Respected public interest lawyer, Bennett Jensen, joins McCarthy Tétrault as our first-ever pro bono counsel
McCarthy Tétrault is happy to welcome Bennett Jensen as the Firm’s first dedicated pro bono counsel.
Bennett is a highly regarded and lauded human rights advocate with an impressive list of accolades that honour his career-long dedication to protecting marginalized groups and individuals. As McCarthy Tétrault reinvigorates its award-winning pro bono program, Bennett joins us at an exciting time to support our lawyers and other professionals with their community work. He’ll fortify our relationships with new and existing community partners to continue delivering meaningful outcomes in public interest matters.
Bennett was previously the Director of Legal at Egale Canada, where he relaunched the organization’s internal legal function and led the organization’s strategic vision for advancing 2SLGBTQI legal rights and a Canada-wide response to anti-trans policy and legislative efforts. Between 2020-2022, Bennett served as Policy Advisor and then Director of Legal to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, where he advised the AG, Prime Minister’s Office and other Ministers on high-profile litigation affecting the federal government. He played a key role in the passage of Bill C-4, which banned conversion therapy in Canada. Bennett was also a litigator and pro bono attorney at Paul Weiss in the U.S., leading the firm’s broad-scale responses to national human rights and civil rights crises, including the Muslim travel ban and the child-parent separation crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border. Bennett began his legal career at the Federal Court of Canada as a judicial clerk to Chief Justice Lutfy and Justice Gleason.
Bennett is a recipient of the 2025 Guthrie Award from the Law Foundation of Ontario, which recognizes outstanding individuals for their contributions to access to justice. He was also named as a Top 25 Most Influential Lawyer in Canada for his work in human rights, advocacy and criminal law. Other awards include the CBA’s National SAGDA Hero Award, Start Proud’s Leader to be Proud of Award and the American Bar Association’s Top 40 Young Lawyers.
“McCarthy Tétrault has a proud history of providing pro bono services that confront some of Canada’s most pressing social and human rights issues,” said Steeves Bujold, a litigation partner and the Firm’s Chief Inclusion Officer. “Bennett will take that service to the next level. His record is truly remarkable, and we’re thrilled that he’s bringing his immense passion and skill to the Firm to help our lawyers help their communities.”
“Innovation is one of the Firm’s core values, and that extends to how we deliver our pro bono services,” said Tom Sutton, Practice Group Leader for our Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. “There are always opportunities to extend our reach individuals to communities who can benefit from the passion and expertise of our lawyers. While Bennett is joining the Litigation Group, his role is most certainly bigger than that, and we look forward to seeing how he’ll build the connections between our groups and clients, allowing us to support more programs and initiatives.”
“I am honoured and humbled to be taking on this role,” said Bennett. “I have had the privilege to see first-hand the tremendous quality and impact of pro bono work by McCarthy Tétrault lawyers and can’t wait to collaborate with them and our community partners to tackle the most pressing public interest legal issues. I am a deep believer in the power of the private bar as a vehicle for access to justice, as well as how meaningful pro bono work can be for lawyers themselves. McCarthy Tétrault’s commitment to excellence and the communities in which it works make this an incredible opportunity to make a difference.”
Bennet received his L.L.B. / B.C.L. from McGill University and his B.A. in Development and Environmental Studies (hon.) from Queen’s University. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and is admitted to the New York State Bar.
About McCarthy Tétrault
McCarthy Tétrault LLP provides a broad range of legal services, providing strategic and industry-focused advice and solutions for Canadian and international interests. The Firm has a substantial presence in Canada's major commercial centres as well as in New York and London.
Built on an integrated approach to the practice of law and delivery of innovative client services, the Firm brings its legal talent, industry insight and practice experience to help clients achieve the results that are important to them.
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For further information, or to request an interview with a McCarthy Tétrault lawyer, please contact: media@mccarthy.ca
