Canadian Lawyer

16 www.canadianlawyermag.com CROSS EXAMINED FEATURES can be systems. I just have a real passion for systems. Because somebody built them. And so, it comes from their frame of reference. And you see that [in] every industry, every walk of life," says Downey. "I did real estate . . . because there are real deadlines. People are actually moving, the truck is in the driveway, we need to close this deal. And so, we really have to project manage to get everything closed on time." Downey says his work as a lawyer prepared him to be attorney general in many ways. "I can advocate very strenuously for something that I believe needs to happen, without it being personal. I don't have to get personal about it, I can lay out 'here's the case, here's the logic in the background,'" says Downey. "I was a frontline lawyer. I saw people interacting with the system for the first time a lot, and how confusing the system is for them." Lewis notes that both he and Downey share backgrounds as solicitors — a hyper-orga- nized, deadline-driven profession that lends itself well to the role of attorney general. "I'm very structured," says Downey. "My keys are in the same space every day. I don't have to think about it. I get my stuff and I go, and I walk down the street. And here I am. So, it's simplicity, I think, is the rule." But despite what Lewis called a "team-play- er" reputation, Downey also maintains a streak of self-reliance and individualism. Try to nail him down to a favourite restaurant or even signature coffee order and he bucks be- ing put in a box. "I really like being myself. I like to carry my own bags. I like to make my own coffee, I like to just be very not caught up in the trappings of this office and really connect with people," he says. The political cycle goes up and down, but after starting a firm without a single file, Lewis says Downey's persistence in law prepared him to deal with the wins and losses that come with politics. "[Downey] ran for a nomination . . . and it was quite a hard slog," Lewis recalls. "It was a long battle and he lost, and he dealt with that very well. He took the high road. He grew." Even in victory, Lewis says a memorable thing about Downey is that he doesn't brag. "You're not overwhelmed by ambition or anything. He talks in a very matter-of-fact way. . . . There is no edge on Doug." Downey says there's a piece of paper in his law office that he re-visits when times get tough. "It says, 'People don't remember what hap- pened to you. They remember how you han- dled it.' And I think, regardless of what hap- pens, you can still be professional and still listen," Downey says. "There are people out there doing amaz- ing things. Part of the role of government is to facilitate people doing things — not nec- essarily to do it for them — and to not to get in the way of what they're doing. We don't always have to get the credit for it. It just has to get done." ROLES MPP Downey's riding includes Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte OBA Downey was treasurer and secretary LPP Downey was the OBA's lead for the development of the Law Practice Program at Ryerson LSO Downey sat on the Library and Information Support Services committee "I like to carry my own bags. I like to make my own coffee, I like to just be very not caught up in the trappings of this office and really connect with people."

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