News
 2010 Pro Bono Award – Call for Nominations!
Are you a lawyer who is dedicated to serving your community? Do you know someone who is passionate about pro bono? The YL-CBA Pro Bono Award recognizes outstanding pro bono legal services to the community by a young lawyer in Canada. The nomination deadline for the 2010 Pro Bono Award is June 1, 2010.
The 2009 YL-CBA Pro Bono Award winner is Tricia Kuhl of Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Montreal, shown here receiving her award at the 2009 CBA Awards Ceremony in Toronto. Who will be standing in her place in 2010?
For more on Tricia Kuhl’s pro bono work and complete nomination details, visit our Pro Bono Award website.
Work Life Balance Project Update
Finding the balance between professional and personal life has been an ongoing challenge for the legal profession. Many young lawyers are often faced with difficult choices between the demands of their chosen career and the growing responsibilities of starting and raising families. At its planning meeting in 2007, the Young Lawyers-CBA identified work/life balance (WLB) as a top priority for its members.
As we have reported to you previously, the CBA is moving ahead with an initiative to address WLB issues faced by young lawyers. The research portion of the WLB project was completed in the summer of 2009, and involved seven in-person focus sessions with young lawyers from across Canada.
With the project moving into its next phase, YL-CBA Directorate members provided their perspectives on WLB. At their annual meeting last November, the Directorate brainstormed methods of targeting WLB issues among law students, recent calls, law firms and the legal profession as a whole. Of these four, employers were identified as the key target group. Next stages involve a broader survey of young lawyers to verify the results of the focus groups.
 New Chair at the Helm of YL-CBA
There has been some movement at the YL-CBA Executive table, which saw us welcome Marie-Hélène Fandrich of Montréal (shown at left) as the new Chair for 2009-2010. She replaces Rebecca Bromwich of Ottawa, who has taken a staff position at the CBA as Lawyer, Equity and Law Reform, and stepped down as Chair in late 2009.
All other executive members moved up one position. Elections will be held in the spring to fill the two vacancies on the Executive for 2010-2011.
YL-Young Lawyers Pro Bono Call-in
“Successful” and “fun” sum up the recent Young Lawyers Pro Bono Call-In Day held by Young Lawyers–CBA. Organized in conjunction with Pro Bono Week, this pilot project—held in Halifax on Oct. 28 and in Regina on Oct. 31—gave people of limited means in Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia the opportunity to speak to a lawyer to ask their legal questions during specified times.
“The pilot project helped to improve access to justice by providing pro bono legal services to an underserviced group of people,” explained Rebecca Bromwich, then-chair of YL-CBA.
Fifteen lawyers in Regina answered 131 telephone calls—averaging 11 minutes per call—on matters relating to family law, criminal law, wills and estates, civil litigation (disputes), debtor-creditor issues, labour and employment, medical negligence, landlord-tenant issues, immigration and taxation. In Halifax, eight lawyers answered 33 calls in four hours on subjects ranging from wills and consumer law to child support and court procedures.
The verdict? Young lawyers in Halifax and Regina plan to hold call-ins again next year, and YL–CBA hopes to expand the project to British Columbia, Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Testimonial from Nova Scotia:
“I think this was a fantastic idea...I used your service (free) today. I know so many people that could use this, but I had forgotten all about it until about a half hour before 2:00 p.m. (end time). Hope you do it again sometime, and I can find out about in time :) Good job—thanks so much.”
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Getting Involved
If you're a young lawyer who is interested in becoming an active member of the CBA, you should join the Young Lawyers' Section in your Branch. These groups are always looking for new members to attend and help organize local events.
Pro Bono Award & Initiatives
The annual YL-CBA Pro Bono Service Award recognizes a deserving young lawyer who has made an outstanding contribution to the community and the profession through his or her pro bono work.
In addition, as one of its ongoing projects, the YL-CBA is supporting the efforts of Pro Bono Students Canada.
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From the Chair
Marie-Hélène Fandrich, 2009-2010 YL-CBA Chair.
Meetings
Upcoming Meetings:
CBA Mid-Winter Meeting of Council: Feb. 12 - 14, 2010, Ottawa, Ont.
Contacts
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