I am very pleased to be your 2022/2023 Chair, spearheading a dynamic and diverse group from across the country serving as our Executive Committee.
I am by no means a young lawyer. I have practiced health law for over 25 years and started my own boutique law firm, Wise Health Law (defending health professionals) almost 10 years ago.
I want to use this platform to welcome and encourage law students and all health law lawyers (new and those more “experienced”) to become involved in both the CBA and your provincial branch.
The CBA is an excellent way to meet other lawyers with similar interests but perhaps different areas of practice. Participation can enhance your professional profile and establish important networks and connections, but it also provides an opportunity to discover new issues and areas of practice and just makes the day-to-day grind more interesting.
For me, one of the most significant benefits of participating in the Section over the years, has been the opportunity to connect with health law lawyers in other provinces and learn about developments and trends elsewhere. The similarities and differences can be fascinating, and I love meeting Canadians from other parts of the country.
The pandemic has made connecting more challenging, but our executive members have worked hard to deliver interesting and relevant educational webinars as well as opportunities to connect (at least virtually) with other health law lawyers across the country.
Student and New Lawyer Initiatives
Our Section actively supports and encourages law students and new lawyers interested in the practice of health law.
Sign up for our annual virtual networking event for law students on September 15, 2022. It’s free for CBA members and non-members!
Last year, we sponsored the Walker Health Law Moot and Section members participated as factum markers and judges. This summer, we organized a series of Coffee in the Times of Covid Cohort Stream sessions, where new lawyers had the opportunity to meet virtually with health law lawyers from across the country, practicing in diverse areas of health law, and ask them questions.
Essay contest
Law students, watch for our Health Law Student Essay Contest in the spring of each year. The 2022 essay contest was graciously sponsored by Carbert Waite LLP.
The Section is pleased to announce Brett Book as the winner of the 2022 CBA Health Law Student Essay Contest for the paper “Nothing about us without us”. Brett is a graduate of the Juris Doctor program at Thompson Rivers University School of Law.
MAiD webinar – October 11
Join us for an excellent webinar on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). Our expert panel will review how the law has developed leading up to Bill C-7, what is new and what is likely to come.
Register now!
More PD Events
Last year, we hosted two webinars, the first examined the tension between privacy and innovation and the second focused on the advance care planning resource for lawyers (recordings available). We also organized the Health Law Online Symposium, which explored a variety of topics related to navigating the changing landscape of Canadian Health Law as we move through and beyond the pandemic (recordings available). Although our events were virtual, we had opportunities to mingle and socialize. And fingers crossed that we start planning an in-person national event soon! Stay tuned for more details.
Participation in Advocacy
In addition to organizing events, we participate in working groups and tasks forces to develop resources, position papers, resolutions and submissions to government on a variety of relevant topics. For example, read our latest submission on MAiD (May 2022).
Stay informed and get involved
I look forward to meeting you!
Valerie Wise
Chair, CBA Health Law Section