STEPPING INTO CHANGE By Aleksandra Zivanovic We are dipping our toes into the second half of 2020 and what a year it is so far! I sincerely hope you are doing well. That you and your family, friends, colleagues and “bubbles” are staying healthy and safe in these unprecedent times. Let me introduce myself: My name is Aleksandra Zivanovic and I am the Associate General Counsel for SGI Canada and your CDL president for the 2020-21 year. I have been a member of CDL since I was called to the Ontario Bar in 2003. Many of its leaders, past and present, are and remain essential mentors, colleagues and personal friends. For those who know me, they will know that I practiced insurance defence law in Toronto for my entire career. That changed in 2018 when I shifted into a national litigation leadership and management role at SGI Canada resulting in CDL having its first in-house counsel president this year. What makes this shift particularly interesting is that it came at a time when CDL also expanded its engagement with its members and established its In-House Counsel Committee. This expansion reflects an ongoing essential principle of CDL: to continually define new paths to support and expand its membership and the communities where our members practice, from coast to coast to coast. We understand that our members, since the start of this pandemic, like every other industry and profession around us, have had to change to try to stay the same. And yet, in so many ways, professionally and personally, so much of our lives is different. There is no question that as I look ahead to this upcoming year, I’m struck by the number of times I start a question with “How…?” How will we continue to live and work in this continued period of economic uncertainty? It’s a seismic change for some, a mix of good and bad for others, while sharing a common shift that we all have had to make, how to live and work in a digital/virtual reality. As lawyers, we are also asking how we will face litigation and claims in the future. CDL, like all other organizations, has had to re-evaluate and re-assess how do we support our members in this unprecedent reality while we ensure that our contribution to the defence Bar remains impactful. For me, at least part of the answer will start by asking with who I will begin to understand the “how”. At CDL, we would like to be part of your “who”. Whether you are an existing member turning to us during these challenging times or a potential new member trying to decide who can help you navigate these issues, I would like to take a moment and provide you with some reasons why CDL is a “good wing person”. All the support that CDL delivers is found within the engines of its committees. Let me describe what I mean. To support the education of our membership, our Continuing Legal Education Committee, “CLE”, delivers programming in different provinces, in person (on hold currently), virtually and via audio. We have learned to be agile so that we can expand our programming portfolio and deliver quick turn
arounds on emerging issues or decision while also delivering deeper conversations on key matters to our profession. To support some of those “deeper dives”, we currently have 2 substantive committees dedicated to specific fields of practices: Accident Benefits and Coverage. We have a few more ideas to expand our substantive committees—more to come! Our members also wanted to enhance and improve the quality of our profession by addressing relevant barriers and concerns that led to establishing 3 other committees: our Women’s Caucus, the first national women’s legal organization in the civil practice; our Young Lawyers’ Committee focused on supporting the new lawyer experience from 0-10 years of call to the Bar; and, our Diversity and Inclusion Committee that is charged with encouraging collaboration with external organizations to support and embrace diversity, equity and inclusion principles within our legal profession. Another path of engagement our members rely upon is our Public Policy Secretariat (“PPS”) that personifies our mission to be the voice of the defence Bar. Its purpose is to engage the Courts, Government and all stakeholders in the civil justice system in Canada through various submissions, providing guidance and ensuring the integrity of the system. This body addresses issues that are important to our membership while we engage through interventions, consultation, scholarship, academic articles and advocacy. And, as mentioned, we have our recent addition, the In-House Counsel Committee comprised of a broad representation of insurers’ in-house defence counsel affording not only a collaborative environment within the family of CDL but also a member-only annual symposium focused entirely on the needs of corporate counsel. CDL is also an affiliate with the Defence Research Institute (“DRI”), the international membership organization of all lawyers involved in the defence of civil litigation. Many of our CDL members are engaged members at DRI assuming leadership roles to continue to foster a strong bridge between us. Our 2020-2023 Council Representative is David Mackenzie, Blaney McMurtry LLP, Toronto ON and our 2020-2023 Regional Representative is Laura Emmett, Strigberger Brown Armstrong LLP, London ON. I am currently the 2020-21 Co-Chair of Publication for the Corporate Counsel Committee and the Canadian/Cross Border Subcommittee Chair for the Women In The Law Committee. Each of these committees has grown from the tireless commitment of our members who believe that CDL’s mission to be the voice of the defence bar is not just a tag line but the product of commitment, community and consistency. We are only as impactful and engaged as our members contribute. It is for this reason that I wish to use my first “Message from the President” to ask for your commitment to continue to engage, not only within our CDL community but importantly, your own legal community and set out how we can support you in advancing the voice of the defence Bar to make it louder, stronger and braver. And bring others with you. Let’s grow! CDL has much to be proud of. It is a volunteer supported organization made up of thoughtful and caring lawyers. CDL lawyers are not afraid to listen or to be heard. We invite you to check out our work this coming year as we maneuver our way through this new world while we keep our eye on the ball on expanding your knowledge on long-standing issues that have been on your radar before the world changed. But expect so much more. We do.
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