Women Lawyers Forum Cross Country Roundup

  • June 02, 2017

Dear members,

Registrations for our 2017 Leadership Conference for Professional Women are pouring in! This conference is a great networking and educational opportunity and is always a sellout. Early bird pricing ends on August 31. Don't miss out on being part of a dynamic and unique experience. Details are below.

CBA Section elections are underway and we want you to be a part of the National WLF Executive. We are currently seeking nominations for a Secretary and 10 Member-at-Large positions. Deadline for nominations is June 5. Submit your nominations.

Check out our Not Just a Bystander podcast. This podcast is free to the public, so please circulate the link as widely as possible. We all have a role to play in eliminating sexual harassment and sexual assault, and this podcast is an excellent platform for more in-depth discussions in your firm or organization.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter for up to date news. We also encourage you to join the National WLF LinkedIn page and visit the WLF webpage for the latest news and articles.

Check out one of the many national and branch events that are coming up in the next little while.

Sincerely,

Heidi Schedler and Sara Gottlieb
Co-Chairs, CBA National Women Lawyers Forum


ANNOUNCEMENTS

Register for the CBA Leadership Conference for Professional Women on Oct. 20-21, 2017 in Calgary, AB! Early bird deadline is August 31.

Deadline extended! Nominate an outstanding individual who has achieved professional excellence in her field, influenced other women to pursue legal careers, supported other women in career advancement or opened doors for women lawyers for the Cecilia I. Johnstone Award. Deadline is May 31.

Listen to the Not Just a Bystander podcast. Have a sexual harassment story? Submit your story here.

Watch The Blank Project, a three-part video created by BC law students about diversity in the legal profession.

Keep up-to-date with recent articles posted by various members of the Section. Please send articles to Crystal Lam or if you have general article questions.

Northwest Territories:
Jun. 4: WLF-NT will meet for a discussion of the article Nasty Women and the Rule of Law and Forum matters. Contact the NT Branch for more information.

Mar. 2- Mar. 4, 2018: Save the date! WLF-NT is having its inaugural WLF retreat while the incoming CBA National President Kerry L. Simmons, Q.C. visits the Northwest Territories.

British Columbia:
Apr. 27: WLF-BC hosted a sold-out Awards Dinner Gala at the Fairmont Waterfront Hotel to honour the recipients of the WLF-BC Award of Excellence and the Debra Van Ginkel, Q.C. Mentoring Award.

Jun. 7: Register for the WLF-BC Book Club to discuss the best-selling book, “Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office: Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers”.

Jun. 14: The Annual General Meeting will take place at the Metropolitan Hotel in Vancouver, featuring keynote speaker, Dr. Constance Isherwood, Q.C..  For more information, contact the BC Branch.

Manitoba:
May 9: In conjunction with the Women’s Enterprise Centre, the WLF-MB held its 9th Annual Spring Networking Event: Boundaries, Balance and Business: the Importance of Self-Care in Staying Motivated for women in law and business.

May 15: Law Society of Manitoba and the WLF-MB co-hosted a half day seminar called “Grit and Growth” for women lawyers on the development of a grit and growth mindset to leverage and enhance resilience and success.

Jun. 9: Register for the annual reception for women lawyers and judges to celebrate the achievements of female practitioners and appointment of women to the bench. For more information contact the MB Branch.

Quebec:
May 15: WLF-QC hosted a workshop focused on unconscious bias called Do We Prefer White Men: An Introduction to Unconscious Bias. Be sure to visit the Quebec PD page for upcoming events.

New Brunswick:
May 12: WLF-NB held their 5th annual WLF conference. Be sure to visit the NB PD page for upcoming events.

Nova Scotia:
May 10: WLF-NS held their second annual trivia night with The Honourable Justice Elizabeth Jollimore. Be sure to visit the Nova Scotia PD page for upcoming events.

Prince Edward Island:
May 5: WLF-PEI held their annual luncheon and PD event on stress management and mindfulness. Be sure to visit the PEI PD page for upcoming events.

Alberta:
May 4: WLF-AB hosted a meeting in honour of the Alberta Law Society’s Benchers elections happening in the fall. The WLF-AB is committed to promoting the election of women to be Benchers and hope this year will be a record year for women candidates. Be sure to visit the AB PD page for upcoming events.

Newfoundland & Labrador:
Mar. 8: WLF-NL held a fundraising drive for the Transition House Association of NL raised over $1,500. We were pleased to sell-out a panel discussion on causes and prevention of sexual harassment and sexual assault under the “Not Just a Bystander” banner. Be sure to visit the NL PD page for upcoming events.

Saskatchewan:
WLF-SK is starting to look at scheduling branch events for the 2017-18 year. If you have any ideas for topics of speakers for the upcoming year, please contact Carly Romanow for SK-South and Jessie Buydens for SK-North.