President's Report

We are about to change the guard at CBA Alberta, and it is my pleasure to introduce the 2017-2018 Executive Committee. Join me in congratulating David Heibert of Witten LLP who was successful in our election for Secretary in the spring. David will be joined by Treasurer Ola Malik, Vice President Frank Friesacher, President Jenny McMordie, Executive Director Maureen Armitage, and myself as Past President.

I would also like to pay special recognition to our outgoing Past President, Wayne Barkauskas. Wayne is a true CBA giant and has made his indelible mark both provincially and nationally, having volunteered in many capacities with the CBA over several decades, including his role on the Executive Committee. Wayne is one of the hardest-working people I know and he has been a friend and mentor to those of us that have shared time with him on the executive.  On behalf of the Executive Committee and CBA Alberta membership, I extend our thanks to Wayne for his service to the branch.

Coming up on August 17 is the new CBA Annual Meeting. For the first time in the history of the CBA, all regular members have the opportunity to vote on important resolutions that will shape the future of our organization. Also new this year is the opportunity to participate remotely via hubs in Calgary and Edmonton. Read more about the Annual Meeting, the resolutions to be debated, and register to attend online at www.cba.org.Who-We-Are/Governance/Annual-Meeting.

Now is also the time for national membership renewal and Section registration. A reminder to our members to look at the Portfolio and Portfolio Plus enhanced membership options when renewing your national membership. These options provide members with education credits that can be used towards CBA PD opportunities, including CBA Alberta Sections, upcoming conferences such as CBA West 2017 in November, and other continuing legal education offerings. If you are a member of multiple Sections, these options are particularly relevant, as they provide up to three materials-level memberships in CBA Alberta Sections. If you plan on registering for Sections, a reminder that your Portfolio or Portfolio Plus package must be purchased prior to registering.

The Law Society of Alberta has recently introduced changes to the CPD program. The CPD program year now begins in September, which brings it in line with the CBA Alberta Section programming year. The CPD declaration period ends on September 30. CBA Alberta Section registration will open the week of August 21. We encourage all members to review our 2017-18 Section Handbook, which outlines our Section offerings for the upcoming year. This resource will aid in the development of your CPD plan.

This year, we have expanded our webcasting opportunities for all available Sections. Starting in September, all members will have the opportunity to register as webcast members of available Sections (whereas this option had only been available to members living outside of Calgary and Edmonton previously). Whether you live outside of the downtown core, or you are not regularly able to get away from the office to attend meetings, becoming a webcast member of Sections will allow you to remain engaged in the Section of your choice. A reminder that should webcast members wish to attend meetings in person, they will be required to pay a $25 drop-in fee.

Another opportunity to fill your CPD plan for the upcoming year is our CBA West conference. We are partnering with the CBA BC Branch to put on the premier legal conference for practitioners in Western Canada. Taking place November 17 – 19, 2017 at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, this conference features distinguished speakers such as Supreme Court of Canada Justice Russell Brown, UNLV professor and special counsel Nancy Rapoport, retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice Marshall Rothstein, QC, labour arbitrator and regulatory lawyer James Casey, QC, and many other members of the judiciary and leading legal minds from Canada and the United States. Visit www.cba-west.org for a full schedule and speakers list, and to register.

CBA Alberta’s Agenda for Justice & Advocacy Committee was busy on a number of different advocacy fronts leading into the summer. These include stakeholder discussions on judicial resources and the administration of justice, providing feedback on sustainable and long-term funding for Legal Aid Alberta, and issues of solicitor-client privilege in relation to the Information & Privacy Commissioner’s special report to the legislature. You can read more about these ongoing efforts on our website.

In closing, I would like to thank members of the CBA Alberta for the opportunity to serve as President this past year.  It has been a rewarding and rich time for me, both personally and professionally.  I have met many new people across the country, worked with talented people on the CBA Executive and CBA staff, and made lifelong friends that I would not have met but for the CBA.  I am very thankful for the experiences that volunteering for the CBA has given me.  There are many ways to contribute to the excellence of the legal profession in Alberta, and I have been privileged as CBA President to how members of our profession (student, lawyers, and judges alike) donate their time and energy to upholding the best traditions of the bar in Alberta.