Professional Advocacy

Out of all the professions, lawyers might be the ones that get the shortest end of the stick in terms of positive public perception. Doctors heal the sick, lawyers get called ambulance chasers. Added to this already not-so-great starting point, the public sees overworked and understaffed courts and tribunals, barely funded Legal Aid offices, and government officials attacking or impugning lawyers. It’s a bit of an uphill climb to advocate for our profession, but that’s what the CBA is here to do.

There are 2 primary areas of advocacy that will strengthen the profession that I would focus on as CBA President:

  • There is a legitimate and academic debate that can be had about self-regulation and how we can improve it; governments in various provincial governments have decided to skip to the end of all that and dictate something that works for them and their electoral base. The CBA must continue its efforts opposing this kind of naked political interference across the country and should coordinate this opposition with relevant stakeholders as necessary, including other professional associations.

  • CBA advocacy towards improving the justice system has an amazing history of impact and change and this must continue. Governments know what the problems are, but there is no political will to prioritize justice issues over others. We need to create political will, and the way to do that is to get the public onboard. If the public sees the problems and agrees with our recommended solutions, we can drive for change that will affect every Canadian and restore broad trust in lawyers and the legal system.