Across the country students are preparing for mock trials and debates, lawyers and judges are prepping for information sessions, and a lot of people are training for fun runs – it’s Law Day again!
Events are scattered across the country today and for the next month to commemorate the April 17, 1982 creation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Star Wars characters will be taking drama into the mock courtrooms in a number of jurisdictions this year: R. v Luke Skywalker will be tried on April 14 in Yellowknife in front of a local high school class; meanwhile in Edmonton, a mock family court will adjudicate Luke Skywalker & Princess Leia v Darth Vader. Mr. Vader is back in court in the afternoon as the focus of criminal proceedings. Other celebrity trials taking place in Alberta are Cinderella v Mrs. Tremaine et al. in Edmonton; Her Majesty v Elsa the Queen in Lethbridge; and someone from the Despicable Me set (Gru? Dr. Nefario? a minion?) in Fort McMurray. Meanwhile, a Canadian celebrity will go on trial in R. v Moose in Saskatoon.
Nearly every province has something planned for Law Day. Check out the CBA Law Day page, or contact your branch to find out what’s happening in your region and when. And keep an eye out for #cbalawday on Twitter.
Resources
To promote access to justice, we created a number of resources for lawyers and for the public.
For Lawyers
Our Access to Justice Committee produced a guide to help all lawyers integrate preventive lawyering into their practices. Promoting Preventive Legal Health: A Tool Kit for Lawyers discusses the many benefits of preventive lawyering and shows lawyers how to speak with their clients and colleagues about it.
For the Public
14 Legal Health Checks on every day topics like divorce, buying a home, or hiring for your small business are available online. These short checklists cover key actions that individuals can take to address potential legal issues, and how to keep costs down if they need to see a lawyer.
For lawyers, these materials are a way to start conversations with people about the law, how to get legal help, and how to work effectively with a lawyer.