Q&A with Canadian Black Lawyers Association’s Andrew Alleyne

13 December 2011 No Comments

Andrew Alleyne

By Samuel Getachew

The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers is on the move with a newly elected executive. Sway catches up with the new president, Andrew Alleyne, as he reflects on his rich personal journey in law and looks ahead as the head of the 15-year-old organization.

Going back some 20 years, it was rare to find a black lawyer who is a partner of such an exclusive firm. It must be a great milestone to be a partner of Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP. Tell us about your journey so far.

I prefer to think of Faskens as a prestigious law firm (if that is not too biased in favour of my firm) rather than an exclusive one. Certainly going back into the long history of the firm and of other influential Bay Street firms they would have been places that excluded not only black lawyers but also lawyers who did not share many common characteristics. For example there were firms that hired only Protestants, those that hired only Catholics, firms that did not include a female partner until the 1980s and so on.

In the past 20 years our Bay Street firms have become more diverse, though we all have a very long way to go towards becoming fully representative of the community. For example, in my Toronto office we have three black partners that are three of the only 18 black partners that the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers was aware of as late as last September when we gathered to toast the achievements of the black partners on Bay Street. Of the hundreds of partners of the firms represented at that event, 18 is a small number but placed in the perspective that in the early 1990s there may have only been two or three black partners on Bay Street, I would say that there has been improvement.

Why did you decide to pursue law as a career?

From an early age I was fascinated with what I understood to be the practice of law. Like many at the time I regularly watched legal dramas where intrepid lawyers fought tooth and nail for justice for their clients or for society. I wanted to have a similar career. However, I also had a strong interest in business, in fact I obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and through a series of part time jobs I was also drawn into the world of Information Technology.

At the time, like many students I did not really have an appreciation for what the practice of law would entail; my picture was the fictionalized one from TV dramas. I was pleasantly surprised in law school and when I started at Fasken’s as a student how my corporate/commercial practice would allow me to combine my undergraduate and law degrees.

Tell us about some of the initiatives you would like to pursue as the president of CABL?

This year marked the 15th anniversary of CABL. In the past 15 years CABL has made great strides in becoming a strong and vibrant association representing the diverse interests of our community but there are many challenges that face us. Some of the challenges for the near term include strengthening our chapters outside of Ontario and ensuring that black law students have a good chance to find articles and be called to the bar. In addition, a large part of our mandate is education.

Why is the legal system still an attractive career option for young people?

Becoming a lawyer is a lot of hard work but a law degree still represents an excellent grounding for your career. There is a wide array of law jobs available to young graduates, from traditional practice in corporate law or litigation, to academic pursuits, to regulatory roles, to public interest advocacy. As a career option, law still opens doors for young people, offering an opportunity to make real change in our communities.

Share with us your work with CTV in the acquisition of the once only black owned radio station in Toronto?

Unfortunately I can’t give you many details about my clients or their transactions. All I can say is that CTV, now part of Bell Media, is a great client to have worked with over the years and that transaction was an exciting one. Like many in our community I listened to Flow and continue to listen to them so it was a very interesting experience to be involved in a file that not only impacted on my client’s interest but also on my day to day life.

For those considering law school, what advice would you have for them?

Law school is a great option for many students and I encourage more of our young people to try it. High tuition has been considered a barrier to many in our community over the past 10 years or so but law school is still a great option that should be pursued. There are lots of resources and scholarships out there for you if you just look for them. But as I have said before you have to do your research, come and talk to a CABL member, try www.cabl.ca, talk to current law students through organizations like the Black Law Students Association of Canada www.blsacanada.ca.

There is no substitute for a first hand impression.