Law Week Online
by Patricia Jordan

In March 2008, the Canadian Bar Association B.C. Branch (CBABC) launched a new website for Law Week in British Columbia. Our intention is to raise the profile and public awareness of Law Week/Law Day events that are held throughout the province and across Canada. BClawweek.org has six categories: About, Events, Contests, Locations, Partners/Sponsors and Media.

About
The history of Law Week, Law Week Committee members, the Committee’s mandate and contact information are published in “About.” As well, a detailed list of links for the courts and judiciary, law libraries, legal services and pro bono services is provided online.

Events
In “Events” look for information on citizenship ceremonies, courthouse tours, the popular Dial-A-Lawyer program, public speaking and essay contests, mock trials, free law classes, a free public forum, the fun run, open houses, and presentations and displays by justice staff and legal organizations.

Mock trials are an important part of Law Day events, as each year during Law Week the CBABC sponsors mock trials for middle school and high school students throughout the province. Look for photos of past open houses, mock trials and fun runs in “Events.”

Contests
Each year the CBABC invites students to participate in province-wide contests that offer students an opportunity to learn about the law and the judicial system. A cornerstone event, the annual Barry Sullivan Law Cup public speaking contest, is open to students in grades 11-12. The popular essay contest is open to students in grades 8-12. Learn more about these events in “Contests.”

Locations
In 2008, open houses will be held in Fort St. John, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Port Coquitlam, Vancouver, and Victoria. Visit “Locations” for details about events held in your area.

Partners/Sponsors
Law Week is made possible through the efforts of hundreds of lawyers who donate thousands of hours of volunteer time to Law Day events across Canada. Visit “Partners/Sponsors” for a complete list of law firms and organizations that support Law Week events.

Media
The popular free public forum that is held in Vancouver will once again be hosted by Ian Hanomansing of CBC. The biographies of public forum guest speakers are available in “Media” under “Biographies of Speakers.” Media kits and news releases are also available in “Media.”

Did You Know?

• In 2007, there were 1,133,424 visits to cba.org/bc or an average of 3,105 per day
• The Events Calendar was viewed more than 33,000 times
• The top three search phrases used were possession of marijuana, marriage contract and conditional discharge
• The employment ad for VANOC was downloaded 18,404 times
• Employment ads were downloaded 108,591 times.

Patricia Jordan is the CBABC Web Manager. She welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions. Tel: 604-646-7861 E-mail: pjordan@bccba.org.

This article was published in the April 2008 issue of BarTalk. © 2008 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.