About Archives
Mandate
The Law Society of Upper Canada Archives was established in 1982 to ensure the preservation of the heritage of the legal profession in Ontario. The Archives serves as the repository for all records of permanent value to the Law Society of Upper Canada. The Archives accepts donations from external sources of material significant to the legal profession in Ontario. In addition, the Archives acts as an information resource centre to Law Society staff, the legal profession and the public.
Access
Please be aware that not all records are open for public access. Restrictions may apply when required by a donor, where access affects rights of privacy, where records contain confidential business information, or due to poor physical condition. Researchers must contact the Archives prior to their visit to identify whether the records they are interested in are open to research. In many cases, a visit may not be necessary, as Archives staff may be able to answer your question directly. Material can be researched on-site by appointment only.
Hours of Operation
Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. by appointment
Contact Information
The Law Society of Upper Canada Archives
Osgoode Hall
130 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
M5H 2N6
Telephone: 416-947-3320
E-mail: archref@lsuc.on.ca
Staff Directory
Paul Leatherdale, Archivist
Information on donations; information on the archival collections; photograph orders.
Phone: 416-947-3320
E-mail: pleather@lsuc.on.ca
For general research inquiries, please contact archref@lsuc.on.ca
For information on the history and architecture of Osgoode Hall, the Law Society’s art and artifact collections, to arrange a tour of the building, or to borrow an exhibition, contact Elise Brunet, Curator, at 416-947-4041 or e-mail ebrunet@lsuc.on.ca.
What's New
The Archives of the Law Society of Upper Canada is on Flickr!
Check out the Archives’ photostream on Flickr. We have posted historical images from the Archives’ collection of over 80,000 photographs. Please leave us your comments and suggestions. We will be adding new images on a regular basis, so remember to keep visiting the site.
This month marks the 115th anniversary of the call to the Bar of Clara Brett Martin (1874-1923), the first female lawyer in the British Commonwealth. This agreement documents the arrangement with her articling principal, William Nicholas Miller of the firm Mulock, Miller, Crowther and Montgomery, in Toronto.
Law Society of Upper Canada Archives, Herbert A. Clark fonds, “Articles of clerkship for Clara Brett Martin”, 994133-001.
