Providing help to lawyers in need.

by Basil R. Hobbs

“The member has made a fabulous recovery, personally and professionally. He had requested that we pass along his utmost appreciation and gratitude to the Benevolent Fund for providing him with funds when he was in desperate need of same. This is truly a success story for our legal profession.”

The formation of the CBA (BC) Benevolent Society arose from a tragic incident that occurred where a lawyer was brutally attacked and seriously injured by a disgruntled litigant in a New Westminster court. A fund was raised from members of the Bar to assist the lawyer’s recovery.

In 1997, the Society was established to provide assistance to lawyers in British Columbia who have suffered illness or injury arising from any cause. It also provides assistance to the families of lawyers who are affected by a lawyer’s illness or injury. One of the principles of the Society is to maintain and uphold the dignity of those lawyers and their families in need.

The establishment of the Society’s capital fund of $882,905 was provided by the members of the B.C. Bar, whom in 1997 and 1998, contributed $100 per member in each of the two years. The interest from the capital fund is used to provide grants to recipients. However, this is not sufficient to fund the growing requests for assistance and the Society constantly seeks to raise additional funds to meet these needs.

In most cases where the Society is approached to provide financial assistance, the recipient’s circumstances are among the most difficult that one will ever encounter. These circumstances can be tragic. They may involve the death of a lawyer who had no insurance and whose family was dependent upon him or her, or a disabling illness such as brain aneurysm, drug or alcohol addiction, depression or other medical circumstances. The Society is a last resort for such lawyers or their families and therefore the assistance that is provided is invaluable.

The Directors of the Society are: Derek Brindle, QC; Carol Brown; David Hay; Jim Herperger; Basil Hobbs; Terry LaLiberte, QC; the Hon. H.A.D. Oliver, QC; Margaret Sasges; John Waddell, QC; the Hon. Anne Wallace; Kenneth Walton, QC; and the Hon. Thomas Woods.

During the twelve years since the Society was incorporated, the Directors have approved requests totalling almost $700,000. During this time there has been no paid staff running the Society. The Directors devote their time on a voluntary basis and none of the money raised for the Benevolent Fund is spent on administrative expenses, with all of the proceeds contributing directly to providing benevolence to colleagues and their families.

There have been many different fund raising events over the past years, but by far the most successful have been through the Annual Battle of the Bar Bands held in Vancouver, which last year raised almost $65,000. These events have grown more successful each year and have expanded to similar Battle of the Bar Bands events held annually in Victoria, Nanaimo and Kelowna, each raising further funds for the Society. The Directors wish to thank all of the organizers, the bands, the participants and the sponsoring legal firms for making these events a success.

And yet even with all of these efforts, the Society struggles to meet the ever-growing requests for assistance each year.

Please consider making a donation or leaving a bequest in your will to the Society. Your generosity will assist the Society in helping our colleagues who have met with unforeseen and often catastrophic circumstances.

Please contact any of the Directors if you or a colleague requires assistance from the Benevolent Fund, or call the CBABC at 604-687-3404 or toll free at 1-888-687-3404, or contact the President of the Society, Basil R. Hobbs at 250-753-3477 or by email at bhobbs@hobbslaw.com.

This article was published in the December 2009 issue of BarTalk. © 2009 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.