BarTalk December 2004
Volume 16, Number 6

CBA Mid-Winter Meeting: February 17-20, 2005

CBA members of Council will head to Charlottetown February 17-20 to set policy, debate resolutions and report on what the CBA has been up to for the past six months.

Given the limited number of flights in and out of Charlottetown, Council members are encouraged to make travel plans as soon as possible.

For CBA members who are not elected to Council, it is still possible to attend and have your say. To have yourself accredited as an alternate, please contact the B.C. Branch office.

Law Week Committee Plans Expanded Fun Run

Join us for the second annual Law Week Fun Run in early April of 2005.

The 2005 Fun Run will have two routes: a 10 km in the trails of Pacific Spirit Regional Park; and a 2.5 km fun run/walk for parents and kids.

At the finish line, youngsters may paint their own T-shirt, and enjoy clowns, music, and food.

This is one of those rare events where the bench, bar, law school students, professors and everyone else in the legal community can come together to take part in a fun activity and support the B.C. Branch’s Law Week events.

We encourage all members of the legal community to bring their families along to enjoy the second annual 2005 Law Week Fun Run.

We can’t do it without you!

Lawyers Back on Stage for a Good Cause

In February 2004, more than 25 members of Victoria’s legal community entertained audiences in “The Man Who Came to Dinner” at the McPherson Playhouse (photo at right), raising $10,000 for Kaleidoscope Theatre Productions, Victoria’s theatre for young audiences.

Lawyers on Stage Theatre (LOST) will present “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten” at the McPherson Theatre, February 25-26, 2005. Along with auctions and a reception, each evening’s central focus will be a tightly woven adaptation of Robert Fulghum’s best-selling book in revue format, with monologues, dialogues, and multiple voice narration.

Tickets are $35. To secure your seats, call the McPherson Playhouse Box Office at 250.386.6121.

Vancouver’s Arts Club and Touchstone Theatres will present “The Lawyer Show” on March 11-12 at the Stanley Theatre. Call 604-687-1644 for early bird tickets ($65) to Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Nile.”

The 2005 Canadian Legal Conference is coming to Vancouver

Vancouver will host the annual Canadian Legal Conference on August 14 to 16, 2005. There are a number of ways in which you and your firm or legal organization may wish to participate. These include volunteering in the organization of the Conference, sponsorship, the Receptions Night, and At-Home Dinners.

Vancouver is one of the most popular venues for the CBA Annual Canadian Legal Conference. Previous meetings in Vancouver in 1989 and 1996 were very successful. The annual Canadian Legal Conference continues to be an important opportunity to receive invaluable continuing legal education, to hear highly acclaimed speakers and leading lawyers on various current topics of interest, and to meet lawyers from across Canada and other jurisdictions. With approximately 1,200 distinguished legal professionals and guests expected, this is the single largest event of its kind within the Canadian legal profession. The Conference will address key issues that affect the practice of law and law reform.

If you have any questions regarding the Canadian Legal Conference and how you can participate, please contact the organizing committee co-chairs:

Carman J. Overholt, QC (604-622-5165) (carman.overholt@fmc-law.com)
Kenneth Armstrong (604-523-7096) (karmstronglaw@shaw.ca)

Sponsorship
There are exciting opportunities for law firms, legal organizations, government and businesses to be sponsors of this event.

This high-profile gathering generates significant media coverage and is considered an annual focal point for the Canadian legal profession. Law firm and corporate sponsorship has always been an important mainstay of being able to present a leading edge Conference. There are tiers of sponsorship available that will profile the sponsor, its activities, services, and reputation. Please call our Fundraising Chair Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay, QC with any questions you may have at 604-609-3066 (kfindlay@wgmlaw.com).

Receptions Night
On Monday, August 15, 2005 law firms, legal organizations and other groups will host receptions at various venues in the Vancouver area where there will be an opportunity to meet the guests who will be attending the meetings from across Canada and from other jurisdictions. As in the past, we expect that some of the many popular Vancouver landmarks and locations will be utilized for these receptions. Please contact our Receptions Night Chair Ming Song with any questions you may have at 604-899-0224 (mingsong@novuscom.net).

At-Home Dinners
One of the most popular aspects of the annual Canadian Legal Conference is the At-Home Dinners where local members of the Bar have an opportunity to host dinners for the guests visiting Vancouver for the Annual Legal Conference. These dinners will be held on Saturday, August 13. Please contact our At-Home Dinners Chair Barbara Sage with any questions you may have at 604-244-9433 (barb.sage@shaw.ca).

Volunteers
A meeting of this scale would not be possible without the involvement of volunteers. Participation in this event is a great opportunity to meet other members of the bar and to participate in what will be a very memorable event. All volunteers will be offered a complimentary pass to attend the conference on any day of their choice. We hope that you will consider participating in the organization of the meeting. Please call our Volunteer Chair Miranda Lam with any questions you may have at 604-687-9444 (mlam@davis.ca).

Criminal Justice Conference in Scotland: June 26-30, 2005

The International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law will hold its 2005 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 26-30. The conference, entitled “Modernisation of Criminal Justice Systems” will examine the impetus for change in criminal justice systems; the rise of crime and resulting political response; co-operation between police, judiciary and prosecuting authorities and international co-operation; modernization of criminal justice systems in the post-conflict of failed states. For details, visit www.isrcl.org.

Law Courts Education Society to Celebrate its 15 Year History

Members of the bar are invited to help celebrate 15 years of the Law Courts Education Society of B.C. on Tuesday, January 18 (4:30 to 7:00 p.m.) at the Law Courts Inn in Vancouver. Organizations represented on the Board of Directors will receive special thanks for their partnership over the years.

The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport), will speak on the role of public legal education in society. The Hughes Award will be presented to Aric Hayes (in memoriam), dedicated teacher and volunteer. The evening will include a silent auction to help raise funds for educational programs. There will be a no-host bar and appetizers will be served.

Attendance is free, but space is limited. Please RSVP by e-mail (events@lawcourtsed.ca), by fax (604-775-3476) or by phone (604-660-9874).

These events were published in the December 2004 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2004, all rights reserved.