I was born in Toronto in 1956, but lived in the United States for many years before returning to Canada in 1970. I attended high school at Woburn Collegiate Institute in Scarborough, graduating with honours in 1974. I studied for two years as Carleton University in Ottawa, in the B.A. program, and majored in Economics and Law. I gained early admission to law school after two years of university. I returned to Toronto to study law at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University in 1976. I spent one whole semester doing community legal work at the Parkdale Community Legal Services clinic in Toronto. I graduated with honours from law school in 1979. Thereafter, I spent my articling year with two different law firms in Hamilton, Ontario, before once again returning to Toronto to attend the Bar Admission Course at Osgoode Hall. I was called to the Bar on April 9, 1981.

I practiced for a year and a half with a firm in Hamilton, but returned to Toronto to establish my own firm in October of 1982. I initially practiced as a sole practitioner and my first office was in an executive suite with other business professionals in the Victoria Park and Steeles area. Later, I shared space and facilities with the law firm of Kuchar, Nesker in the Sheppard and Victoria Park area, where I remained for a number of years. In 1990, I teamed up with a friend and colleague from law school, Charles Jones, and established a law office in the same area, on Consumers Road, under the name of Semple, Jones.

In 1995, I left the practice of law to pursue other interests. I had developed a keen interest in computer technology, having begun to use it more and more in my practice, and I attended the Institute for Computer Studies in Toronto. I obtained a Diploma in Computer Programming and Systems Analysis and began working in the information technology field in the fall of 1995. I established a consulting business and began working from my home office in 1997. I was able to combine my legal background with my technology skills from time to time, by working for a number of legal publishers and legal software developers.