 Meet the New National President
Bernard Amyot
President 2007-2008
Canadian Bar Association
The new president of the CBA says his priority is to provide pragmatic approaches to improve the practice of law, in particular through the CBA’s Conflicts of Interest Task Force. Bernard Amyot, of Heenan Blaikie LLP in Montreal, is also committed to increasing CBA membership among women, younger lawyers and francophones.
That commitment is at the centre of the CBA’s new five-year strategic plan, adopted earlier this year. “We can build even greater accomplishments if we have a larger and more robust membership, fully supportive of our goals,” he says, adding that more francophones should be involved in the CBA. Bernard Amyot received the chain of office at the CBA’s Canadian Legal Conference in Calgary in August.
News release >>> www.cba.org/CBA/News/2007_Releases/2007-08-13_president.aspx |
CBA Calls for Khadr to be Turned Over to Canada
The CBA has urged the Prime Minister to negotiate with the American government for the immediate release of Canadian Omar Khadr from Guantanamo Bay. In a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the CBA called Khadr’s detention “an affront to the rule of law,” adding that the 20-year-old should be turned over to Canada to be dealt with under Canadian law. The letter noted that Canada is the only Western country with a citizen still being detained at Guantanamo Bay. Both Australia and the U.K. have repatriated their citizens.
News release >>> www.cba.org/CBA/News/2007_releases/2007-08-12_omar.aspx
Letter >>> www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/07-43-eng.pdf
Recognizing Excellence
The CBA recognized the exceptional achievements of its members through 13 awards presented during the course of the Canadian Legal Conference in Calgary from August 12-14. The awards recognize contributions in areas such as human rights, equality, journalism and more. - Donald J. Manderscheid, QC, wins John Tait Award
- J. David O’Brien, QC, wins R.V.A. Jones Award
- Justice John Gomery receives Ramon John Hnatyshyn Award
- Lisa D. Belcourt wins Young Lawyers’ Pro Bono Award
- Tamara Kronis receives CBA SOGIC Ally Award
- El-Farouk Khaki receives CBA’s SOGIC Hero Award
- Justicia Awards presented for Legal Reporting to The Canadian Press and filmmaker John Kastner’s
- Margaret Ostrowski, QC, wins Touchstone Award
- David Matas wins Tarnopolsky Award
- Nicolas M. Rouleau wins Viscount Bennett Fellowship
- Former Ontario Hon. Chief Justice Roy McMurtry wins President’s Award
- Lorne Waldman receives CBA Louis St-Laurent Award
- Ari N. Kaplan and John Swan win Walter Owen Book Prize
Full details on winners and awards: >>> www.cba.org/CBA/calgary2007/main/awards.aspx
Conflicts Task Force Begins Consultation Phase
The CBA’s Task Force on Conflicts of Interest begins a busy round of consultations this fall, both within and beyond the CBA. Branches, Sections, Conferences, and Committees will all be canvassed for their views.
Created last June, the task force includes lawyers from all areas of practice and firm sizes, as well as an ethicist who is a liaison from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, a law society insurer and a conflicts expert. It will offer a progress report in February 2008 and anticipates a final report in August 2008.
Details >>> www.cba.org/CBA/groups/conflicts/
Resolution Would Improve Access to Justice
A motion passed by CBA at the Calgary 2007 Canadian Legal Conference last month aims to improve access to justice by middle and low-income Canadians. The CBA is calling on all levels of government to zero rate the GST/HST on legal services and pay fair compensation to legal aid lawyers. Moved by Robin Bajer of Miller Thomson LLP in Vancouver, the resolution says governments should stop using the justice system as a source of government funding and instead invest time, money and energy in the justice system to bring access to justice to the people of Canada.
2007 Resolutions (requires CBA member number) >>> www.cba.org/CBA/resolutions/2007res/Default.aspx
CBA Calls for Debt Relief for Law School Graduates
In response to an alarming trend toward dramatically increased tuition costs for law school, the Young Lawyers-CBA and Branch presidents are asking governments to defer interest and loan repayment until the end of articling and Bar admission programs. Noting that loan programs vary from province to province, have not kept pace with increases in tuition that are a reality for most law students, YL-CBA past chair Annette Horst says the situation is further exacerbated when students graduate from law school and are required to repay loans and interest immediately, although they are not yet earning professional income.
The letters follow a CBA resolution passed in 2006. Preliminary responses to the campaign have been positive.
CBA PracticeLink: Top Five Trial Blunders and How to Avoid Them
Litigation is challenging. High-profile litigation is doubly challenging. This month on CBA PracticeLink, trial and technology consultant Ted Brooks draws on his experience in several high-profile trials to share the top five problems that can arise and how you can prevent them in your cases. Plus, read the second in the series of excerpts from Ed Poll’s More Secrets of the Business of Law – Opening Your Own Office: What Will It Cost?
Also new on CBA PracticeLink: - Drop Your Hook Where the Fish Are: Market at Trade Shows
- Law Firm Fitness Benefits for a Health-Conscious Generation
- Reducing Law Firm Overhead Costs
- Quick tips on marketing, financial management, client services and more.
All this and much more >>> www.cba.org/practicelink
Canadian Bar Review Online: Issue 1, Volume 86 (2007)
The following are among the articles and book reviews now available online in the current issue: - Return of the Undead: Fundamental Breach Disinterred by Richard F. Devlin
- Family Law as Fundamental Private Law by Robert Leckey
- Inside and Outside Canadian Administrative Law: Essays in Honour of David Mullan
Reviewed by Gerald P. Heckman
Visit Canadian Bar Review online >>> www.cba.org/cbr
These articles were published in the October 2007 issue of BarTalk. © 2007 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved. |