Bring the Conversation to Your Event.
Conferences, summits, annual general meetings and special presentations, in person or by video, as well as podcast, radio and television interviews. Tell me about your audience and your occasion, and I will reply personally.
Tell Me About Your Event or Show.
Helpful to Include
- A little about your organization
- The date, time and place, or that it is virtual
- Who will be in the room
- Anything else you think will help
Prefer Email?
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you talk about?
My lived experience as a husband, father, trial lawyer and business owner who, at midlife, faced mental health and substance use disorders that ended my litigation career. I share it to raise awareness, break down stigma and start an honest conversation about the work. See my Signature Talks.
Who is your audience?
Legal organizations first: law firms, bar and law associations, law schools, legal departments and regulators. I also speak to corporations, professional associations and community organizations.
How long is a talk?
Usually 45 minutes to two hours, including questions. Every talk is shaped to its audience and occasion.
Do you use slides?
No. There are no slides and no screens, just an honest conversation with the room.
Can you speak virtually or join my show?
Yes. I speak in person and by video, and I am glad to join podcasts, radio and television in the studio, by video or by phone.
Can my session count for CPD?
It can. Many organizers apply for continuing professional development accreditation, and I am glad to provide an outline and a short bio for the application.
What is the cost?
I do not charge a speaking fee. If I need to travel more than 150 km to reach your event, I may ask for help with travel expenses.
How do I book?
Use the form above, or email me at jason@wardlegal.ca.
For Organizers and Media
Everything you need for your program and your introduction.
Speaker Bio
Jason Ward is a retired civil litigator and co-owner of Wards Lawyers PC, a twelve-lawyer firm in Central Ontario. Formerly certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Civil Litigation, he left practice abruptly at fifty after more than two decades of high-conflict litigation and his own mental health and substance use disorders. He speaks and writes internationally on mental health and institutional responsibility in the legal profession, including at the Law Society of Ontario’s Mental Health Summit for Legal Professionals in May 2026, and is published by Maclean’s, the American Bar Association, Canadian Lawyer and CBA National, among others. He is the author of Resolving Grave Disputes: The Law of Dead Bodies in Ontario, a director of CMHA Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge and the founder of Mentally Speaking.
Host Introduction
For more than twenty years, our speaker was a civil litigator, a certified specialist and the founder of a busy Ontario law firm. At fifty, his own mental health and substance use disorders ended his practice. Today he speaks and writes about mental health and institutional responsibility in the legal profession, with candour, insight and more laughter than you might expect. Please welcome Jason Ward.