Note:

Kim Bernhardt has no longer been accepting new appointments as of December 31, 2023. Continuation dates will be scheduled as necessary.

Brief Bio:

Kim Bernhardt is an adjudicator who arbitrates and mediates in both the public and private sectors. She has been named by the Ontario Minister of Labour to the list of approved grievance arbitrators on the Ministry of Labour’s section 49 list. Kim is currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Ontario Labour Management Arbitrators Association (OLMAA) and she arbitrates and mediates at the Grievance Settlement Board (GSB).  Previous appointments include being a part-time Member of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario; a part-time Member of the Public Service Grievance Board (PSGB); the Human Rights Board of Inquiry; a member of the HRTO Advisory Practice Committee; and acting as the Law Society of Upper Canada’s representative on the Ontario Judicial Council. Kim practiced for 15 years in the areas of employment, labour, and human rights law. Previous positions include working as a union staff member, a college teacher, and as a human rights officer.

Kim continues to be engaged in many volunteer activities and speaking engagements involving legal and equity issues. Current and previous memberships include: the equality effect (Chair, Board of Directors, member of the Legal Team), Association of Human Rights Lawyers, Alliance for Employment Equity, Women’s Coalition for Employment Equity, Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (member of the National Legal Committee), Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Black History Society, Black Female Lawyers Network, Advisory Committee of the York Region Cross-Cultural Project, National Association of Women and the Law, Delos Davis Law Guild, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, Nathaniel Dett Chorale (Co-chair, Board of Directors), Planned Parenthood of Toronto (member of the Board of Directors), community representative on a subcommittee of the Halton Board of Education’s Equity Committee, and Co-chair of the Education Project of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons.) U. of T. (Political Science and History)
• LLB (Osgoode Law School)
• LLM (Osgoode Law School – Administrative Law)
• Called to the Ontario Bar 1993

Experience

• 15 years private practice in labour, employment and human rights law
• Ontario Judicial Council member (2009-2013 Law Society of Upper Canada appointee)
• Part-time member Grievance Settlement Board, Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, OHRC Board of Inquiry, and Public Service Grievance Board
• Research and Labour Relations Officer – Ontario Nurses’ Association (7 years)
• Human Rights Officer – Ontario Human Rights Commission (7 years)
• College instructor – Dubai

Volunteer

• Speaker on labour, employment and human rights, including at:
  • Ontario Bar Association
  • Law Society of Upper Canada
  • Osgoode Hall Law School – Professional Development
  • Lancaster House
  • Canadian Association of Black Lawyers
  • Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace at Queen’s University Faculty of Law
  • Faculty of Law, Western University

• Current/former board member and chair of the equality effect and the Nathanial Dett Chorale
• Current and former memberships include Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), National Legal Committee of the Women’s’ Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF), Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR), National Association of Women in Law (NAWL), Ontario Black History Society (OBHS), Pro bono legal support for Wellspring Money Matters clinic

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