Looking back on my year as CBABC President

by David A Paul

Reflecting back on my year as President, I have come to appreciate two things: the value of a unified and strong voice for our profession; and the hard work of our volunteers and staff. I have witnessed first hand the dedication of our many volunteers. I know that it is because of their collective commitment, energy, and talent, that the CBA has continued as a respected voice on both the provincial and national stages.

Thanks to our volunteers, our successes during the past year have been many. They include:

Improved Relationships with Partners in the Justice System: Over the past year the Canadian Bar Association has developed stronger working relationships with a number of its partners in the justice system including the Law Society of B.C., the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C., the Vancouver Bar Association, the B.C. Law Institute, the law schools, the B.C. Courthouse Library Society, the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C., the Lawyer’s Assistance Program, the Judiciary and the Ministry of Attorney General.

Member Dispute Resolution Pilot Project: This project is now underway in Vancouver. Its goal is to assist our members with collegiality issues in circumstances where conflict arises between lawyers but where it is inappropriate to involve the Law Society. If successful, the program will be made available province-wide.

Defending the Judiciary: The CBABC has spoken out strongly in support of judicial independence and its importance to a free and democratic society governed by the Rule of Law. Our efforts have been positively acknowledged by numerous members of the public, the profession, and the judiciary.

Probononet.ca: Pro Bono Law of B.C. (a joint project of the CBABC and the Law Society) was formed in April 2002 to promote, coordinate and facilitate the delivery of pro bono legal services in B.C. It is a not-for-profit society, funded by the Law Foundation of B.C., that helps community groups throughout the province link up (through a Web site) with lawyers who want to volunteer their time and expertise.

Conveyancing Protocol: The CBABC and the Law Society have worked together to reform conveyancing practice in B.C. As a result, new recommended standard undertakings have been put in place for lawyers to adopt in their conveyancing practice.

Women Lawyers Forum: The B.C. Women Lawyers Forum was created to support and recognize women lawyers in their practice in B.C. and also to explore the formation of a national Women’s Forum.

Electronic Directory: This year, for the first time, the CBABC introduced the CBABC Lawyer’s Directory in CD-ROM format. The CD-ROM allowed Directory purchasers to search for a lawyer by name, location, preferred area of practice, and language. Preliminary consultations with the national office have resulted in a project to produce the Directory in Web-based format in the coming year.

President’s Forum: This year’s Forum, Strategies for Developing a Successful and Profitable Practice, came about as a result of the CBABC’s commitment to help its members with the business side of practising law. The presenters were chosen for their experience working with the legal profession, and included managing partners, members of small and large firms, and leaders of firms which offer services to the legal profession. Darcy Rezac, Managing Director of the Vancouver Board of Trade, was the keynote speaker and spoke on networking.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the past year a success. Much thanks also to my hardworking Executive and to all of the CBABC staff whom I have had the pleasure of serving and working with over the past year.

This article was published in the August 2003 issue of BarTalk. © 2003 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.