THUNDER BAY – Most lawyers have a specialty.
Patty Robinet prefers the challenge of tackling virtually every aspect of the legal system, which is one of the reasons she was chosen as Thunder Bay’s latest city solicitor.
“There’s no area of law that goes untouched. We can do anything from environmental law to Aboriginal law to real estate, development and planning to quasi-criminal,” Robinet said on Thursday after the city made her appointment official.
“We do prosecutions through the Highway Traffic Act. We’re providing opinions constantly to council and staff. The work is really quit diverse.”
Having served as the city’s deputy solicitor for the past seven years, the last five under now-departed city solicitor Nadia Koltun, Robinet received her law degree from the University Windsor before articling with the City of Windsor.
She was called to the bar in 2005.
Robinet said she’s ready for the task at hand, knowing the road might be bumpy at times, but confident she’ll be able to steer the municipality in the right legal direction.
“It can be scary at times, because everything is new. Most lawyers have their particular niche or expertise. Here I think the saying is jack of all trades and master of none. I think because everything is different it provides a high level of excitement and exciting work,” she said.
As city solicitor, Robinet will be responsible to provide legal representation to the City of Thunder, city council, staff and related boards and agencies on matters directly related to the city’s business and operations.
“Patty brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the position,” city manager Norm Gale said in a release issued Thursday morning.
“She performed exceptionally well in all facets of the competition and in her acting role to date. She will be an asset to the executive leadership team.”
Dawne Latta, who served a year as acting city solicitor, has decided to return to the private sector.
