EVENT
Mark Your Calendar for the 2010 Mid-Winter Meeting in Ottawa
The CBA 2010 Mid-Winter Meeting of Council is just around the corner. The upcoming meeting will take place in the nation’s capital from February 12 to 14. The venue is Ottawa’s historic Fairmont Château Laurier, located at the top of the Rideau Canal, across the street from the country’s most famous skating rink. Council meets on February 13 and 14 for reports, resolutions and presentations.



EVENT RECAP
Boughton/BCLI Great Debate
The 2nd annual Boughton/BCLI Great Debate, held on October 28, was a hugely fun and elegant event, attended by more than 150 guests of the legal community.

The resolution, which contended that the hourly rate is going the way of the dodo bird, was defeated by the UBC representative team. The judges ruled that despite the humorous arguments brought forth by each team, the hourly rate for lawyers is, fortunately or unfortunately, here to stay.



L-R: The Honourable Wally Oppal, QC and Mr. Jim Emmerton, British Columbia Law Institute.

More than 350 Bench & Bar Members Attended the Annual Bench & Bar Dinner
More than 350 members of the Bench & Bar attended the 25th Annual Bench & Bar Dinner on November 4, 2009 in Vancouver. The event was co-hosted by Mr. James M. Bond, President of the Canadian Bar Association, B.C. Branch (CBABC) and Mr. Gordon Turriff, QC, President of the Law Society of B.C. Special guests included the Honourable Steven Point, Lieutenant Governor of B.C., Chief Justice Lance Finch, Attorney General Michael de Jong, Chief Justice Robert Bauman, and Associate Chief Judge Gurmail Gill.

The Lieutenant Governor spoke about the importance of the rule of law to a free and democratic society, the importance of an independent Bench & Bar to the vitality of the rule of law, and shared some anecdotes about his own experiences as a member of the legal profession. The Attorney General spoke on behalf of the Government of B.C. in congratulating the Law Society on its 125th Anniversary.

CBABC President Bond presented M. Jerry McHale, QC and Art Vertlieb, QC with the CBABC Georges A. Goyer, QC Memorial Award for Distinguished Service. Both recipients gave inspiring acceptance speeches, expressing their gratitude for the opportunities provided to them throughout their legal careers and for the support of family, colleagues and friends.



L-R: Art Vertlieb, QC, CBABC President James M. Bond and M. Jerry McHale, QC.

CBABC/UVic and CBABC/UBC, Faculty of Law Mentoring Receptions
On October 21, 2009, the Canadian Bar Association B.C. Branch (CBABC) held the CBABC/UVic, Faculty of Law Mentoring Reception in Victoria. CBABC Young Lawyers’ Representative Kerry Simmons presented the $4,000 CBA Entrance Scholarship to Suzanne Harkness. Ms. Simmons announced, on behalf of CBABC President James Bond, a $30,000 endowment which will support the existing CBABC Branch Entrance Scholarship. The $30,000 endowment will be matched by $30,000 from the Law Foundation of British Columbia. The combined $60,000 endowment will be created and governed by the policies of the University of Victoria Foundation and administered by the Faculty of Law and the Student Awards and Financial Aid office at the University of Victoria.

The following day, at the CBABC/UBC, Faculty of Law Mentoring Reception in Vancouver, Kaity Cooper was presented with the second CBA Entrance Scholarship. The scholarships are awarded to one student entering the UVic Faculty of Law and one student entering the UBC Faculty of Law who have best shown a strong commitment to the ideals served by the Canadian Bar Association, which include the promotion of Justice and/or law reform, through his or her exemplary public service or community service, as demonstrated by extra-curricular activities at educational institutions, volunteer work with community or charitable organizations, or any kind of public service activities.



Kaity Cooper and James M. Bond, CBABC President



Dean Donna Greschner, University of Victoria, Faculty of Law and Kerry Simmons, CBABC Young Lawyers’ Representative



Suzanne Harkness and Kerry Simmons, CBABC Young Lawyers’ Representative

SECTION EVENT
CBABC Work Life Balance
The Lawyer Management Challenge: Attracting and Keeping Great Talent
Wondering why the old law firm practice model isn’t working so well for the younger generation in particular? Looking for both economic success and long-term talent retention? Hear about three real-life B.C. examples of new approaches to law firm management that provide win-win-wins for law firms, lawyers and clients. Nicole Garton-Jones of Heritage Law (Nominee for Work Life Balance Award, 2008), Ashley Bayliss of Pushor Mitchell (Winner of Work Life Balance Award, 2009) and Scott Stanley of Murphy, Battista (Nominee for Work Life Balance Award, 2008) will present three new models for increasing both productivity and retention to the Work Life Balance Section on January 21, 2010. Contact Mimi Chen at mic@bht.com to register.

These articles were published in the December 2009 issue of BarTalk. © 2009 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.