Resource Bank for CBA International Development

The CBA's International Development Committee is currently seeking legal professionals (i.e. lawyers, judges, court administrators) to become members of our Resource Bank to support the CBA’s international development initiatives. 

The CBA is in the process of updating and expanding its Resource Bank for International Development.  We are moving to an online format which will make it easier to identify resource persons with the requisite skills and experience. 

Members of the Resource Bank may be asked to volunteer their time to support project activities in one or more areas:

1. Capacity development related to the organization and administration of our partners (i.e. law societies, bar associations, legal aid organizations, judiciary, law schools);
2. Professional skills training for lawyers, law students, judiciary, government officials;
3. Supporting law reform initiatives of our partners through assisting in research, in an advisory role or even in assisting with the development of submissions or advocacy strategies;
4. Assisting in study tours to Canada;
5. Acting as a mentor to an individual or organization;
6. Participating in an Advisory Committee.

Particular skills we are searching for at the moment include:

• Experience in Governance of the legal profession (former Law Society executive members strongly encouraged to apply);
• Legislation and law reform research;
• Training skills using participatory methodologies;
• Access to justice and legal aid expertise;
• Case management and court administration;
• Criminal defence expertise.

Participation in CBA international development activities will provide Resource Bank members with many rewards, including the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing evolution of the rule of law in partner countries, strengthening of the legal profession and the legal system, and the chance to connect with and share experiences with our colleagues overseas.

For more information on the CBA’s various international programs, please click on http://www.cba.org/CBA/IDP/InterDev/

If interested, please complete the online registration process at https://www.cba.org/idc_members/login.aspx and upload your cv.  Please note that you must complete the questionnaire and not only upload your cv as the questionnaire provides the primary search criteria.  If you believe you are currently included in the Resource Bank, we request that you re-register online using the form and attaching your cv to maintain your inclusion in our Resource Bank.

We encourage individuals with a personal background from a developing country and individuals with different cultural competencies, such as knowledge of different legal systems, traditions and languages, to apply.  We also encourage members of the following designated groups to apply and self-identify: women, members of a visible minority group, aboriginal people and persons with a disability. 

Should you encounter any problems with the registration process please contact Claudia de Oliveira by e-mailing: claudiad@cba.org.

We strongly encourage you to apply to our Resource Bank today.  The process of registration, if you have your cv ready for attachment, should only take 10-20 minutes.


Volunteer Contributions

The International Development program relies heavily on the generous volunteerism of our members.  CBA members, who include lawyers, judges, law professors and law students, are the strength of our program.
 
In our South African Project alone we had over 170 lawyers who were experts in their field that provided advice, research and ongoing professional support to the Legal Resources Centre.  These people responded immediately when contacted and regularly put significant time, effort and resources into providing the most recent legal research and analysis in their area of specialty.

Our Resource Bank for the International Development Committee includes over 130 names of individuals that have worked on our programming and have extensive experience in both their field of expertise and international development.

In the Partnership Program since 1995 there have been over 375 lawyers, judges and other legal experts involved in professional exchanges, training delivery and program design, seminar presentations in their areas of expertise and developing courses and training materials for use in the program.

CBA members also give many volunteer hours to sitting on project design and advisory teams, ensuring that our programs are supported by some of the top legal experts in the country.

For specific on-going projects, where appropriate, advisory committees consisting of senior legal practitioners have been established to provide specialized expertise for the life of a project. This ensures continuity in support and knowledge. We have adopted this format in both the CBA/ ACLA Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy Project in China and the support to the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia. These advisory committees are an invaluable source of accessible relevant knowledge of the Canadian legal system and areas of legal expertise combined with understanding of the project’s desired outcomes and specific cultural context. These volunteers make a commitment to support a project for its duration, which may be several years.

In addition, broader Resource Networks of Canadian lawyers, judges and academics were established to support the work of the South Africa program, the Zimbabwe project and the Criminal Justice Reform and Advocacy Project in China.

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