The Law Foundation of British Columbia

Law Foundation Obtains New Rate from Toronto Dominion Bank
Law Foundation Chair, Jane Morley, QC commends the Toronto Dominion Bank for resuming its strong leadership role among the banks by agreeing to remit interest on the lawyers’ pooled trust accounts at a net rate of prime less 3.25 per cent. This is a very competitive rate of return.

Thanks go to James Hudson, Senior Vice-President and Norm McKenzie, Manager, Consumer Sales and Service, for supporting the initiative for the new agreement. Executive Director, Barry Cavanaugh expressed his appreciation that, as CBA-BC Branch’s banker, Toronto Dominion is committed to paying a lead rate of return to the Law Foundation which supports many important law-related programs in the public interest, including the Branch’s Dial-a-Law and Lawyer Referral Programs.

The Law Society and the Law Foundation urge lawyers to consider which financial institutions provide the best support to the Law Foundation when deciding where to conduct their banking business.

New Appointments at the Law Foundation
The Board of Governors is please to announce that Jane Morley, QC has been elected as Chair of the Law Foundation of British Columbia for a two year term, beginning January 1, 1998, and that David Brine has been appointed Deputy Chair for the same term.

Jane Morley has served as a Governor of the Law Foundation since 1991. She has conducted a general civil litigation practice in Victoria for more than 20 years, primarily in the areas of labour and employment family and personal injury law. She also serves as a public representative and executive member on the Council of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of BC, and is the Chair of the Compensation Panel for the Jericho Individual Compensation Program. She is a Chartered Mediator and is listed on the Register of Arbitrator of the British Columbia Collective Agreement Arbitration Bureau.

David Brine has served as a Governor of the Law Foundation since 1992. Mr. Brine is a partner in the law firm McQuarrie Hunter in a general civil litigation practice. He has served as Chair of the Foundation’s Finance and Administration Committee for the past three years. He has also served on the executive of the BC Branch of the CBA and on the CBA Provincial Council.

After 12 years of outstanding service at the Foundation, Jane MacFadgen concluded her term as Executive Director on December 1. Following an extensive national search by the executive search firm of Ray & Berndtson/Tanton Mitchell, the Foundation’s Board of Governors selected Pat Pitsula as the new Executive Director. Ms. Pitsula comes to the position having served at the Foundation’s Deputy Executive Director, and brings nine years of experience in the areas of grant making and financial management.

New Projects Funding
The Law Foundation of British Columbia has a budget of $120,000 available in 1998 for new projects. To be eligible for funding, a project must fall within one or more of the five program objectives of the Foundation: legal aid; legal education; law reform; law libraries or legal research. The proposal must be for a time limited project only. There are no funds available for ongoing services in the community. The maximum amount available for each project is $15,000.

Although continuing grantees currently funded by the Law Foundation may apply for new projects funding, strong preference will be given to new groups.

To be considered at this meeting, a grant application must be received by the Law Foundation no later than the application deadline.

Deadline for Applications: Monday, March 23, 1998

Small Grants Committee Meeting: Friday, June 12, 1998

Please contact Law Foundation staff at 604.688.2337 to discuss your project prior to submitting your application. Application guidelines may be obtained from the Law Foundation at 1340 - 605 Robson Street Vancouver BC V6B 5J3.

Grants Approved The Board of Governors of the Law Foundation approved grants totalling $3,804,632, at its meeting on November 22, 1997.

Renewal funding for the following 18 programs was approved:

• BC Coalition of People with Disabilities (Advocacy Access 1998) - $124,464
• BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (Law Reform/Public Legal Education Program 97/98) - $18,900
• BC Human Rights Coalition (Human Rights Advocacy and Education Project 97/98) - $103,000
• Debate and Speech Association of BC (Law Foundation Cup Debates 1998) - $13,000
• Downtown Eastside Residents’ Association (Advocacy Service 1998) - $93,946
• Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre (Legal Advocacy Program 98/99) - $25,000
• Greater Vancouver Law Students’ Legal Advice Program (Operating 97/98) - $110,005
• Law Foundation Lay Advocacy Education And Training Fund (1998) - $31,450
• Law Courts Education Society (Northern Public Legal Education Programs for First Nations Communities 98/99) - $55,250
• Legal Services Society (Operating 98/99) - $2,975,000
• North Island Crisis and Counselling Centre Society - Port Hardy (Poverty Law Advocacy Program 98/99) - $45,767
• UBC Faculty of Law (Graduate Fellowships 98/99) - $54,500
• (Entrance Awards 98/99) - $12,250 (Undergraduate Scholarships 98/99) - $26,350
• (Projects Grant 1998) - $15,000 (First Nations Clinical Program 98/99) - $59,500
• UVic Faculty of Law (Entrance and Renewal Scholarships 98/99) - $26,350 (Projects Grant 1998) - $15,000

This article was published in the February 1998 issue of BarTalk. © 1998 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.