BarTalk August 2001
Volume 13, Number 4

Videoconference Option for Day of Law, AGM

The Law Society of BC, the CBABC and the CLE Society of BC warmly invite BC lawyers and articled students to attend a complimentary province-wide video-conference on September 21, 2001. There are nine videoconference locations (Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Nelson, Kelowna, Prince George, Dawson Creek, Prince Rupert, Kamloops).

This is a unique opportunity for lawyers in communities throughout BC to take in leading-edge professional development sessions and participate in the annual general meetings of the Law Society and the CBABC.

Day of Lay highlights are listed on this page. Full program and site details for the Day of Law, along with a fax-back registration form, will be enclosed in the Law Society AGM mailing in late August. Updates will also be posted on www.lawsociety.bc.ca.

Day of Law Highlights

On September 21, the CBABC, the Law Society of BC and the CLE Society will host a Day of Law, featuring:

• Money Laundering Legislation Update – The critical things all lawyers need to know (and do) in the face of new proceeds of crime legislation

• Keeping on Top of a Mountain of Information – A look at key court decisions, legislative changes and changes in practice of interest to all lawyers

• New Practice Opportunities for Lawyers – Ways to widen the scope of your practice and offer new services in an ever-changing and challenging marketplace

• Claims, Complaints, Ethics & Scruples – Join in a game show that tackles tough practice and conduct issues and lets the audience have a say on “What’s the best thing to do?”

• CBABC AGM

• Law Society of BC AGM

Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Camp

From October 5-8, 2001, the University of Victoria Faculty of Law will be holding its sixth annual Aboriginal Cultural Awareness Camp at the Tsawout Reserve. The camp involves elders and community members, law students and legal practitioners, and the RCMP. This combination provides a unique opportunity for the legal community to work together in bridging the cultural divide between the legal system and the First Nations, in an enriching environment.

Participants in the program are immersed in the Tsawout community, sleeping in the long house and enjoying a community feast. Past activities have included crab fishing, salmon smoking, sweat lodges and traditional games. Cost per individual is $300 and space is limited; interested parties are encouraged to register early.

If you would like more information, or to obtain a registration package, please call Claire Hatcher at 250.479.4346 (email clairehatcher@home.com).

Cariboo Bar Convention

If you missed it, they say you missed out. The 52nd Annual Cariboo Bar Convention took place in Prince George May 2001. As always, a good time was had by all who attended. Highlights included: a Bench and Bar Dinner with keynote speaker The Honourable Judge Vincent Hogan; a CLE course on Rule 51A, followed by a seminar on Discipline and Complaints by the Law Society’s Jean Whittow, QC; guided local tours and catered functions; Jan Christiansen’s reflections on running for Parliament, and a keynote address by BC’s Northern Commissioner John Backhouse; and the McNeil Cup Paintball Challenge (“You talkin’ to me?”). For information on the 2002 convention, in Dawson Creek, call Berga Moen at 250.782.8155.

CIAJ AGM Planned for October

The Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice will hold its annual meeting in Halifax, October 10-13. The topic of the AGM will be Citizenship and Citizen Participation in the Administration of Justice. For more information on this event visit www.ciaj-icaj.ca.

Oktoberfest 2001

The Vancouver Bar Association will be hosting ‘Oktoberfest 2001’ on Friday, October 19, 2001, from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm at The Law Courts Inn, 800 Smithe Street, Vancouver. All Vancouver-area lawyers, articling students, and UBC law students are invited.

Admission and food are free! Dress is casual, and there will be ooohmmpapa music.

Hope to see you there!!

Reserve your tickets now for the Allan McEachern Tribute Dinner

On Thursday, September 20, the CBABC and the Law Society of BC have planned a Tribute Dinner to welcome Allan McEachern home to the Bar to honour his contribution to the Law.

Join members of the legal profession, judiciary and the community from BC and across Canada at this special evening of celebration. The Dinner will take place at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel. The reception begins at 6 pm with dinner to follow at 7 pm.

Tickets are $110 per person; tables of 10 are $1,100. For reservations and information, please contact Nora Newlands at 604.261.3348 or by email at nnewlands@telus.net.

Gladue: A Message for the Millennium

“Gladue: A Message for the Millennium” is a public symposium on the Supreme Court of Canada decision in R. v. Gladue (1999) that will be held near Victoria on September 27-28, 2001. The symposium will explore the effect of the Court’s controversial decision on Aboriginal people’s interaction with all aspects of the criminal justice system.

The symposium is offered to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal members of the judiciary, the Crown and defenders, probation and parole workers, the police, and the community.

To register, contact Jim Aitken at 250.384.3211. Regular registration fees ($100 per participant) apply until September 10, 2001. From September 11-28, 2001 the registration fee is $125. Make cheque payable to Spirit of the People, c/o Victoria Native Friendship Centre, 610 Johnson St, Victoria, BC, V8W 1M4.

For information on the symposium and its eminent presenters visit the events page at www.bccba.org.

These articles were published in the August 2001 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.