BarTalk April 2002
Volume 14, Number 2

Together the BC Association of Community Law Offices and the Native Community Law Office Association of BC represent 26 community law offices and native community law offices across BC. We are writing on behalf of our member offices to express our support for the strong stand the CBA has been taking on behalf of the legal aid system in BC.

We look forward to continuing to work with the CBA in furtherance of our joint commitment to access to justice for all the citizens of British Columbia.

Yours sincerely,
Maggie Bello
BCACLO President

Charles McKay
NCLOABC President

Re: Lawyer jokes vs deserved recognition
I noticed the ongoing resolution at page 3 of your February issue. Lawyers receive recognition through payment by the private and business community as well as compensation from government sources. There is a book called “Humour Is No Laughing Matter.” Lawyer jokes are a recognition that lawyers perform a valuable service but extract a fee that clients would prefer to avoid. That is the source of the conflict, and without conflict there is no humour. The more serious the problem, the wealthier the client, the more lawyers are involved. What more bottom-line recognition could a profession ask for?

Yours truly,
Harvey L Gansner

On behalf of UVic Law faculty, staff and students, I would like to offer warm congratulations to Tim Livingston and Almira Esmail for winning the 4th annual Sopinka Cup, the National Trial Advocacy Competition in Ottawa, for UVic. The Cup was presented by Mr. Justice Ian Binnie at a banquet attended by the Chief Justice of Canada.

In addition to winning the Cup, Almira was recognized as the outstanding competitor in three of the five individual categories: Best Cross-Examination, Best Closing and Best Overall Advocate. She has been invited to attend the next annual meeting of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America where she will be recognized for her achievements. Tim’s cross-examination and opening came in for special mention by the judges. They called his cross ‘perfect’, being edged out by Almira only because she had to deal with a more cantankerous witness. Tim’s opening was the hit of the event – in the bilingual trial against the University of Moncton he gave his opening in perfect French, without referring to a single note.

The trial conducted by the team was presided over by Supreme Court of Canada Justice Bastarache. The jury of 12 consisted of judges and lawyers from across Canada including BC Supreme Court Justice Koenigsberg, and Madame Louise Charron of the Ontario Court of Appeal.

Our congratulations also go out to local lawyers Nils Jensen and Adrian Brooks, the two stalwarts who coached the team to victory. Others who assisted in preparation were Provincial Court Judges Quantz and Bracken, defence counsel Mayland McKimm, QC and Robin Baird, and a host of law students who acted as witnesses during the many practices.

Almira and Tim represented the Faculty, the University and Western Canada Law Schools with distinction, exceeding the fine performance that won them the Western Canada McIntyre Cup in February.

Congratulations to all. You have done us proud!

Andrew Petter, QC
Acting Dean, UVic Faculty of Law

These letters were published in the April 2002 issue of BarTalk.