Sophie Mongeon

Lawyer, Desroches Mongeon Avocats and spokesperson, Réseau 1-855-MAITRES.com

“I want to raise awareness and help. That’s already what I do in my everyday life. This is no different for me, it’s one more battle!”

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Formidable litigator, entrepreneur, activist, and happy mom, M^e Sophie Mongeon has been defending victims of road and workplace accidents for the past 25 years and leading political combats with great aplomb. In 2021, she was named one of the best workers’ compensation lawyers in Canada by Best Lawyers. Through appearances in traditional media and on her TikTok channel, this visionary lawyer makes it her duty to democratize law.

In her office, surrounded by stacks of files, Me Sophie Mongeon works on a full and efficient schedule. She simultaneously leads a number of crucial cases and intervenes whenever she sees injustice. She has become the voice of vulnerable people, rendered helpless in front of the government machine. Back in January, she spoke on their behalf at the National Assembly against Bill 84, which aims at reforming Quebec’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Program (IVAC).

When Leucan invited her to join Les Audacieuses, her answer was a flat no. “I’m currently at the top of my career, leading several major cases. My schedule is full. I cannot get my head shaved now; it will shatter the self-confidence that allows me to achieve my political projects.” Still, she took the weekend to think it over.

Through the storm

As a mother of two teenagers, Sophie Mongeon understands full well the storm parents face when their child is diagnosed with cancer. In 2019, her son was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of seventeen. “He came to see me one night, worried and covered with bruises. He had blood work done the next day, and three days later, he was admitted at the CHU Sainte-Justine. You always think this only happens to others. But it was our turn this time,” she remembers. All of a sudden, there were cracks in her strong-woman armor, and she was flooded by a tsunami of emotions where anger, sadness, and fear collided.

Her son, who prefers to stay out of the limelight, is currently undergoing treatments. He’s stable and continues to attend school. “If my son is alive and well today, it’s because he takes 18 pills every day, and that’s because people worked and donated to advance clinical research.” Leucan holds, one would surmise, a special place in her heart.

Revealing herself

Nonetheless, she fears her reflection in the mirror after getting shaved. “It won’t be easy. I’m nearing my fifties, I sometimes have acne that I hide with my hair. This week, after taking a shower, I cried. The attention and awareness around the project is positive, but when I’ll be alone in front of the mirror, without makeup, my eyes puffy and tired from a long week of work, I’ll feel quite naked.” She never would have said yes to the Challenge alone. With Les Audacieuses, it’s different. “I have the opportunity to join a movement. I find the other participants braver than me.”

Always one step ahead, she’s already ordered custom accessories to go with her new look. “I’m already helping a Quebecois business, Cochic; they make masks and scarves. I have my own collection of which 10% of proceeds go to Leucan. I’ll wear their colourful accessories publicly, even though on TikTok, I’ll publish one or two videos showing my shaved head to share with my community what I’m doing.”

Think big, aim high

Before joining Les Audacieuses, she made a pros and cons list. She realized how much her reach could help the cause, with her regular radio appearances, the fact that she offers legal services to a large union and she has nearly 25,000 subscribers on TikTok. “I was listing all the industries and places where I could raise awareness and ask for donations. I simply couldn’t say no, it would have been selfish of me!”

Because shaving her head is no small feat, she’s aiming high. “It’s so big, I’m not doing it for $10! I want this to be profitable, I’m treating it like a small business. I want to reach as many people as possible. I want to raise awareness and help. That’s already what I do in my everyday life. This is no different for me, it’s one more battle!”