Tag: cbabc

Organization of the Month | April 2018

Community posts

This month, we feature Canadian Bar Association, BC Branch, a Clicklaw contributor.

CBABC is the provincial division of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA). The CBA is a professional, voluntary organization representing 38,000 lawyers, judges, Quebec notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada. More than 6,700 are members of the BC Branch. CBABC operates the Dial-A-Law service.

Law Week 2018 is fast approaching and the Canadian Bar Association’s BC Branch is looking forward to celebrating the signing of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms during the week of April 16-22, 2018.

Originated by the Canadian Bar Association and first held in Canada in 1983, Law Week provides an excellent opportunity for the legal profession to educate the public about the vital role that lawyers and the judiciary serve in guaranteeing an open, independent and unbiased judicial system.

Law Week events are held in communities throughout British Columbia during the month of April and into May this year and are made possible through the efforts of lawyers who donate thousands of hours of volunteer time across Canada.

2018 Events include: courthouse tours, free public law classes, Dial-A-Lawyer Day, The Barry Sullivan Law Cup, Meet the Chiefs student forum, and Judges in the Classroom.

Dial-A-Lawyer Day is an annual event and an integral part of Law Week in BC. British Columbians are invited to speak with a lawyer for up to 15 minutes at no cost about the following areas of law: Business, Employment, Family, Immigration, Tort & Motor Vehicle, and Wills & Estates. Last year, a staggering 325 calls were answered by a group of 20 volunteer lawyers who provided the public with this very valuable service.

Law Week is a collaborative project organized through the partnership of the BC Branch of the Canadian Bar Association, the Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia, the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the Law Society of British Columbia, the Vancouver Bar Association, and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC.

To find out more information about Law Week and how you can participate, visit the Law Week website.

Follow and participate on Twitter: @BCLawWeek  #BCLawWeek

In other news…

Earlier this year, CBABC announced the launch of the new BC Legal Directory. After 30 years in print, the publication is now a purely online experience optimized for mobile devices and fully accessible to the public for the first time.

The BC Legal Directory is the most comprehensive listing of BC lawyers, including private practice, corporate counsel and government lawyers. The directory also includes the judiciary, paralegals, notaries and law-related groups such as law schools and local bar associations. Lawyer profiles are searchable by name, location, languages spoken and areas of practice. The directory offers more robust profiles and wider exposure for legal professionals, along with the capacity to update a profile at any time.

Stay informed with CBABC:

01_Clicklaw_30px 01_Twitter_30px 01_Linkedin_30px 01_Website_30pxFB-f-Logo__blue_29

2017 Bi-Monthly Update Series: July/August

New on Clicklaw

To keep you informed, here are some highlights of changes and updates made to Clicklaw in July and August:

Jan-Feb | Mar-Apr | May-Jun | Jul-Aug | Sep-Oct | Nov-Dec

BCLI Report on Complex Stratas

This report discusses mixed-use and architecturally varied stratas and the three legislative tools that were introduced to manage legal issues surrounding them — sections, types, and phases. It also makes 68 recommendations for reform.

Disability Alliance BC HelpSheets Update

Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Benefit Application, Appealing Denial of PWD Benefit, Persons with Persistent and Multiple Barriers to Employment (PPMB) Benefit Application, and more.

Opportunities Advocacy Services – Campbell River Legal Advocacy Program

The program provides legal advocacy to low income residents in Campbell River and the surrounding area. Advocates provide information, assistance and representation on issues related to BC income assistance programs (benefits, disability assistance, PWD applications & appeals), federal income related programs (CPP, OAS, GIS, EI), residential tenancy disputes (tenants’ rights, mediation, representation in dispute resolutions), and consumer debt issues.

Access Pro Bono Residential Tenancy Program, Employment Standards program, Mental Health Program Telephone Clinic

  • Residential Tenancy Program: Provides free legal representation to low-income people appearing before the Residential Tenancy Branch (e.g. evictions, rent increases, loss of quiet enjoyment, security deposit withheld, need for repairs, etc.). Legal Representation is contingent on volunteers’ availability for each case as well as availability based on client location.
  • Employment Standards Program: Provides low-income employees with free legal representation before the Employment Standards Branch and/or the Employment Standards Tribunal on issues such as termination pay, vacation pay, overtime, etc. Legal representation is contingent on volunteers’ availability for each case as well as the availability of lawyers in the client’s location.
  • Mental Health Program: Provides individuals certified under the Mental Health Act and their relatives with free summary legal advice over the phone (e.g. right to a second opinion, how to apply for a review panel hearing, procedure at review panel hearings, etc.).

Seniors First BC – Legal Advocacy Program

The Legal Advocate provides legal services to people age 55+ who are not able to access legal help due to low income or other barriers for legal issues involving residential tenancy, government benefits and debt.

Legal Advocate Program for the North Okanagan

Help with income security including income assistance (welfare), both regular and disability benefits, CPP disability benefits, Employment Insurance (EI) benefits, and residential tenancy issues (for tenants). We provide legal information & referrals, and representation and advocacy at administrative hearings. Legal education on areas of service such as tenancy law and policy. The advocate can also be emailed at tishlakes@okadvocate.ca.

Fraser Thompson Indian Services Society (FTISS) – Family Support Program

The Family Support Worker works in the communities of Spuzzum, Boston Bar, Boothroyd and Oregon Jack Creek to help families, children and youth who are struggling to stay together or who just need some information or extra help. Help for families who are involved with or at risk of being involved with the Ministry of Children and Families.

BC Human Rights Clinic – Know Your Rights – what to do about discrimination

Provides useful information on identifying human rights discrimination and provides a walk through the formal system of filing a human rights complaint.

LSLAP Manual on Clicklaw Wikibooks (40th Ed.)

The Law Students’ Legal Advice Program’s (LSLAP) Annual Manual provides quick answers to many legal issues. It is made up of 22 chapters which amount to over 1,000 pages of printed materials. Originally designed as an educational resource for LSLAP students, it is now used by hundreds of organizations across British Columbia. Clicklaw Wikibooks and LSLAP have joined efforts to bring the Manual to the Clicklaw Wikibooks platform.

John Howard Society: Planning for Success

This guide was designed to help with release planning (to think about what you’re going to do once you’re no longer in custody), and contains information about government services and community-based organizations in our community.

CBABC Dial a Law Scripts – Various Updates

Common Law Relationships: Your Income, Support, and Property Rights; What Happens When Your Spouse Dies; Reporting Suspected Child Abuse; Getting Married; Changing Your Name; What is Small Claims Court; Suing Someone in Small Claims Court; Being Sued in Small Claims Court; Getting Your Judgment Paid; and more.

Stay informed:

01_Clicklaw_30px01_Twitter_30px01_Linkedin_30px01_Website_30pxFB-f-Logo__blue_29