Frank DeMont named president of Barristers’ Society

A New Glasgow lawyer is the new president of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.

Frank DeMont QC assumed the role following the 2018 NSBS annual meeting and professional development program in June.

DeMont will be joined in the executive role by officers John Bodurtha of Halifax, serving as first vice-president and Carrie Ricker of Halifax, second-vice president.

In his address to the society, DeMont outlined priorities for the year ahead, such as further work on trust account reform, legal services support, the new succession planning requirement, outcomes measurement and a heightened focus on equity issues and access to legal services.

DeMont is the sole practitioner at DeMont Law, with a current focus on his arbitration and mediation practice in both labour and commercial matters. He has been New Glasgow’s town solicitor for more than a decade. Previous experience includes being a staff lawyer at Nova Scotia Legal Aid for five years and a partner in a small firm for 11 years. Elected to council in 2015, he is chair of the Code of Professional Conduct Committee and also currently serves on the society’s executive, finance and governance and nominating committees. He is vice-chair of the Nova Scotia Labour Board and a member of the minister’s list of arbitrators. He has been a board member for the Alternative Dispute Resolution Atlantic Institute (ADRAI), the Weeks Hockey Organization and Nova Scotia Major Midget Hockey League.

There were 62 new lawyers admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in June.

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