Bruce LeRose, President, Law Society of B.C.

Bruce LeRose, Law Society of B.C. | BCBusiness

After 30 years as a lawyer, Bruce LeRose steps up as the new president of the Law Society of B.C.

Bruce LeRose is at a turning point in his legal career. A lawyer for 30 years, the B.C. native has served as a board member for the Law Society of B.C. for the past eight years, but this year LeRose has stepped up as the 2012 president of the 128-year-old organization. The position is important for him, but even more so for his hometown of Trail; LeRose is the first president from the Kootenay region, and focusing on rural communities is at the top of his agenda.

You recently began your year-long presidency with the Law Society of B.C. How is being president different from acting on the board?
It’s different being president by virtue of the fact that you’re involved on a day-to-day basis in the governance and in the operations of the Law Society, which as a board member you’re not. Really, it’s almost a full-time job. It’s being involved and engaged whether it’s the communications department or various issues that arise in the regulatory department. The president is really engaged in all of those issues.

The Law Society is headquartered in Vancouver, but your practice – Thompson, LeRose and Brown – is in Trail. How has that worked logistically?
We’re essentially situated in Vancouver. We’re living there, but every second Friday I try to get back to Trail and stay until the following Wednesday. It’s really juggling two full-time jobs. I’m still heavily engaged in our practice as best I can. I have a number of very experienced assistants that work for me, and they help me in being able to meet my clients’ needs, while at the same time fulfilling my obligations to the Law Society.

You attended law school at UBC before moving back to your hometown of Trail to practice. Why was that?
I was fortunate enough to gain articles at the very firm that I am now the managing partner of, so I’ve been here virtually 30 years with the same firm. I moved back for a number of reasons. First and foremost, most of my family lives here – I was born and raised here. I love the people of Trail and I love the area. I really have no regrets from a professional point of view. We have a firm that was established in 1948, and it has provided me with all of the professional intrigue and stimulation that one would need.

Are rural communities of particular interest and importance to you?
They very much are an interest to me both as a practitioner but also as the president of the Law Society. The demographic trend is twofold: one, it’s an aging demographic in all professions, including the profession of law, and we see that there are fewer younger lawyers wanting to work in the rural areas. There are really declining numbers working in rural areas, which creates a vacuum in terms of access to legal services. That is a big concern of mine. The second sociological factor is the urbanization of the country. There’s a flock of people, particularly young people, moving to urban centres leaving more rural centres with less folk. So those are two major issues. That’s just happening; we have to accept it. It’s a matter of what solutions we come up with to ensure that rural areas continue to be well served by all professions, including lawyers.

What are your main priorities in the coming year as president of the Law Society?
The benchers, which are the board of directors for the Law Society, are undertaking a governance review at the board level. I’m chairing that task force that’s going to take an already splendid organization and hopefully create a game plan for even more effective and efficient governance. The second important task that I wish to undertake in my presidency is to get out and explain the good work that the Law Society of B.C. does. The Law Society is a regulator of the legal profession, but it does so solely and exclusively for the public interest. It’s all about how we regulate lawyers, how we license lawyers and how we do that in the public interest. The mandate of the Law Society is to be an effective regulator of the legal profession, but exclusively in the public interest.

You are the first president to come out of the Kootenay region.
That’s right. The Law Society was incorporated as a society under a provincial statute back in 1884 and I’m the first president from the Kootenay county in the 128-year history, hence my desire to facilitate and assist in whatever ways possible to help with access to legal services, particularly in rural areas.

You’ve served on many committees and boards over the years, not just in connection with the Law Society. Is there a reason why you’ve been so involved in the legal community throughout your career?
I think that my profession has been very good and very kind to me, so I’m grateful. I may be somewhat naive, but I really believe that public service is the highest form of service. Having served in many, many capacities in Trail in the public forum, it was just a natural progression for me to try and give something back to my profession . . . and I enjoy the work immensely. It’s a great educational experience for me.

Your term lasts only a year. How will you be involved in the Law Society after that is up?
After you’re president, you’re done. You may serve on a committee, but you’re no longer on the board of directors. There’ll be someone who will take my place, and that’s as it should be. I’m a big believer in renewal.