What Are You Doing For Us?
by Kenneth Walton

I walked through an airport check-in a couple of months ago and was required to give my occupation. I said I was a lawyer and was told I would be forgiven for that. I said forgiveness was not needed, as my profession was all that stood between individuals and tyranny.

Many have a very poor view of our profession and we, in turn, angst about why we are not loved. My view is that this is a reality that we will never change. Do not waste your time expecting help or understanding from the public. The only people likely to help us are ourselves.

That brings me to my point. In the course of my year so far, as President of our Branch, I have been amazed at some of the great work done by our fellow lawyers.

Many great things were said at the February 9, 2008 Celebration of Life of the late Debra Van Ginkel, QC. She was 50 when she succumbed to lung cancer in late January, ironically, not having smoked a day in her life. Debra was a rare combination of outward and inward beauty. She was perhaps the closest thing to a saint that the legal profession has had this generation.

Debra was heavily involved in the Lawyers’ Assistance Program, in a project still ongoing involving children’s rights in our courts, in the Benevolent Fund, in the Women Lawyers Forum, and in mentoring young women, all this done in the space of very few years at the Bar. She could have been a Provincial Court Judge but refused to consider being alienated from her beloved mentoring program.

She was well respected and highly competent in the courts. She took the high road in her family law cases. Through personal misfortunes, she persevered in an ever optimistic manner and enjoyed every fast paced day of her life. As our Attorney General said, British Columbia is much worse off, as is our profession, by the absence of Debra.

Ask yourself: when your final day has past, will someone say that about you?

Art Vertlieb, QC; I run into him frequently and I, constantly hear of him. He has founder status at the Trial Lawyers Association and the Lawyers’ Assistance Program, sits on Judicial Council for the selection of Provincial Court Judges and helps other lawyers re-establish their careers. He sits on the Board of Continuing Legal Education, is a Bencher, and was a key member of the Law Society’s Equality Committee. One wonders when he would have time to practise law.

I was not fully aware, until I obtained this position, of the many good works of John Waddell, QC, of Victoria, B.C. John sits on the board of the Canadian Bar Association Financial, which deals with investing lawyers’ retirement funds. He is past president of the Victoria YM-YWCA and a past Canadian Bar Association B.C. Branch President. He is on the boards of the Law Foundation and the Benevolent Fund – a wonderful organization which looks after members of our profession who have no resources due to personal calamity.

These three people exemplify one common thing; an interest in serving the needs of the practising Bar; you and me.

I urge you in looking at your professional life to consider what it is you could do to help our profession. It does not have to be great. It could be as simple as taking someone’s student to a trial and showing that person the ropes.

Do something, no matter how modest.

I wish you success in your personal and professional life.

This article was published in the April 2008 issue of BarTalk. © 2008 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.