Toronto Sexual Abuse Lawyer

I’m
ELIZABETH
GRACE

PARTNER

Demanding accountability from sexual offenders and the institutions that gave them power and authority over vulnerable persons is one of the most courageous things a survivor of abuse can do. Giving a legal voice to that demand is a privilege for a lawyer, requiring sensitivity and skill.
Elizabeth Grace - Toronto Personal Injury Lawyer

My Support Team

Amanda Pinto

Intake Coordinator & Legal Assistant

apinto@lerners.ca
416.775.7621

Kristen Doucette

Intake Coordinator & Law Clerk

kdoucette@lerners.ca
416.775.7655

Koen Verpraet

MY WORK & EXPERIENCE

My work in personal injury law focuses on claims arising out of sexual assault and sexual abuse, as well as physical abuse.

My experience extends to discrimination and harassment claims, professional negligence, health and employment-related matters, and commercial disputes.

Let's Talk

Some Days I Didn’t Know if I Would Make It Out of the Darkness, but I Had You To Keep My Head Above Water.

Anonymous

Insights

Featured
SCC Decision Every Sexual Abuse Lawyer Should Know About

Elizabeth Grace recommends that whether it is for negotiation, mediation, motion, pre-trial, trial or appeal purposes, there is one decision every plaintiff lawyer should have on hand: R. v. Friesen, 2020 SCC 9.

Young Age Does Not Excuse Liability of Perpetrators in Civil Lawsuits for Sexual Assault

This article’s focus is on how a criminal conviction can narrow the liability issues that need to be proven in a later civil lawsuit dealing with similar matters.

Lerners Welcomes Lauren L. Malatesta

Lerners is pleased to announce the arrival of Lauren L. Malatesta to our Health Law and Plaintiff Personal Injury Groups as an associate in the Toronto office.

In the Media

Featured
Elizabeth Grace Mentioned In CBC News Article

Elizabeth Grace has been mentioned in a new article by CBC News regarding lawsuits dealing with sexual abuse of students by teachers.

CBC Podcast Features Former Client

“The Banned Teacher” is a new podcast exposing a predator who preyed on female high school students for more than three decades, who was protected by our education system.

CBC Features Former Client

Elizabeth Grace has many clients who have survived abuse at the hands of those who are in positions of power over them.

    • Selected by her peers for inclusion in Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory for Medical Negligence (2021-2022)

    • Selected by her peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in Canada for Personal Injury Litigation, Health Care Law, Medical Negligence, Administrative and Public Law and Professional Malpractice Law

    • Recognized as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers for her commitment to advocating on behalf of victims of sexual abuse, Canadian Lawyer Magazine, 2014

    • Recipient of the Women’s Law Association of Ontario President’s Award, June 2014

    • Recipient of Lexpert Zenith Award for Leading Women Lawyers, 2013

    • Frequently consulted by news media, including CBC News (Radio, Television and online), Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Toronto Sun, Hamilton’s CHCH Television News, The Motts radio show, Maclean’s Magazine, Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN)

    • Frequently consulted by law media, including Law Times, The Lawyers Weekly, The Lawyer's Daily, Canadian Lawyer Magazine

    • Interviewed for Chatelaine Magazine article “Judgment call”, October 1998

    • While studying for her Bachelor of Laws degree at Osgoode Hall Law School, Elizabeth received numerous academic awards, including in 1993 the Bronze Medal and the J.S.D. Tory Research and Writing Award. Before attending law school, she was awarded the Commonwealth Scholarship to complete post-graduate work in Development Studies in the United Kingdom (1987-1989), as well as numerous other scholarships and prizes through her undergraduate and graduate studies.

    • Law Commission of Ontario, Board of Governors, Member-at-large and Project Committee Member, June 2018 to May 2023 (2 appointment terms)

    • Member of Advisory Committee to CCLISAR (Canadian Centre for Legal Innovation in Sexual Assault Response) – non-profit, non-partisan organization devoted to improving understanding and responses to sexualized violence, January 2020 to present

    • Invited panellist for #AfterMeToo Civil Roundtable, filmed at Globe and Mail Toronto head office, December 5, 2017

    • Invited member of working group that drafted the Guide for the Provision of Legal Services in Cases Involving Claims of Sexual Abuse. This Guide was approved by the Equity and Aboriginal Issues Committee of the Law Society of Upper Canada and then formally adopted by Convocation on January 26, 2012, and is available on the Law Society’s website.

    • Ontario Bar Association’s Working Group on McMurtry Victim Compensation Review, representing OBA’s Feminist Legal Analysis (FLAC) Section, 2008

    • The Advocates' Society

    • Ontario Bar Association’s Health Law, Aboriginal Law and Feminist Legal Analysis Sections

    • National Association of Women and the Law (NAWL), including Board of Directors (1995 to 2000)

    • Admitted to Ontario Bar (1995)

    • Bachelor of Laws, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (1993)

    • Master of Philosophy, University of Sussex, England (1989)

    • Bachelor of Arts (Honours), Queen’s University (1987)

    • Speaker, “New Tort of Family Violence,” The Six-Minute Law Lawyer 2022, Law Society of Ontario Continuing Legal Education, November 28, 2022

    • Speaker “What’s New and Happening Back East” and Q & A Panellist, “Sexual Violence (Civil) Conference 2022, British Columbia Continuing Legal Education, March 30, 2022

    • Speaker on panel “Institutional Liability: Where We Are and What’s Ahead” at Civil Sexual Assault: Critical and Emerging Issues, Osgoode Professional Development Program, February 25, 2021 (virtual)

    • Speaker, “Civil Sexual Assault Claims – Developing a Robust, Efficient and Fair Claims Process,” 25th Annual Provincial/Municipal Government Liability Conference, The Canadian Institute, April 2, 2019

    • Co-Chair of Current and Emerging Issues in Civil Sexual Assault, Osgoode Professional Development Program, February 26, 2018

    • Speaker on “Civil Liability for Sexual Abuse: A Means of Achieving Accountability in the Campus Context?” National Conference on Campus Sexual Assault for Higher Education Administrators, Ryley Conferences Group, Toronto, December 8, 2017

    • Invited panellist for #AfterMeToo Civil Roundtable, filmed at Globe and Mail Toronto head office, December 5, 2017

    • Speaker at The Osgoode Short Course in Mediation Advocacy on Advocacy Choices Assessed, Toronto, December 2013, September 2014 and February 2017

    • C.O. v. Williamson, 2020 ONSC 6793 – secured Mareva injunction against judgment debtor defendant on behalf of plaintiff

    • C.O. v. Williamson and Trillium Lakelands District School Board, 2020 ONSC 3874 (CanLII) – historical sexual abuse trial on behalf of plaintiff against school board based on its high school music teacher’s sexual assaults and its inadequate post-assault response to disclosure