THE PITCH
Have you heard about The Pitch? A group of experts has chosen five legal innovators to state their case for their products to a group of judges, investors and a live audience at the CBA Legal Conference in Ottawa this August.
The finalists (Beagle, blue J Legal, Loom Analytics, Rangefindr and Knomos), will get seven minutes to make their pitches at the August event, and then will spend another five minutes in a Q&A with the judges before awaiting the final decision. The audience will be able to participate in a worldwide Twitter conversation about the event, and will also get the opportunity to vote on the People’s Choice. The post-Pitch cocktail party offers audience members, investors and innovators an opportunity to mingle.
Tickets to The Pitch, which will be held Friday, Aug. 12, are included in the full conference registration fee. They’re also available as a separate item on the CBA Legal Conference website. The cutting edge of legal technology innovation will be on display this summer at the CLC in Ottawa. Don’t miss it.
CBA RE-THINK: VOTING ON GOVERNANCE
One of the most resonant messages from the CBA Legal Futures Initiative report was that in order to succeed in the future, lawyers have to put clients at the centre of everything they do.
And one of the overriding messages from the CBA Re-think is that for the CBA to succeed it needs to take some of its own medicine – make sure the member is at the centre of everything the association does. The strategic direction agreed upon by CBA Council in February reflects that member-centric philosophy, but in order to carry out that mandate the association needs to be more streamlined, responsive and cost-effective.
That brings us to the governance model that will be brought to CBA Council in August as a resolution for approval.
The governance structure was arrived at over the course of three separate retreats and numerous board meetings. The hope is that it will facilitate decision-making, reallocate money to support real member needs, and support the work required to deliver on the strategic direction.
In a nutshell, this model:
- Reduces the Board of Directors from 23 to 14, plus a non-voting CEO
- Replaces CBA National Council by an AGM open to all CBA members, either in person or online
- Establishes a Leadership Forum of key CBA constituent groups that will meet once a year to discuss strategy and issues
- Ensures that Branches remain autonomous with regard to budget approval, service delivery and Executive Director recruitment
- Creates common shared administrative functions throughout our operations across the country.
Check out the CBA Re-Think web page for more information on the governance model that will go before Council in August.
IP TIP SHEET FOR BREXIT
On June 23, 2016, the British public voted to exit from the European Union. How will Brexit affect IP rights? The CBA National IP Section has collated a number of tips to assist in your understanding of what changes are to come. There are still many more questions than answers. We shall endeavour to provide you with further information as it becomes known.
Click here to view the IP Tip Sheet in its entirety.