Yvan Houle, Chair, Construction Law; Robyn Elliott, National Sections Council Chair; Mala Joshi, Chair, Intellectual Property
The National Sections Council Award of Excellence celebrates the outstanding contribution of a CBA Section in providing service to members and furthering the objectives of the CBA. The 2016 award was jointly presented to the Construction and Infrastructure Law and Intellectual Property Sections at the CBA Legal Conference in Ottawa. Both Sections have close to 1,800 members from every province and territory.
This year, the Construction and Infrastructure Law Section organized a sold-out in person PD conference and raised its diversity profile by ensuring that at least one woman construction lawyer was featured as a speaker on every panel. The Section’s webinar, Mediation and Arbitration of Canadian Construction, was also very well attended. The Section established a Young Lawyers Committee this year to acknowledge the growing need for young lawyer engagement in the CBA.
Andrew Heal, Secretary of the Construction Section, says, “At a time when many in the legal profession are wondering at the relevance and need for a national organization […] we see the need, and we see the relevance.”
The Intellectual Property Section continued its legacy of providing exceptional educational and professional experiences to Section members through its sold out IP Day, which includes a town hall discussion with the federal courts, the IP debates PD program, and the 27th annual Federal Courts Judges’ Dinner. The diversity networking breakfast, a new addition to IP Day this year, created an environment for Section members and judges to connect and engage in earnest discussions on diversity.
Additionally, through its annual law student essay contest, sponsorship of the Harold G. Fox IP Moot, and its young practitioners’ reception at the Judges’ Dinner, the Intellectual Property Section is one of the CBA’s leaders in student and young lawyer engagement. According to Janet Fuhrer, CBA President, “The IP Section represents the best of the spirit and energy of the CBA.”
Congratulations to both national Sections.