CBA Changes Young Advocates’ Event Medico-Legal Society Event Law Times Poll
The Canadian Bar Association — whose national office is in Ottawa — is in the process of reducing membership fees through 2020, as it restructures to allocate more of the membership fees away from the national headquarters and toward the local branches, according to outgoing president Kerry Simmons, whose last day in the role was Aug. 31.
Although a budget for the CBA is not publicly available, the CBA’s section leaders, management team and board of directors gathered in March to discuss how to “make the best use” of membership fees, according to Simmons, a partner at Cook Roberts LLP in Victoria, B.C. who focuses on estates, employment and professional regulation.
Simmons says one of the biggest changes decided this year and being implemented next year is that the majority of funds — about 60 per cent — will now go to local branches and about 40 per cent will stay with the national organization. That’s a reversal from the old budget, she says.
“Most people interact with their branches. Their branches need to have the staff and the technology in order to provide sections or provide professional development,” Simmons says.
The regular fare for the CBA has been reduced and will be further cut in the 2019-2020 year, because cost was a barrier for some members, Simmons says.
In addition, the CBA’s media arm, National magazine, will go forward as a digital platform.
“That’s how young lawyers engage — everything is on their phone,” Simmons says.
“’National’ is going to continue to have stories and bring information to light and do it from a digital platform rather than print.”
Justice Cynthia Petersen of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and Sandra Barton, a partner at Gowling WLG Canada LLP, will take part in a Fireside Chat this October presented by the Young Advocates’ Standing Committee. The event will happen Oct. 4, at 2700-250 Yonge Street in Toronto, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. More information is available at www.advocates.ca.
The Medico-Legal Society of Toronto will be holding an event Sept. 12 to discuss a number of cases of importance to its members. The event will be held at the Toronto Board of Trade from 6 p.m. onwards. More information is available at www.mlst.ca. The cost is $160 for members, $200 for non-members and $50 for students, plus HST.
Two lawyers filed a complaint with the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on behalf of parents that oppose the province’s plan to change the sexual education curriculum in Ontario schools.
Readers were asked if they agreed with this move.
About 50 per cent said yes, they thought this was a good legal strategy to obtain a worthwhile result.
Another 50 per cent said they thought it was a poor legal strategy and it will not achieve the desired results.
