Don’t take it for granted

by Doug F Robinson QC

Why do so many of us devote many volunteer hours to enhance and support our profession through the Canadian Bar Association? Why are we inspired, in an age of cynicism and “me-firsts”, to build an organization which benefits colleagues we may never meet and a public which may never know?

The Canadian Bar Association is founded on the idea that there is strength in numbers; that the energy, intellectual resources and political power of many lawyers working together has much more impact that that of any of us working alone. It has grown to be a powerful advocate influencing the issues which most affect lawyers, and a direct service provider both to its membership and the public-at-large.

Here in BC, we have worked hard to live up to our position as “the voice of the legal profession”. We have increased our accessibility to BC’s elected representatives and the media who most influence public opinion. We have spoken out loud and clear on issues such as No-Fault Insurance, Legal Aid, civil justice reform, BC OnLine, PST, and on the fees, red tape and other pressures which make it difficult for many lawyers to do business in BC.

We have fostered the development of the country’s first provincial Bar Benevolent Fund, and are exploring the option of a Bar Pension Plan. As a collective, we access the Canadian Bar Insurance Plan, and are negotiating other insurance options for small practices and sole practitioners.

In addition to Section activities, we have organized one-day President’s Forums on Solicitor Issues and on Marketing, and plan to host others on current topics of importance to members. We have also used BC’s numbers and clout to ensure adequate representation in the new National CBA governance structure, and to guarantee good return on member service revenues.

Our position and growth as a provincial Branch are made possible by virtue of universal membership. Our membership revenue is predictable and sizable, directed to programs, services and activities that benefit all of our members, rather than to recruitment and marketing. Since the first democratic vote on this topic in 1945, and every year thereafter, universal membership has been confirmed as the cornerstone of our Branch’s success and strength at the local, provincial and national levels.

Every day in BC, in Ottawa—anywhere there is a decision or opinion to be influenced—the issues that affect the legal profession are being addressed by a strong association that knows who to reach and how to reach them, and has available the pooled energy, brains and resources of lawyers across the province and country. Your membership in the Canadian Bar Association ensures that your voice is heard, and that people who actually know what it is to be a lawyer these days are lobbying on your behalf, and developing programs and services that meet your needs.

As Incoming President of the BC Branch, I am proud of the professional dedication and energy I see among our membership. I am proud of the work we have done so far, and of the commitment of our volunteers and staff to make this organization even better, even more influential, and even more responsive to members.

With the support of more than 9,000 members across British Columbia, the BC Branch stands ready to take-on any challenge this year can throw at us—as individual lawyers, as members of an honourable profession, and as members of the Canadian Bar Association. I look forward to working on your behalf in the year ahead in order to best maximize the strengths of our very diverse membership, as we each strive to meet the changing needs of the legal profession.

This article was published in the August 1998 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2006, all rights reserved.