BarTalk December 1999
Volume 11, Number 6

Professional development is still a priority

by Mayland McKimm

We all read with interest the most recent statement of the President of the Law Society regarding his perceptions of a general lack of commitment to professionalism among lawyers. With all due respect I do not agree.

Professionalism and commitment to continuing professional development cannot be measured simply by reference to attendance at Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs, anecdotal evidence from judges, and complaint statistics. Lawyers know that their very success depends on successful service to clients. We all know that our greatest source of clientele and business is word-of-mouth referrals. And we all know that one unhappy client can do more damage to our business than any advertising budget can hope to repair.

The Law Society survey of public opinions about lawyers rated our public image highest in the areas of expertise and trustworthiness. We enjoy a positive reputation for expertise because, as a profession, we work very hard to maintain our high standards of legal knowledge.

The CLE Society is not the only provider of legal education. Your Branch enjoys active participation in 68 Sections which provide legal education and professional development. They present papers and produce minutes of virtually all areas of substantive law. These Sections also provide an excellent opportunity to meet with colleagues in a practitioner’s area of practice to share professional concerns and develop common wisdom, wisdom which we all use to better serve the public.

Speciality organizations that our members belong to continue to offer excellent legal education. One example is the Trial Lawyers Association, which produces “The Verdict“ and provides many useful day-long programs. The Federation of Law Societies provides full-week courses in Family Law and Criminal Law which are sold out annually. There is a growth industry in the provision of legal education in virtually all areas of the law. Finally, we can never forget that many of us advance our own legal knowledge and professional development simply by reading and reflecting on developments in the law on our own time and in accordance with our own ever-demanding schedules.

If anything can be taken from President Wilson’s argument, it is a challenge to the Board of CLE to provide their product in a way that meets the demands of our profession. Our members from up-country tell me that it is simply too expensive to take a day or two off and travel to Vancouver and pay an average of $320 to attend a CLE program.

Our members have to work harder and longer just to make even a modest living. Our personal time with our families, friends and non-legal interests is equally precious. We are told constantly that we must find balance in our personal and professional lives. This balance makes us better lawyers and, more importantly, better people. Providers of legal education must find ways to work within that balance.

I attend in Courts in this province almost every day and am always impressed with the level of professionalism within the Bar.

We have spoken to the chiefs of our three courts and they have told us that they have not perceived a general decline in professionalism in our Bar. It is trite and unhelpful to say we could all do more. We can always do more; we all wish we had more time to do more. The Canadian Bar Association is committed to working with The Continuing Legal Education Society and The Law Society of BC to provide legal education that is affordable and accessible. We welcome your thoughts and ideas. Call me at 1-888-673-9250 or write us at the Branch. We are here to help.

This article was published in the December 1999 issue of BarTalk and is subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2005, all rights reserved.