Law360 Canada (June 18, 2026, 12:48 PM EDT) -- The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) has chosen Shalini Konanur to serve as treasurer for the 2026-27 term.

The Toronto-area bencher was elected by her colleagues at a meeting June 17. Konanur, the first racialized woman to serve in the top job, will officially take over from current treasurer Peter Wardle at the LSO’s June 25 convocation.

“I thank my fellow benchers for providing me with this opportunity,” Konanur said in a statement. “As treasurer, I look forward to working with convocation to advance the Law Society’s public interest mandate, strengthen its governance and support clear, effective and forward-looking regulation for Ontario’s lawyers and paralegals.”

Konanur, a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School who was called to the bar in 2000, is the executive director and senior lawyer at the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario. She has spent her entire legal career in Ontario’s legal aid clinic system and practises in a number of areas, including immigration, family, human rights, employment, income maintenance, housing and gender-based violence.

Access to justice and removing barriers for the public and the professions will remain central to that work, said Konanur.

“I also want to acknowledge the significance of this moment. I am the first racialized woman to hold this role in the history of the Law Society of Ontario,” she said. “It reflects progress. It also underscores the importance of continuing to build a more inclusive and representative organization. I’m proud to step into this role, and I’m committed to leading in a way that opens doors for others.”

Konanur, who is serving her first term as bencher, is co-chair of the LSO’s equity and Indigenous affairs committee, and sits on the audit and finance committee and the Law Foundation of Ontario board. She is also a hearing adjudicator at the law society tribunal.

The treasurer-elect defeated fellow benchers Bob Adourian, Pam Hrick and Mitchell Kitagawa, who she paid tribute to after the results were announced.

“I know we will continue to work together to protect the public and uphold the integrity of the professions,” she said.

In a statement, the Federation of Ontario Law Associations (FOLA) congratulated Konanur on her election.

“I admire her dedication to diverse populations and service in various practice areas in urban and rural settings together with her extensive experience in Ontario’s legal aid system,” said FOLA chair Jennifer Rooke. “Her experience will help our county and district law associations succeed in serving the public. We congratulate her on this historic achievement and look forward to working together.”

The federation also paid tribute to Wardle, noting he guided the law society through “turbulent times” while paying close attention to Ontario’s county and district law library system. Wardle served in the top job during the fallout over the compensation scandal surrounding former CEO Diana Miles, which led to a series of governance reforms.

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