William M. Trudell, Chair

Mr. Trudell attended the University of Windsor, first graduating class and was called to the Bar in 1973. From 1973 – 1976, he practiced law with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt in Toronto. Since 1977, he has been in private practice in Toronto. He is certified as a Specialist in Criminal Litigation and represents lawyers before the Law Society of Upper Canada regarding matters of Discipline, Admission and Re-admission.

From 1983 – 1986, Mr. Trudell was a Director of the John Howard Society; from 1983 – 1989, he was a Director of the Ontario Criminal Lawyers’ Association; and from 1989 – 1997, he served as Vice President of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. Mr. Trudell was also a Director of the Advocates’ Society from 1990 – 1993, and is the present Chair of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers (CCCDL) and was a founding Director of this national organization in 1992. He was the representative of the Law Society of Upper Canada on the Judicial Appointments Advisory Committee for the Province of Ontario from 1999 to 2003. He is an active supporter of the International Criminal Bar (ICB) and has represented the CCCDL at the United Nations Meeting of Assembly of States Parties in New York and the inaugural meetings of the ICB in Montréal and Berlin.

Mr. Trudell is a frequent lecturer and media commentator on Criminal Justice issues in Canada. He is also a frequent contributor to the Criminal Lawyers’ Association’s newsletter For the Defence and Law Times.

He was a member of the Faculty of the Federation of Law Societies’ National Criminal Law Program and an instructor and author for the Bar Admissions course. He is a frequent guest lecturer at law schools and in Continuing Education Seminars and often appears as an expert on behalf of the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers before the Senate of Canada Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs and the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice, Human Rights, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness. He is currently a member of the Steering Committee on Justice Efficiencies and Access to Justice and a member of the Steering Committee of the National Symposium on Reinventing Criminal Justice.

In October of 2004 he was inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers in St. Louis, Missouri.

In February of 2005, Mr. Trudell received the Law Times’ first Lawyer of the Year Award.

In October of 2007, Mr. Trudell delivered the Advocacy Lecture in memory of The Honourable Mr. Justice John Sopinka at the Criminal Lawyers’ Association Fall Conference.