Suzanne Jeanson, a Legal Aid lawyer in Moose Jaw, has been named the vice-president of the Law Society of Saskatchewan (LSS) for 2023.
Jeanson’s peers elected her to the position during the LSS’s convocation in December. Those same electors also voted for Andrea Argue, K.C., as the group’s new president for this year.
The Law Society of Saskatchewan regulates the legal profession, which consists of more than 2,000 lawyers actively practising law in the province. It sets and enforces standards for the admission, competency and professional conduct of its members. The society is governed by 23 benchers, including individuals who are not lawyers.
“I feel excited about becoming the vice-president,” Jeanson said by email. “My term will run until Dec. 31, 2023, at which time I will have the opportunity to move into the role of president of the Law Society.”
Jeanson has been on the LSS’s board of directors since 2018. She explained that she put her name forward for vice-president because she wanted to learn more about the regulation of the legal profession and to give back through volunteering.
“In my four years on the board, I have broadened my education on issues such as professional governance, lawyer competency and professional discipline,” she said.
“I have been lucky to do this work together with lawyers who practise across the province and have diverse backgrounds and areas of practice. This has allowed me to learn so much about professional standards and issues that face the legal profession.”
Jeanson graduated from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2000. She began her law practice in Unity before joining the Moose Jaw Legal Aid office in 2008. Since 2014, her work has been exclusively in criminal defence, including duty counsel work.
Since 2018, she has served on several committees, including the future of legal services, competency, conduct investigation, and the King’s Counsel selection committee. She has chaired the competency committee since 2021 and chaired the conduct investigation committee since 2022.
Meanwhile, Jeanson’s volunteer work in the community has included serving on the board of directors for Diversified Services, on the Phoenix Academy community council and volunteering with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan.
Jeanson told the Express that she is excited to gain executive training by joining the Law Society’s board and wants to continue to work with the organization’s staff to advance important issues such as access to justice, diversity in the profession and professional competency.
“The Law Society of Saskatchewan is truly a leader nationally in these areas and I am privileged to be a part of the work they do,” she said.
Jeanson knew at a young age — she was about 10 — that she wanted to enter the law profession, especially since being an advocate for people who are marginalized appealed to her. She also wanted to help people navigate the legal system.
“To me, criminal law is just so interesting. I love being in court, I love a good argument, and as a criminal defence lawyer, I get to be in court almost every day,” she continued.
The most rewarding experience that Jeanson has had as a lawyer has been helping clients overcome serious obstacles. This has included successfully defending people against serious criminal charges or helping them obtain a sentence that provides resources for dealing with an addiction or other mental health challenges.
