BarTalk April 2004
Volume 16, Number 2

All-Lawyer Cast Takes to the Vancouver Stage

On April 16th and 17th the Arts Club and Touchstone Theatres in association with the Vancouver Bar Association will present “Inherit the Wind” at the Stanley Theatre.

The play is the dramatization of the infamous “Scopes Monkey Trial” that pitted legal titans William Jennings Bryant against Clarence Darrow representing a Herculean clash of religious fundamentalism against Darwinian science over the issue of the teaching of evolution in the State of Tennessee in 1925. This smash Broadway hit first premiered in 1955 and has been performed almost every night since somewhere in the world. This is legal and theatrical excitement not to be missed!

The cast is composed entirely of lawyers including Hamish Cameron, QC as Brady (i.e., Bryant), Rob Ruttan as Drummond (i.e., Darrow), Gerald Lecovin, QC as the Judge and a host of others. In addition to the talented cast, special guests will be in the production. They include: Chief Justice Finch, Allan McEachern, Justice Newbury, Justice Oppal, Judge Gove, Judge Rounthwaite, UBC Dean Mary Anne Bobinski, Ian Hanomansing and William Deverell.

This team is led by Director Katrina Dunn, Assistant Director John Murphy and their staff. For details visit www.touchstonetheatre.com. All proceeds from this event go to charity.

Tickets cost $75 ($45 tax receipt). Included is a post-show reception with the cast and a glass of wine. To purchase tickets, call 604.687.1644.

Battle of the Bar Bands Returns

Mark your calendars now! On Friday, June 11, the third annual Battle of the Bar Bands returns to the Commodore Ballroom – Vancouver’s premier rock venue.

For two years running, this fundraiser has raised tens of thousands of dollars for the CBABC Benevolent Society. Eight bands comprised of some of the best lawyers/rockers will showcase their considerable talents before what promises to be another sell-out crowd and a panel of demanding judges chosen from the ranks of the B.C. Supreme Court. Rick Cluff, the host of CBC Radio One’s morning program – The Early Edition – will serve as M.C. again this year. All indicators point to the 2004 event to be the biggest and the best ever.

Start lobbying your firm now to purchase blocks of tickets so that you, your colleagues and your support staff can enjoy what promises to be a great evening and an excellent opportunity for lawyers to support lawyers in need.

Date: Friday, June 11, 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m.

Tickets: $75 for lawyers and $25 for everyone else. Order your tickets today by calling 604.646.7855.

Musicians: Bands wishing to participate should call Roger Holland c/o Singleton Urquhart, 604.682.7474 (reh@singleton.com) for competition rules and entry requirements.

The Honourable M Bastarache to Speak in Vancouver

L’Association des juristes d’expression française de la C.B. est fière d’inviter les juristes de la province à sa deuxième Journée de droit annuelle le vendredi 28 mai 2004 de 9h à 16h au Law Courts Inn (centre-ville de Vancouver).

À cette occasion, plusieurs conférenciers de haut calibre, dont l’honorable Juge Michel Bastarache de la Cour suprême du Canada, traiteront de sujets variés tels que les droits linguistiques canadiens. L’espace est limité alors inscrivez-vous au plus tôt à info@ajefcb.ca ou au 604.629.1217.

Please note: The Association of French-speaking Jurists of B.C. invites all jurists to attend this event. However, all presentations at the association’s second annual Law Day, including the Honourable Mr. Justice Bastarache’s lunch-time talk on May 28, will be in French.

CBA Canadian Legal Conference: August 15-17, 2004 - Winnipeg

In an era where globalization characterizes almost every facet of life, from commerce to politics to health epidemics, traditional geographic and political boundaries are losing their meaning and change is becoming the order of the day.

The 2004 Canadian Legal Conference, August 15-17 in Winnipeg, features 28 Continuing Legal Education programs that will expand your horizons and offer advice on how to succeed in an unpredictable post-border world. Take advantage of these and other valuable networking opportunities, as well as a plenary session on the role of international human rights law hosted by Ann Medina and featuring Stephen Lewis, Janice Gross Stein and Sheema Khan.

Watch for your copy of the Conference brochure in the March/April issue of the National. Full conference details and registration are available at www.cba.org/CBA/annualmeeting/2004_annual.

Hooplaw 2004 Raises $35,000

On March 6, the Hooplaw Society held its annual Charity Basketball Tournament in support of local children’s charities. The event was again a resounding success. More than 150 lawyers, judges and law students participated, raising $35,000. Fourteen teams participated in two divisions with the UBC law students winning the competitive division and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP prevailing in the recreational division.

The tournament organizers would like to thank the following sponsors: Red Carpet Food Services, Axa Pacific Insurance and HSBC. In addition, special thanks to the following four law firms for their significant fundraising efforts: Blake Cassels & Graydon LLP, Clark Wilson, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, and McCarthy Tétrault LLP.

Hooplaw organizers thank all individuals who participated or made a donation to this very worthwhile cause. If you were unable to participate this year, they say it’s never too early to start getting in shape for next year and that skill is not a prerequisite.

These articles were published in the April 2004 issue of BarTalk and are subject to the copyright by the British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, 2004, all rights reserved.