James Bryce Lillico

James Lillico (1921-) provides a comprehensive account of his legal career from 1948-1989 in Peterborough, Ontario. Born to a car dealer father and educated at University College, University of Toronto, Lillico served in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve during World War II before attending Osgoode Hall Law School from 1945-1948. He articled with Ludwig, Fisher & Holness in Toronto but found the experience unproductive, gaining more practical training during summers with Ford Strickland in Peterborough. After briefly practicing with Currelly and Foster, Lillico joined W.B. Gordon in 1949, forming a successful 30-year partnership until Gordon’s retirement in 1978. The firm handled general practice work including Veterans Land Act matters, real estate, estates, and litigation. Lillico was active in the Peterborough Law Association, served as director of the local volunteer legal aid service before formal Legal Aid was established, and participated in various civic organizations including Kiwanis Club and the Victorian Order of Nurses. The interview provides valuable insights into post-war legal practice in a mid-sized Ontario city, the evolution of legal education, the development of legal aid services, and the social dynamics of the legal profession in the 1940s-1980s. Lillico’s career exemplifies the general practitioner model common in smaller centers, while his observations illuminate changes in legal practice, client relations, and professional organization over four decades.