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SectionTalk
In Case You Missed It — NOTABLE MEETINGS
As we wrap up a hugely successful 2022-23 membership year, we’re proud to report that Sections collectively hosted more than 13,000 participants at 265 meetings this year. Session recordings are available to all CBABC members on our Sections web pages.
Here are a few highlights from our latest meetings.
A NEW FORM OF ACCESS TO JUSTICE?
The Constitutional/Civil Liberties Section brought together Sarah Bevan and Robin Gage, counsel for some of the parties in Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia v. British Columbia (Attorney General) 2022 BCCA 163, and access to justice expert Robert Lapper, QC to discuss the issues arising from the case. The case concerns the Civil Resolution Tribunal’s jurisdiction to decide liability and damages for minor injuries resulting from motor vehicle accidents. TLABC and several plaintiffs in motor vehicle claims successfully challenged the CRT’s jurisdiction.
LISTENING TO THE VOICES OF SELF-REPRESENTED LITIGANTS
Leona Harvie, Grimm Culhane, and Meg Holden, three self-represented litigants (“SRLs”) in family cases, shared with the Unbundled Legal Services Section their stories about representing themselves, how lawyers can best interact with SRLs and how unbundled legal services can be used most effectively.
BANNING CONVERSION PRACTICES IN BC
Hosted by SOGIC and Health Law Sections, Florence Ashley, Michael Kwag, and Jordan Sullivan discussed conversion practices and their harms. The panelists reviewed the recent amendments to the federal Criminal Code banning conversion practices, other legislative bans in Canada and internationally, and provisions for survivor supports. The panelists concluded by considering what further policy steps could be taken in
BC and elsewhere to supplement to further reduce odious conversion practices.
Michelle Isaak addressed some elder law issues that Indigenous peoples and communities experience, specifically in the areas of estate planning, incapacity planning, estate administration, and committeeship. As legislative schemes impact many aspects of life for Indigenous peoples, lawyers should be mindful of how these can influence how they approach Indigenous clients on estate and incapacity planning.
WHAT’S NEXT IN SECTIONS
Members are telling us clearly: You want the convenience of virtual sessions with the option for in-person meetings. We are pleased to confirm that most Section meetings will continue to be delivered virtually to keep your practice and interest communities connected.
Sections will also offer Hubs, where members can gather in-person to engage in a virtual meeting together. Any member wishing to host a Hub at their office can indicate that when registering for a meeting. CBABC will promote your Hub location on the meeting registration page!
Stay in the loop: CBABC is committed to giving members at least three weeks’ notice of upcoming meetings so you can plan your attendance. Bookmark cbabc.org/events and update your Sections enrollment, so you don’t miss a thing!
\ EMAIL: SECTIONS@CBABC.ORG
SOGIC UPDATE — by Dustin Klaudt (he/him)
SOGIC Welcomes In-Person Pride Season to Conclude Our Section Year
SOGIC’s Executive thanks our members and allies for participating in our recent programming and is thrilled to have hosted several in-person social and Pride activities in recent months.
In May, we co-hosted, with Workplace Investigations Section, a presentation by Adrienne Smith on gender identity and pronouns in the workplace. We also held our first (of hopefully many) in-person Victoria Social for our growing membership there.
In June, we co-hosted, with Health Law Section, a presentation on banning conversion practices (also called “conversion therapy”) in BC, an issue we will continue to advocate should be placed on the BC government’s reform radar in the next year. We also hosted two social events. First, SOGIC joined the Victoria Bar Association at the Victoria Pride Parade. June concluded with our first in-person Vancouver Social post-COVID. Special thanks are due to Morgan Camley and others at Dentons Vancouver for hosting SOGIC offices and providing lovely refreshments.
In July, we participated in Vancouver Pride. SOGIC had for many years marched in-person in the Vancouver Pride Parade pre-COVID and re-established this well-regarded event at the July 31, 2022 Parade. SOGIC is also planning to attend the New Westminster Pride Festival on August 13, 2022, and those interested in joining can register here.
You can also celebrate Pride anytime during the year (not just the summer) with several CBABC resources such as wearable print tabs, digital backgrounds, and social media shareables.
SOGIC also thanks our many members who participated in our ThoughtExchange to inform our advocacy and other activities for the next Section year.
In conclusion, this is my final Section year as Co-Chair, and I wanted to thank our members and allies for your outstanding engagement these past three years. It’s your efforts to make our profession more inclusive that has driven much needed equality, diversity, and inclusion reforms during my tenure!
CONNECTING WOMEN LAWYERS
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the CBABC WLF Summer Newsletter, featuring articles about pay equity and climate-conscious lawyering, recent event highlights, and an interview with The Honourable Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay.
uuu Read it here.
