BarTalk June 1999
Volume 11, Number 3

President’s Forum A Great Success

On April 16, 1999, more than 150 people attended the BC Branch President’s Forum on the Business of Law, featuring speakers on emerging trends in the business of law including the deregulation of lawyers, the emergence of multi-disciplinary practices and technology issues. Other topics included recruitment and retention of lawyers; alternatives to traditional real estate practice; personal law corporations, family trusts and limited liability partnerships; building a successful practice; and emerging areas of practice.

Doug Black, who left the law firm of Macleod Dixon of Calgary, Alberta to join Donahue & Partners, an affiliate of Ernst & Young International, spoke to the audience about the benefits of multi-disciplinary practice. A questionnaire was circulated at the Forum to obtain the views of British Columbia lawyers on the issues raised, and a Task Force on MDPs was struck by Provincial Council to follow-up on MDP issues from a BC Branch perspective. Anyone interested in the work of the Task Force is encouraged to write Basil Hobbs, in care of the Branch office. If you want to participate in next year’s Business of Law Forum, contact Carman Overholt at 604.631.1203.

CBA Participates in Forum

On March 5 and 6, 1999, the inaugural “Making Death a Part of Life” forum was presented in Vancouver by the Division of Palliative Care and the Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia. The Forum was intended to raise the profile of palliative care in BC and to educate the public on death and dying. Highlights included informative presentations with question and answer periods on topics such as palliative care, talking about death with children, dying at home, grieving, funeral director duties and advance directives. David Diamond directed an interactive theatre presentation focusing on audience issues related to death and dying.

The Solicitors’ Issues Committee organized a BC Branch information booth at the Forum. Thanks to lawyers Terry Hartshorne, Margaret Ostrowski, Bill Gorham, Anne Adrian and Barry Kerfoot who volunteered their time and expertise to talk about wills and estates issues, and to distribute CBA brochures on the Dial-A-Law and Lawyer Referral programs. Thanks also to legal assistant Jennifer Raguz for her assistance.

Diversity Forum Opens Dialogue on Barriers

On the evening of April 9th, at the invitation of the BC Branch Equality Committee, approximately 50 members of the legal profession and Bench gathered in New Westminster to discuss The Reality of Diversity in the Legal Profession. Featured speakers included The Honourable Attorney General Ujjal Dosanjh, The Honourable Mr. Justice Sigurdson, The Honourable Associate Chief Judge Dennis Schmidt, CBA BC Branch President Doug F. Robinson, QC and Ravi Hira, QC, Chair, BC Branch Planning and Priorities Committee.

Diversity issues are of concern in every part of our society. Every institution, business, community and individual is being challenged to ensure that no barriers exist to anyone seeking full personal and professional participation in our society. In our profession in particular, there is a moral, ethical and legal responsibility to examine these issues and take a leadership role in responding to them.

The Branch’s Diversity Forum was designed to encourage a dialogue with lawyers who may have experienced bias or discrimination within the profession and/or justice system. Many spoke of personal experiences, as members of racialized communities or other marginalized groups. Specific problems they identified included: difficulty getting article placements as members of racialized communities; lack of accommodation for people with disabilities in courtrooms and law firms; and a perceived lack of modeling by the CBA in educating and encouraging support for diversity-positive policy development and hiring.

The Equality Committee is working to ensure the development and implementation of strategies and programs to assist the Bar to recognize, reflect and promote equality and diversity within the association, profession, and the justice system. Within the CBA itself, the Committee has been involved in developing educational sessions on equality and diversity issues, reviewing Branch policies and by-laws for inclusion of equality and diversity principles, and encouraging inclusion and participation in Branch activities by members from racialized communities.

The Equality Committee will be using the information gained during the Forum to plan future priorities for the Committee. If you have any questions about the Forum or the goals and activities of the Committee, please contact any member of the BC Branch Equality Committee: Valli Chettiar, Co-Chair; Thelma O’Grady, Co-Chair; Penny Bain; Clare Barry; Shehni Dossa; Frances Kelly; Kenneth Kramer; Wynn Lewis; Deirdre Rice; Dawn Shaw-Biswas; Susan Wallach; Paul Winn; and Barbara Young.

Skiing, Soccer, and the 15th Sun Run

Do you recognize these people and events? Do you have photos like these to share? Dust off old firm photo albums, check in the back of the file cabinet, and send us your old and new photos of BC lawyers having fun.

Dan Wickham of Campbell River writes, “Approximately five years ago we were challenged by a group of local doctors to a friendly game of soccer. The result was a draw and led to renewed conflict—so far the lawyers have managed to prevail in all games, save for one loss and two ties. The bi-annual event, suitably called the ‘hacks v. quacks’ is taken quite seriously, but the survivors (note the bloodied knee on the player in the foreground and the civilian dress of the lawyer in the middle of the back row, who was still recovering from torn ligaments from the Spring match) always retire to the nearest local pub, where the game is re-diagnosed, or appealed, depending upon the outcome and your professional point of view.”

Ron MacIsaac, of Victoria, skied with his mother Mary MacIsaac in Saskatchewan this winter. Mary, who is 105, became an honorary member of the profession in 1995 when she received her LL.D. Ron MacIsaac is convinced that Mary is the world’s oldest skier, a title some say she “wrestled away from Jackrabbit Johannson”, who passed away at age 114. Mary, who was born in 1893, first skied in 1914. “That not only makes her the oldest skier in the world,” says Ron, “but the one who has skied the longest number of years.”

Davis & Company’s corporate team had 36 Sun Run participants in the 15th Annual Sun Run. Pictured are 14 of their Sun Runners. Congratulations to Davis & Company for placing first among law firm Sun Run corporate teams.

Jack Huberman QC: 20 Years at CLE

Jack Huberman, QC has been the Executive Director of The Continuing Legal Education Society since 1979. The CLE held a surprise reception for Mr. Huberman on April 7 that was attended by more than 100 people. “When I first started,” said Mr. Huberman, “We did 11 courses a year and nothing else. Now we do about 100 courses per year, publish course materials for about 50 of those courses, publish 37 books in seven major practice areas, and we have a range of electronic products and a web site.”

CBA President Doug F. Robinson, QC attended the reception to bring greetings and thanks from the CBA, BC Branch.

When Mr. Huberman spoke, he thanked a dedicated past and present staff, the thousands of CLE volunteers, the Chief Justices and judiciary, and his own family. “A big thanks also goes out to our ‘parent organizations’, the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society, and both law faculties at UBC and UVic.”

These articles were published in the June 1999 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.