The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth About Mental Health in the Legal Profession

Called to the Bar in 1994, Beth Beattie has a broad-based health law litigation practice.

Since January 2018 Beth has been a Friend of the Bell Let’s Talk campaign. Her story of working as a lawyer with bipolar disorder has been featured on television, radio, podcasts, print media and even billboards across the country. Television appearances include The Marilyn Denis Show, CTV News, CTV North News, CP24 and a CTV prime time special, “In Their Own Words”.

In 2021, 2022 and 2023 Beth co-chaired with the former Treasurer of the Law Society of Ontario, Teresa Donnelly, Mental Health Summits for Legal Professionals. Each year the Summits were watched by nearly 6,000 registrants.

Beth is a founding member of Voices for Mental Health which is a group of employees at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General who have lived mental health experience or who have cared for loved ones with lived experience. Voices provides programming within the Ministry of the Attorney General and beyond on topics relating to mental health.

In 2022 Beth was awarded the Law Society Medal, the highest honour available to a lawyer in Ontario. The Medal was awarded for outstanding service within the profession in accordance with the highest ideals of the profession. She was also awarded the Ontario Psychiatric Association’s Mental Health Advocate of the Year Award.

Carole Dagher was born and raised in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada at the age of 13. She received her honours double major bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Law & Society from York University in 1999.

Carole graduated from Osgoode Hall Law school in 2002 and is called to both the New York and Ontario Bar. Carole started her law career practicing in the Capital Markets group at Shearman & Sterling LLP, a top tier New York law firm. She then spent 14 years in progressively senior legal roles in the financial services industry.

For over five years, Carole also served as the chair of the board of directors of the Barbra Schlifer Clinic, a not for profit dedicated to helping women live lives free from violence.

Carole has lived with mental illness for over a decade and is a vocal advocate on the topic of mental health for the CAMH Foundation and has presented on the topic to the top 100 CEOs in Canada, large organizations, law firms, LSUC and various media outlets.

In 2024 Carole was awarded the Law Society Medal, the highest honour available to a lawyer in Ontario. The Medal was awarded for outstanding service within the profession in accordance with the highest ideals of the profession.

Carole lives in Toronto, Ontario with her husband and two daughters and is dedicated to living her life authentically.

Dr. Thomas Telfer is a Professor in London, Ontario, Canada. He has published widely in the fields of bankruptcy and legal history. In 2023 he was admitted as a member of the International Academy of Commercial and Consumer Law.

Professor Telfer also has an interest in mental health and mindfulness education. In 2017, he introduced a highly successful non-credit mindfulness course to first year Western Law students and the following year he received the Leadership in Wellness Award of Recognition which recognizes Western faculty members who promote the mental health of their students. In 2018, he was awarded a three-year Teaching Fellowship at Western to develop mindfulness and mental health education initiatives.

In the fall of 2019, Professor Telfer offered Mindfulness and the Legal Profession as a new upper year academic credit course at Western Law. The course has now been offered three times.

He is a frequent speaker on mindfulness and mental health and has delivered over 100 workshops. Professor Telfer has facilitated mindfulness workshops for lawyers, judges, doctors, professors and students. Professor Telfer has delivered mindfulness workshops for six Canadian universities. He has led mindfulness seminars for the Law Societies of Ontario, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador and the Legal Education Society of Alberta. Stories about his mindfulness work have appeared in Canadian Lawyer, on podcasts and on CBC Radio.