The popular Canadian Lawyer Top 25 Most Influential in the justice system and legal profession in Canada is back for the third year.

The Top 25 was one of our most-read, and most commented-on, features in both 2010 and 2011. As expected, not everyone agrees with our choices, but it is always worthwhile to get our readers into a debate on such matters. This year, we used the same format as in 2011 asking for nominations from legal groups and associations representing a variety of memberships and locations; winners on last year’s Top 25 list; our general readership; and our internal panel of writers and editors. We received about 75 nominations, which the internal panel then whittled down to just over 50 candidates. We then posted the list online and once again asked our readers to participate, with just under 700 people voting in the poll. The final list is based on that poll with input and the last word from the internal panel.

Nathalie Des Rosiers General counsel and executive director, Canadian Civil Liberties Association, Toronto

Last year, Nathalie Des Rosiers was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential in the in-house counsel category but remains on the list this year in a new category. In being named to the Order of Ontario in January, she was described as: “a legal expert who has made groundbreaking efforts to ensure that victims of child sexual abuse get compensation for their injuries.” Since joining the CCLA in 2009, Des Rosiers has boosted its reach and influence in the fight against government abuse and supporting individual rights. She continues to hold governments and lawmakers accountable for actions ranging from mass arrests and solitary confinement to DNA testing and the Charter rights of immigrants.

What the panel had to say: “Always at the forefront of the efforts to ensure Canadians’ civil liberties are respected.”