Susan E. Opler brings the skills of an experienced lawyer, adjudicator, mediator and educator to her role as the City of Toronto’s Ombudsman.
Most recently, she was honoured by the Law Society of Upper Canada with the prestigious Laura Legge Award, which is awarded to “a woman lawyer in Ontario who has exemplified leadership within the profession."
Ms. Opler began her legal career after earning a BA from McGill in 1982 and a LL.B. from the University of Toronto in 1985. For many years, she worked as an associate and partner at McCarthy Tétrault, and prosecuted criminal cases as an Assistant Crown Attorney while on leave from the firm for a year.
For many years, she was a Member and Vice Chair of the Consent and Capacity Board, which reviews involuntary commitment to Ontario’s psychiatric facilities. Ms. Opler chaired hearings involving mental health, and substitute decision-making. She was a key leader in the Board’s administration, designing and overseeing its community outreach and the training and evaluation of members.
Starting in 2013, Ms. Opler also served as an adjudicator on the Hearings and Appeals Divisions of the Law Society Tribunal, where she presided over hearings into the professional conduct of both lawyers and paralegals, among other things. She was actively involved in mediation and case management there, and played a critical role in significantly reducing the overall number of hearing days.
A recognized expert in teaching adjudication skills, Ms. Opler was a lead instructor with the Society of Ontario Adjudicators and Regulators and with Osgoode Professional Development. Over more than a decade, she has taught adjudicators, justices of the peace, judges and other decision-makers, both in Canada and internationally.
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