Award Luncheon Report.

On June 24, 2010, the CBABC Work Life Balance Section held its third annual Work Life Balance Awards lunch. The event was well-attended with almost sixty people present. The program started with CBABC Work Life Balance Section Chair, Catherine Sas, QC, providing a history of the Section from its development from a CBA Committee to a CBA Section. Catherine provided a report on this year’s activities.

Catherine also provided an insightful look at where the legal profession is now and where it could be heading in the future with respect to age demographics.

The Honourable Mr. Justice Leask of the B.C. Supreme Court reprised the portion of his recent Call to the Bar speech which dealt with the issue of work life balance. A major theme was that upcoming generations will need to improve on work life balance as set by the present generation.

Mr. Justice Leask presented the 2010 CBA Work Life Balance Awards. This is the first year there has been an award for an individual as well as a firm, company or organization. The individual award was given to Nicole Garton-Jones. CLEBC produced a video profile of Ms. Garton-Jones that was shown at the luncheon. Ms. Garton-Jones, a working lawyer and mother of two, is the founder of a virtual law firm that allows its lawyers to work from home and balance work and life in an innovative way.

The group award was given to CLEBC. CLEBC presented a video that showcased why members of CLE find it an excellent place to work for work life balance. Between the video and Ronald Friesen, the CEO of CLE, the work life balance initiatives of CLE were well presented.

This will be the final year of Catherine as Chair of the CBABC Work Life Balance Section. She was presented with flowers by incoming Chair Joseph Weiler and Executive Member Patricia Houlihan to commemorate and thank her for her enormous contribution for this and past years. Special recognition was also given to Mimi Chen the Secretary for the Section for her contributions this year and to Katherine Montes the assistant of Catherine for her assistance to Catherine and the Section.

See CLE Update for more details.



Back L-R: Raymond Lee, Ron Friesen, Catherine Sas, QC, Antonio Zivanovic and Angela Jackson.
Front L-R: Jess Sanker, Rosa Pezzente, Meisze Man, Rozina Jamal, Nicole Garton-Jones and Joy Tataryn.



L-R: Nicole Garton-Jones, Heritage Law and The Honourable Mr. Justice Peter Leask.



L-R: The Honourable Mr. Justice Peter Leask and Ron Friesen, Chief Executive Officer, CLEBC.

This article was published in the August 2010 issue of BarTalk. © 2010 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.