I would like to welcome each and every one of you to an exciting year ahead – including many upcoming volunteer and networking opportunities.
Before looking at what’s to come, I want to share a short reflection of the year that has passed. The COVID-19 pandemic changed everything in 2020 and the legal profession was no exception. Young lawyers and articling students from across the country were significantly impacted, with many suffering from isolation, lack of mentorship and networking opportunities, job losses and more. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to our Past Chair, Zack Shaver for his strong leadership of the Section during this difficult time. With his direction and the tireless efforts of our Executive Committee, we were able to conduct a national survey on the impacts of COVID-19 on young lawyers. The results from this survey will inform our advocacy initiatives for years to come.
Looking forward, our Section will focus on contributing to a brighter future for the legal profession. For me, the future of legal practice is inclusive, supportive, cutting edge and connected. As such, our Section’s 2021-2022 priorities will include programming and advocacy for mental well-being in the legal profession, national and international networking events, and increased online programming, where we will convene members from across the country to discuss a vision for the future practice of law in Canada.
I look forward to working with the Executive to accomplish these goals. In particular, I’m pleased to have the opportunity to continue working alongside Zack Shaver, Sylvia Yong and Carly Crawford, this year’s Past Chair, Vice-Chair and Communications Officer, respectively. I would also like to welcome Raphael Jacob as the new Section Secretary. But most of all, I am looking forward to hearing from and working with our Section members. I hope to meet many of you in the year to come.
Sincerely,
Candice Ashley Pollack
Chair, CBA Young Lawyers Section
Law Needs Well-Being Because…Campaign is Launching Again on October 3rd
Rebooting again this year, the Law Needs Well-Being Because…Campaign will seek to shine a spotlight on the importance of mental health and the efforts fellow lawyers from across Canada take to improve their wellbeing. More so than ever, elevated incidence of mental illness is impacting the profession.
During the week of October 3-9, 2021, join us in support of this Campaign by sharing your own reflections about well-being in our profession over Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. You can also join in on the conversation with the CBA on Twitter by following the hashtag #LawNeedsWellBeingBecause.
Join the Conversation
New Coffee in the Times of COVID cohort stream coming up:
Bringing Your Whole Self to Work: Lawyering for the LGBTQ2SI Community
October 21 – December 16, 2021
Presented in collaboration with the CBA Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Community Section
Join facilitated discussions on issues commonly faced by LGBTQ2SI law students and recently-called lawyers, with the goal of increasing confidence and resiliency, as well as creating opportunities for mentoring and networking. Learn more and register now!
And while we have your attention…
Check out the new Solutions Series (October 1 – December 7, 2021): practical solutions for everyday problems! Participants will learn new strategies for boosting client service standards while meeting expanding client needs in changing times.