National Sections Council

The National Sections Council Award of Excellence has been established to recognize and celebrate a National Section which engages in activities that promote Sections, provide service to CBA members, or further the objectives of the National Sections Council or CBA.

To nominate a Section, please submit the nomination form to the National Sections Council Selection Committee no later than May 15, 2012, c/o Holly Doerksen.

Criteria that may be considered include:

Demonstrated innovation
Increased Section membership
Exceptional value provided to Section members
Excellence in contributing to CBA advocacy work
Excellence in providing professional development programming
Increased Section activity
Increased participation by Section members in Section committee work or other activities
Excellence in communication (newsletters, webpage content, etc).

CBA National Sections (not individuals) are eligible to be nominated by any CBA member. The Award is presented to the Chair of the relevant Section at the NSC meeting in August and the Section is profiled during the NSC report to CBA Council at the August meeting of Council.

National Sections Council Award of Excellence - 2011 Winner!

The National Sections Council Award of Excellence celebrates the outstanding contribution of a National Section in providing service to members and furthering the objectives of the CBA.

Tax Law Chair Elaine Marchand receives the National Sections Council (NSC) Award of Excellence from Leila Gosselin, NSC Chair, at the Halifax CLC in August 2011.

The nomination of the Tax Law Section for this award highlighted the success of this Section in forging a bond with colleagues at the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants to bring a formidable level of expertise to the review of income tax legislation. The Tax Section is unique in this regard - formalizing a joint committee made up of senior income tax professionals from the two professional associations.

The value of this committee’s work is clear, not only from its influence on government policy, but as an important resource for students and those who are new to the community of tax professionals. The Canadian Tax Foundation and several commercial publishers include CBA/CICA Joint Committee submissions as part of a comprehensive library on tax issues. These submissions are also identified as useful resources in related university programs.

The Section’s “Tax Law for Lawyers” conference is a highly successful one-week, in-residence professional development program that celebrated its 17^th year in 2011. The program is aimed at tax and estate lawyers in their first 3 years of practice, business law and general practitioners, corporate lawyers and in-house counsel. Known for featuring an outstanding faculty and providing exceptional value, this CBA program has virtually become a “must” for tax lawyers in their first few years of practice.

National Sections - Activity Reports

2011-2012 Activity Reports

Mission Statement

The National Sections Council is dedicated to enhancing the profile, contribution, direction and coordination of National Sections within the Canadian Bar Association. (M-92)

Structure

National Sections Council consists of:

its Executive; and
the Chair of each National Section. The National Sections Council Executive consists of:
a Chair and Vice-Chair, who are Past Chairs of National Sections;
three Members-at-Large, who are either Chairs or Past Chairs of National Sections;
the Immediate Past Chair of National Sections Council;
the Second Vice-President of the CBA;
the Chair of the Continuing Legal Education Committee;
the Chair of the Legislation and Law Reform Committee; and
the Vice-Chair of the National Membership Committee.

The President of the CBA is an ex officio member of both National Sections Council and its Executive.

Purpose

The purpose of National Sections Council is to administer, coordinate and oversee National Section activities and to enhance the profile and contribution of National Sections within the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). In order to carry out its purpose, National Sections Council, through representation on standing committees of the CBA, such as Communications, Continuing Legal Education (CLE) and Legislation and Law Reform (L&LR), facilitates and encourages Sections to enhance member service in CLE, L&LR, communications and membership activities.

Meetings

The National Sections Council meets three times per year: (i) in fall in Ottawa in conjunction with Sections' annual meeting with the Department of Justice; (ii) in conjunction with the CBA Mid-Winter Meeting in February; and (iii) in conjunction with the CBA Annual Conference in August. Between meetings of the National Sections Council, the NSC Executive acts on behalf of Sections.