This profile was written by David Williams Watson, a law student at Osgoode Hall Law School.
From practicing corporate law in New York City to becoming the Dean of the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Law, Frank Iacobucci is a man who’s seen it all.
He’s climbed multiple professional mountains – peaks that most would be satisfied to reach once in their career. But Iacobucci doesn’t rest. He accomplished all of this before he became a renowned judge for the Supreme Court of Canada with a tenure lasting almost 15 years.
Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Iacobucci came from humble beginnings. He was the child of two working class Italian immigrants who came to Canada in search of a better life. His parents never had any formal education, and in high school, Iacobucci found himself alongside his father working hard in a steel foundry. His parents always pressured him to get an education. They wanted him to build a better life for himself than they were able to offer. Nothing was given to him on a silver platter.
These humble beginnings were the foundation of a relentless work ethic that allowed him to climb the mountains of the legal profession and stake his rightful place at the top.
Iacobucci cherishes his Italian heritage. Growing up, he was inspired by the story of Angelo Branca, a British Columbia Supreme Court and Court of Appeals judge. Branca had Italian working-class parents just as Iacobucci did. He built a name for himself for being “the friend of the little guy”. Branca would defend local bootleggers and would do tons of pro bono work. Iacobucci has cited Branca as the catalyst that made him pursue a career in law. It is often said that you can tell the character of a man by who inspires them. One can assume that Frank never would have been fulfilled if he stayed in New York City his whole career. He wanted to make an impact. He wanted to serve the public just as Branca did.
Upon retiring from his successful career in the Supreme Court of Canada, Iacobucci wasn’t done.
He was asked by the government to conduct landmark reports that altered the Canadian legal landscape. In 2013, he authored a report detailing the systemic underrepresentation of First Nations people on jury roles. This shed light on the continued dysfunctional relationship between the justice system and Indigenous people. After a controversial Toronto police shooting in 2013, Iacobacci made a report offering 84 recommendations on how the Police Service could improve their interactions with people suffering from mental illness. Even in his retirement, he continued to serve the public and attempt to make improvements to the justice system. These reports just scratch the surface of the contributions that Frank has offered throughout his career.
The story of Frank Iacobucci is one of persistence and adaptability.
He was never tied down to a certain area of law. He was strong in his convictions and never heeded to the temptations that a cushy corporate law firm job could offer. With his work ethic and moral compass, he made strong contributions in every facet of law that he touched. For this, he is a great example of a lawyer who made it a priority to find purpose and fulfillment in his career.