We do live in interesting times

by Frank C Kraemer

When I came to this job just over 3 l/2 years ago, I had no idea just how “interesting” and challenging this position would be. By my count, there have been two lawsuits, five partial or complete Law Society of British Columbia Annual General Meetings, one protocol and one referendum, all dealing in whole or in part with the issue of membership in the Canadian Bar Association and the universal payment of its fees. To say that these issues have resulted in an enormous expenditure of both human and financial resources would be an understatement. Most recently, lawyers in this province have decided (albeit by a slim majority) that henceforth, membership in the CBA will be voluntary. I say all of this not from a sense of remorse, but more from a sense of relief that a decision, at least for the time being, has been made, and with a sense of enthusiasm in meeting the challenges the Branch must now face.

In this column I would like to share with you some information about how the Branch will move forward in dealing with realities of voluntary membership.

First, I can report that the senior staff, Executive Committee and Provincial Council, as part of that planning, anticipated the possibility of the decision that was made and developed a contingency budget that was passed at the June Provincial Council meeting. That budget, effective July 1 of this year, will see across the board cuts in all areas of the Branch’s finances, including expenses for personnel and the operation of the Branch office. As much as possible, steps have been taken to minimize cuts to the services and programs that are offered to members.

Second, the Branch will continue to undertake enhancements to the services that it provides to members. Recently, we completed a study of a pilot that was underway this last year involving use of teleconferencing to link several sites for Section meetings. The Elder Law Section conducted its meetings via teleconference linking Vancouver, Victoria and Kelowna on a regular basis. The results of that study indicate overall member satisfaction. We expect to extend this service to other Sections within the coming year. As well, we are currently working on some significant adjustments to our Web site, to make it more user-friendly. Both of these initiatives have resulted from feedback we have received from members over the last several months.

Third, we will develop policies to ensure that those who are members continue to receive significant value for their membership fee. It is anticipated that there may be some differential pricing or simply services that will be unavailable to non-members. Those policies are currently under development and will be discussed and decided by the end of the year.

Finally, one of the challenges that the Branch faces is a belief among lawyers in B.C. that whether or not they are members of the CBA nothing for them will change, and all the same services and programs will be available. The Branch has been able to provide the programs and services at the level that it has because of the very strong support of all the lawyers in the province. If we are to be able to continue that service at the levels we have been providing, we need your continued support. Your CBA membership fee renewal form will arrive in October. Please watch for it and continue your support for the CBA and its work for the profession.

This article was published in the August 2004 issue of BarTalk. © 2004 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.