Dial-A-Law Scripts Available in Mandarin
Members of the public may now telephone the Dial-A-Law service and access any script in Mandarin, by dialing “5” in front of the script number.

“We are pleased to be able to offer this valuable service to the growing population of Mandarin speaking residents in B.C.” said Penelope Green, Chair, Dial-A-Law/Lawyer Referral Advisory Committee.

The translation and recording of the scripts was funded by the Law Foundation of B.C. under the Projects Initiative 2003 Fund. Dial-A-Law is a public service operated by the CBABC and funded by the Law Foundation of B.C.


Dispute Resolution Offers Lawyer Mediators
Stressed out from conflict or poor communication with a colleague or opposing counsel? Feel like you need some help resolving the problem, but it’s not serious enough to call in the Law Society? Try the CBA’s Member Dispute Resolution service run by lawyer volunteers who will talk to you on a confidential basis to help work out disputes that aren’t reportable Law Society matters. This is your chance to talk the issue through with a lawyer mediator, and seek quiet counsel on how to handle it.


National South Asian Bar - BC Chapter
The formation of a B.C. chapter of the National South Asian Bar Association (NASABA) is underway. NASABA’s U.S. chapters include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York.

The objective of the B.C. chapter is to promote professional development of South Asian lawyers and students through support and mentorship, to educate the South Asian community about pertinent legal issues, and to provide a referral network within B.C. and among other chapters.

Lawyers practising in B.C. are invited to become chapter members. For more information call: Mandeep Dhaliwal at 604-631-6742 (mdhaliwal@lawsonlundell.com) For more information visit www.na-saba.org.


Pro Bono Law of BC Appoints New Chair
Pro Bono Law of B.C. is pleased to announce the appointment of Kelly Doyle to the position of Chair of the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2004.

Mr. Doyle, a partner with Lawson Lundell since 1984, practises commercial litigation with an emphasis on insolvency, restructuring and creditor/debtor remedies. He has written on topics related to insolvency, commercial leasing, contaminated property and dispute resolution. He has also acted as an arbitrator and mediator.

Mr. Doyle has long been involved in pro bono service and promoting a pro bono legal culture. In addition to acting as a Director on the Board of Pro Bono Law of B.C., he has served as a volunteer lawyer with the Salvation Army Pro Bono Lawyer Program and a member of the coordinating committee for the program. He is currently Vice-Chair on the CBA (National) Pro Bono Standing Committee. He is a former member of the joint Law Society/CBA Pro Bono Initiative Committee which presented its final report entitled “Pro Bono Publico-Lawyers Serving the Public Good in British Columbia” in March 2002.

Mr. Doyle has also been involved in other areas of professional service and responsibility. He serves as the Chair of the CBABC ADR-Vancouver Section, is a past member of the executive of the CBABC Insolvency Section, and is a long standing member of the Discipline Committee of the Yukon Law Society.


Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies
The Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies was created at the B.C. Law Institute (BCLI) in July, 2003. The Centre evolved from work the BCLI has undertaken since 2000 on legal issues affecting seniors. That work indicated a need for attention to, and information about, legal issues particularly concerning older adults. Thus, the idea for a Centre to concentrate solely on legal issues affecting seniors (elder law) was born.

The Centre also has a special role to play in bringing forward hidden issues that disproportionately affect older adults in ways that harm family relationships and financial interests (the current project “Financial Arrangement Between older Adults and Family Members: Loans and Guarantees” addresses these kinds of problems).

The Centre’s program encompasses research and scholarship, law reform, and the development and delivery of information and educational materials. Further information about past and ongoing projects may be accessed through the Centre’s Web site (www.ccels.ca).

The Centre welcomes input regarding future project ideas. Please send comments and questions to: Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies, B.C. Law Institute, 1822 East Mall, Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z1. Tel: 604-822-0633, fax: 604-822-0144, e-mail ccels@bcli.org.

What is elder law?
Elder law brings together concepts and problems that have traditionally been categorized and considered under different legal headings (e.g., family law, wills and estates, and trusts). This new conceptual framework (elder law) makes visible important connections that are otherwise obscured. It also works to bring together a body of law and legal scholarship that would otherwise be dispersed and difficult to access.


BCCLS Brings LawSource Access to Libraries
As of March 1, 2004, the B.C. Courthouse Library Society (BCCLS) provides free access to Westlaw eCarswell’s LawSource on all courthouse library computers outside of Vancouver.

The information on LawSource is available to lawyers and members of the public of B.C. as a result of subscription negotiations held between BCCLS and Carswell. There is no cost to access LawSource on the public access computers at courthouse libraries outside Vancouver. The only cost to users is the standard $0.25 per page charge for self-service printing.

Some of the resources available on LawSource include: Canadian case law; federal and provincial legislation; Canadian Encyclopedic Digest; The Canadian Abridgment; and KeyCite Canada.

Training on eCarswell
Training programs are underway in the six regional courthouse libraries: Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Prince George and Victoria. The BCCLS will travel throughout B.C to smaller locations with courthouse libraries to train lawyers. Visit www.bccls.bc.ca for dates and locations of training programs and orientation sessions or call 1-800-665-2570.


Separation and Divorce Web Sites for Youth
The Law Courts Education Society of B.C. is pleased to announce the development of two public legal education Web sites: A Kids Guide to Separation and Divorce (ages 5-12); and A Teen Guide to Parental Separation and Divorce (pre-teen and teen). To view the sites, visit www.familieschange.ca.

Professionals who deal with families experiencing separation or divorce can access the Web sites, which were carefully crafted with child development expertise. They provide clear and objective information in a way that appeals to young people.

The Web sites are intended to help facilitate explaining the process of separation and divorce to kids and youth. They may be used to introduce legal information, or to guide children and youth to further information.

The Ministry of Attorney General developed the Web sites with the financial assistance of the Department of Justice Canada.


BarTalk Hole Punch Final Tally
In the last issue of BarTalk we asked whether we should continue to hole punch BarTalk, which was originally designed to be filed in binders. It was a treat to hear from readers – thank you for your e-mails. The final results were:

• 70 per cent anti-punch
• 30 per cent pro-punch

Congratulations to Debra Bulmer who won a CBA stainless steel travel mug. Debra was one of 30 people who responded to our hole punch question.


LawNow Seeks Lawyers to Contribute Articles for Publication
LawNow seeks lawyers to contribute articles for publication. LawNow is a magazine about the law, the legal process, and the relationship of law to life in Canada. It has a national subscription base and has been published for 28 years by the Legal Studies Program at the University of Alberta.

Topics to be covered in the next volume are: oil and gas law, basic contract law, insurance law, new developments in criminal law, new developments in aboriginal law, Law in Your Garden, municipal law, Marriage as a Legal Institution, and Building Democracies. Further details about these topics, ideas for specific articles, and deadlines for submission may be obtained by e-mailing teresa.mitchell@ualberta.ca or by phoning 780-492-1722.

These articles were published in the April 2004 issue of BarTalk. © 2004 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.