Director, Public Interest and Legal Initiatives, The 519 
• Sarah Pole – Executive Director, Childhood Arrivals Support & Advocacy Centre of Canada

1:30 – 2:30 PM 

A discussion on how individual legal service can reveal systemic issues and contribute to broader change. 

Session summary: This session will explore how direct legal service can identify patterns of injustice and inform systemic advocacy. Speakers will consider examples from consumer law, class actions, government accountability, and public interest advocacy, and discuss how individual cases can point to larger reforms. 

Moderator: Rebecca Jones – Partner, Lenczner Slaght LLP; Pro Bono Ontario Board of Directors 

• Marie Boisvert L’Heureux – Legal Director, Pro Bono Ontario 
• Sarah Eadie – Staff Lawyer, Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC)   
• Mohsen Seddigh – Partner, Sotos LLP 

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

3:00 – 4:30 PM 

A discussion of how legal technology can support pro bono service and access to justice innovation. 

Session summary: This session will explore how legal technology can support the coordination and scaling of pro bono services. Speakers will discuss practical opportunities for legal technology partners, law firms, and access to justice organizations to work together in ways that strengthen service delivery to better support clients and communities. 

Moderator: Julian Perez – Founder, Best Practices Advisory Inc; General Counsel, LifestyleRx; Pro Bono Ontario Board of Directors

• Ed Walters – Vice President, Legal Innovation & Strategy, Clio 
• Tom Macintosh Zheng – Co-founder, Courtready.ca
• Nye Thomas – Executive Director, The Law Commission of Ontario

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

3:00 – 4:30 PM 

A discussion on how non-profits and law firms can work together on technology-enabled access to justice projects. 

Session summary: This session will examine how non-profit organizations, law firms, and technology partners can collaborate on transformational projects. Speakers will discuss how these partnerships are built, what each partner contributes, and how technology can support practical access to justice solutions. 

Moderator: Dominic Sikora – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan 

• Erik Bornmann – Director, Guided Pathways, Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) 
• Scheree Gilchrist – Chief Innovation Officer, Legal Aid of North Carolina
• Jennifer Marston – Director of Legal Innovation & Operations, Pro Bono Ontario 
• Tim Patterson – Staff Lawyer, Edmonton Community Legal Centre (ECLC)

6:00 – 9:00 PM 

Join us for an evening celebrating the individuals, law firms, and organizations advancing access to justice across Canada. The National Pro Bono Awards Gala recognizes outstanding contributions and the transformative impact of pro bono service.

Friday, November 13, 2026

9:10 – 10:10 AM 

A reflection on the growth of formal pro bono in Canada and the people, partnerships and programs that shaped the movement. 

Session summary: This session will celebrate the evolution of formal pro bono and the progress made across Canada’s access to justice landscape. Speakers will reflect on the development of organized pro bono, the lessons learned, and what this history can teach the sector as it looks ahead. 

Chair: Mary Paterson – Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP; Vice Chair, Pro Bono Ontario Board of Directors

• Yonit Fuhrmann – Deputy Director, Pro Bono Ontario 
• Christine Laing – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Alberta  
• Jamie Maclaren KC – Executive Director, Access Pro Bono  
• Anne-Marie Santorineos – Executive Director, Justice Pro Bono 
• Dominic Sikora – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.

10:40 – 11:40 AM 

A practical look at how health justice partnerships are built, evaluated and improved. 

Session summary: The session will examine the nuts and bolts of health justice partnerships, including current issues, systemic needs, success factors, and lessons learned. Speakers will also discuss how programs evolve over time and how impact can be understood within hospitals, communities and legal service settings. 

Moderator: Anne-Marie Santorineos – Executive Director, Justice Pro Bono 

• Dianna Burns – Public Legal Educator, Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia  

• Rosemary Masemann – Triage Lawyer, Pro Bono Ontario at SickKids and Holland Bloorview 

• Amy Slotek – Staff Lawyer and Project Lead, Legal Aid Ontario 

10:40 – 11:40 AM 

A discussion of how ESG, CSR and pro bono priorities can align through health justice partnerships. 

Session summary: This session will explore how firms can start, strengthen and sustain participation in health justice partnerships. Speakers will discuss how pro bono can connect with ESG and CSR priorities while remaining grounded in access to justice, community need and practical legal support. 

Moderator: Adrian Ishak – Partner, Piccolo Heath LLP; PBO Board of Directors 

• Michelle Lomack – Senior Director of Communications, DEI and Community Impact, Staples Canada 
• Dr. Nav Persaud – Director, MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions; Canada Research
• Jennifer Rosart – Director, Patient + Family Experience, The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)

10:40 – 11:40 AM 

A showcase of firm-led involvement in pro bono partnerships and related access to justice initiatives 

Session summary: This session will explore how law firms are advancing access to justice through pro bono partnerships and collaborative community initiatives. Speakers will reflect on their experiences developing and sustaining these partnerships, the impact of their initiatives and key lessons learned along the way. 

Moderator: Christine Laing – Executive Director, Pro Bono Law Alberta 

• Matt Cohen – Advisor, Pro Bono & Charitable Giving, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP 
• Robert Jackson – Partner, Gowling WLG 
• Emily MacKinnon – Partner, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP 
• Anna Marrison – Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP; Pro Bono Ontario Board of Directors

12:50 – 1:50PM

An examination of how everyday legal problems affect people, communities, public systems, and the broader economy. 

Session summary: This session will explore how legal problems related to housing, employment, debt, family, benefits, immigration and consumer issues can affect health, income, safety, and stability. Speakers will consider the broader social and economic impact of unmet legal need and why timely legal help matters beyond the individual case. 

Moderator: Kirsti McHenry – Executive Director, Pro Bono Ontario 

• Ab Currie – Senior Research Fellow, Canadian Forum on Civil Justice 
• Debbie Klein – Executive Director, Edmonton Community Legal Centre 
• Jennifer Leitch – Executive Director, National Self-Represented Litigants Project 
  

This session has been accredited for 1 hour of Professionalism Content.