It’s 2016 and pregnant lawyers have been appearing in the country’s courts for a long time but some judges still have their feet planted firmly in the traditional sand when it comes to gowning protocol.
That’s why one of the resolutions that will be up for debate at this year’s CBA Mid-Winter meeting of Council will involve urging Canadian courts to cut pregnant lawyers some slack – literally and figuratively – when it comes to gowning for court.
Another resolution would have the CBA adopt the Model Business Principles to Combat Forced Labour, Labour Trafficking and Illegal or Harmful Child Labour drafted by a CCCA working group, consistent with UN principles.
But Council is more than resolutions. Members who’ve attended previous Council meetings will see some big changes this year – starting with dropping registration fees for Council members. As part of our efforts to streamline the proceedings we’ve done away with snappy reports (which as everyone knows weren’t always as tight as they could have been) in favour of questions to National Standing Committees, National Sections and Forums.
The CBA Futures Initiative will launch Do Law Differently: Futures for Young Lawyers, written by Jordan Furlong, which provides law students and young lawyers information about key skills they’ll need to prosper in their chosen professions. Interviews with #newlaw pioneers will show them what others are doing with their law degrees; and the guide contains links to resources so they can continue with their own research. We’ll have more information on that in the next issue of CBA News.
The CBA Re-Think project has blocked off part of Saturday afternoon to talk about the overall progress of the initiative, most notably with regard to the proposed strategic framework that will guide the development of CBA’s new strategic plan.
Plus there are awards, a dinner and an opening reception on Feb. 19 that features a signature Ottawa treat – a Beavertail on the Rideau Canal.
If you haven’t already registered, what are you waiting for?