The CBA Women Lawyers Forum (WLF) is gearing up for another engaging and invigorating year. Are you ready to get involved?
This email gives you a preview of some of our upcoming events and ways you can be part of the WLF. The CBA-WLF is the national section that brings together provincial/territorial WLFs to collaborate on issues of importance to women in the legal profession.
We are led by the 2019-2020 Executive, which includes women lawyers from across the country. Thank you to our indomitable Past Chair, Kathy Sainty, and the 2018-2019 WLF executive for all their hard work this past year!
Here is a glimpse of our priorities for the year
2019 CBA Leadership Conference for Professional Women: The WLF and members across the country will meet in Halifax from October 18-19 for an amazing opportunity to learn and network with professional woman. Can't join us in Halifax? Participate by joining the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn using the hashtag #CBAWLF19.
On October 19, Daphne Dumont C.M., Q.C. will be accepting the Cecilia Johnstone Award for her lifetime career achievements, supporting and advancing women in the legal profession. Read the full interview.
Gowning Policy: In 2016, following advocacy efforts by the Forum, several courts across the country introduced exemptions to gowning directives to make clear that pregnant counsel are welcome to appear in court and modify traditional attire as needed. We are encouraging courts to have inclusive gowning directions that make explicit that counsel who are pregnant, experiencing other medical conditions, or living with disabilities, are welcome to appear and modify traditional attire as needed to support their participation in the profession. We hope to have made submissions to all levels of court by the end of this fiscal year and to have inclusive gowning policies in place across Canada by the end of 2021.
Touchstones 2.0 (Bias Interrupters): Implicit biases abound. Are you and your workplace doing everything you can to interrupt them? In conjunction with the CBA Equality Subcommittee, we are planning a “Touchstones 2.0” webinar focused on “bias interrupters.”
Branch Capacity Building: We will continue exchanging ideas and build on last year’s achievements, including additional ways to share events taking place across the country in online platforms, with a specific focus on supporting women lawyers in the north.
Building an Online Community: We have an active and growing presence on Twitter and LinkedIn. Our website is a great resource available to our members presenting our submissions and the articles written by Section members.
The need for women lawyers to act is urgent, so JOIN US!
Sabrina A. Bandali
Chair, Women Lawyers Forum