Skip to content
  • Public
  • Legal Profession
  • Careers
  • Member Sign In

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

Directory of Lawyers
  • Public Resources
    • Help Finding a Missing Will
  • Concerns with a Lawyer
    • How We Process Complaints
    • File a Complaint Against a Lawyer
    • Complaint Form
    • Request for Review
    • Lawyers’ Fund for Client Compensation
  • News & Events
    • Latest News
    • COVID-19 FAQs and Updates
    • InForum Newsletter
    • Society Blog
    • Notices
    • Public Hearings
    • Discipline Decisions & Dispositions
    • Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • Submit an Event
  • About Us
    • Who We Are and What We Do
    • How We Regulate
    • Council & Committees
      • Acknowledgement of Systemic Discrimination
      • 2023 Council Election
      • Current Council
      • Council Meetings
      • Committees
    • 2019-2023 Strategic Plan
    • Equity & Access
    • Truth and Reconciliation Working Group Updates
    • Awards & Appointments
    • Annual Reports & Financial Statements
  • Contact Us
News / Society News / InForum Newsletter / July InForum

July InForum

Published on July 27, 2020July 29, 2020

July InForum: Save the Date: NSBS/LIANS Solo & Small Firm Conference

Back to Email Newsletter
Table of Contents
  • Save the Date for the NSBS & LIANS Solo and Small Firm Virtual Conference
  • Society Library Introduces Curbside Pick-up
  • Depression & Trauma Care Added to NSLAP
  • Provide Your Feedback: Amendments to the Equality, Harassment & Discrimination Section of the Code
  • Equity Resources: TRC, Cultural Competency, Allyship & More 
  • Courts Now Doing Foreclosure Sales
  • Need Help with Stale Balances in Your Trust Fund?
  • Lawyers’ Insurance Association of Nova Scotia
  • Changes in Category: June 25, 2020-July 30, 2020
  • Professional Responsibility
  • For Your Information
    • CPLED is recruiting lawyers
    • Pro Bono Opportunity with Halifax SAR
    • Missing Wills
    • Notice of Opportunity for Fixed-Term Agreement as Agent of the Director of Public Prosecutions  
  • News from the NS Courts
  • Career Opportunities
  • Upcoming Events

Save the Date for the NSBS & LIANS Solo and Small Firm Virtual Conference

Join the Society & LIANS Thursday, November 5th, 2020 from 9:00 AM-4:00 PM for the 12th annual Solo and Small Firm Conference.

This event, typically held in person at a cost, will be a free online event hosted via Zoom & sessions may be eligible to count towards your annual CPD.

The recorded video sessions will also be available after the event for those who cannot attend.

Registration and session details coming soon.


Society Library Introduces Curbside Pick-up

The Society’s Library continues to be closed until further notice. Library staff are available for research and reference assistance during our office hours Monday to Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm by emailing [email protected] or calling 1 866-219-1202 (toll-free).

As of Monday, July 6, 2020, we started accepting returns and requests to borrow materials using “curbside” pick-up and drop-off. Please request materials by emailing [email protected] and we will advise when to come pick up your materials. 

We encourage members to continue to monitor the Society’s updates on our website at nsbs.org, on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.


Depression & Trauma Care Added to NSLAP

As part of our continued support of the profession, we recently renewed our service agreement with Homewood Health, the service provider to the Nova Scotia Lawyers’ Assistance Program (NSLAP).

With this renewal, we have enhanced the program by adding two new services – Depression Care and Trauma Care. These two programs will supplement the current assistance programs provided by Homewood.

Depression Care provides mid- to longer-term, work focused treatment for individuals with moderate to severe anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. Sessions focus on reducing the symptoms of depression and anxiety while building resiliency to assist with staying at work and getting back to life. The program provides up to 20 sessions of individual treatment.

Trauma Care provides specialized treatment for individuals struggling with acute, or long-term, trauma symptoms. The program offers treatment and resiliency training for PTSD, mood, and anxiety disorders.

Learn more about the NSLAP or call the NSLAP at 1-866-299-1299.


Provide Your Feedback: Amendments to the Equality, Harassment & Discrimination Section of the Code

The Federation of Law Societies’ Standing Committee on the Model Code has prepared fulsome amendments to Section 6.3 – Equality, Harassment and Discrimination of the Code of Professional Conduct (Code). 

We’re seeking member feedback on these amendments. These amendments address issues related to the duties regarding non-discrimination and harassment, as well as ex parte communications with courts and tribunals.

Please review the following:

  • Federation Consultation Report
  • Draft Rules & Commentary
  • NSBS Memo to Stakeholders
Provide feedback by September 4th by completing the online form

Equity Resources: TRC, Cultural Competency, Allyship & More 

We’re continuing to update our equity resources, online tools & training to support lawyers in their education and law firms as they develop an equity strategy in the workplace. We encourage members to review these resources regularly & stay tuned as we add additional resources to this page.

Review the Equity & Access Resources

Courts Now Doing Foreclosure Sales

The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia is now able to schedule foreclosure sales, but with restrictions to comply with the COVID-19 orders under s.32 of the Health Protection Act and further guidance from Dr. Robert Strang. The Court has published a directive outlining the safe practices for parties, counsel, and auctioneers to follow.  


Need Help with Stale Balances in Your Trust Fund?

Send the Society your submission for Undistributed Trust Funds anytime before August 28, 2020 to be included in the September application.

If you have trust funds that you are not able to return to your client, you can participate with other members when the Society makes application to the Public Trustee for the disposal of undistributed trust funds. Learn more about dealing with stale balances. 
 
The next application for disposal of undistributed trust funds will be in September 2020. You can send your submission to the Society anytime, but you must send it before August 28, 2020 if you want to be included with the September application. 
 
If you wish to make an application for the disposal of undistributed trust funds, please refer to the Procedure and Sample Documents  or contact Elaine Cumming, Professional Responsibility Counsel, at (902) 422 1491 or [email protected].


Lawyers’ Insurance Association of Nova Scotia

  • FRAUD ALERT: Fake Law Firm Websites Targeting Lawyers
  • NSLAP WELLNESS: Importance of Sleep

Changes in Category: June 25, 2020-July 30, 2020

In every issue of our newsletter InForum, we provide updates on category changes.

Welcome to the following articled clerks:

Hilary Patricia Angrove
Kathryn Grace Brady
Tyler Neil Chiasson
Logan Charles Clark-Kenney
Nicholas Joseph Foran
Colin Douglas Hooper
Nora Jane MacIntosh
Simone Arlene MacLennan

The following members have changed to Non-Practising status:

Ishrath Muneer Ahmed
Mallory Erna Barbara Arnott
Deborah Elizabeth Bowes
Jacob Johnathan Tak Ken Che
Brittni Louise Anne Deveau
Gilles Joseph Deveau
Ashley Catherine Dickey
Patricia Ann Dunn
Sean Christopher Farmer
Neil R. Ferguson, QC
Gerald W. Green
Robert John Scott Hanf
Cherise Noelle Hart
Nathan Alexander Holman
Karen Leslie Hudson, QC
Matthew Young Jacobs
Christina Marion Lazier
Nathan David Cecil Little
Suzan MacLean
Marian F. Mancini
John Alexander McKinlay
Jason Edward McQuaid
Adam Lyle Melvin
Michelle Pamella Morgan-Coole
Oladeji Samuel Omotosho
Stacey D. O’Neill
Matthew Alexander Orrell
Peter David Taaffe Osmond
Folusho Wuraola Osunade
Ademofe Aretha Oye-Adeniran
Sean Rajeev Ponnambalam
Michael Thompson Pugsley, QC
Robert Francis Purcell
Alyssa Micheal Rahey
Jody C. Rice Gallagher
Drew Davis Ritchie
Jeremy Graham Ryant
Stefan Peter Schmidt
Tia Dawn Silver Surette
Emily Lorraine Tallon
Vernice Katherine Teed
Brent Douglas Timmons
Daphne Clara Mary Ann Williamson

The following members have Retired:

Cameron Robert Anderson
Bruce Carlton Baxter, CA,CAE
M. Jean Beeler, QC
Craig Reginald Berryman
Duncan John Chisholm
Charles Arthur Mark Coffin
Robert Martin Crosby, QC
George David Eldridge, QC
Bruce W. Evans
John G. Khattar, QC
Jerome T. Langille
Ena C. MacDonald
Catherine Mary MacNeil-Macdonald
James Carroll Martin
Gary L. Nelson
David Lloyd Parsons, QC
John David Plowman, QC
Marie Louise Scagliola
Barry Edward Wadsworth
James J. White

The following members are now Life members:

Edward Borden Chase, QC
John Geoffrey Cooper, QC
Elizabeth Cuddihy, QC
James Edward Gould, QC
Morris Josef Haugg, QC
Carl Arthur Andrew Holm, QC
Kenneth Frederick Langille, QC
Roy Ian Logan, QC
John Stetson McFarlane, QC
Willard Strug, QC
John David Wade, QC

The following members have Resigned:

Margaret Jean Keliher
Michelle Jennifer Lang
Peter Armand LeCain
Nancy Isobel Murray, QC
Barbara Stewart Penick
Ramona Sladic
Julie Elizabeth Smith

Judicial Appointments:

The Provincial and Family Court of Nova Scotia welcomed
two new judges to its ranks. The Hon. Judge Aleta C. Cromwell, a lawyer with Legal Services at the Nova Scotia Department of Justice, and The Hon. Judge Perry F. Borden, a Senior Crown Attorney at the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, were appointed July 9, 2020.

Judge Borden’s appointment fills the vacancy created when The Hon. Judge Brian Williston retired in December 2018, while Judge Cromwell takes over for The Hon. Judge Michael Sherar, who elected to go to part-time status this past January. Read more.


Professional Responsibility

Notice of Resolution accepting Settlement Agreement: R. Blois Colpitts


For Your Information

CPLED is recruiting lawyers

Join the team on the journey of training the future lawyers of Canada

Developing the lawyers of tomorrow requires a team of talented and experienced legal professionals. The Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED) is recruiting lawyers with five or more years of experience who have a background in Business Law, Criminal Law and/or Family Law for various roles to help deliver the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP), the new Bar admission program for Alberta, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan.

PREP takes students from just reading about legal activities to carrying them out themselves within simulations, playing out real-life scenarios, and learning from their successes and mistakes while receiving feedback from trained legal professionals.

CPLED is actively recruiting the following positions:

  • Virtual Law Firm Assessors – will assess and provide feedback on student assignments during the Virtual Law Firm phase of PREP. Training will begin in October and work will commence in November of 2020.
  • Practice Managers – will meet with students during the Virtual Law Firm rotations (three-month period) and provide coaching and mentorship as well as assess students’ practice management skills. Training will begin in October and work will commence in December of 2020.
  • Capstone Assessors – will assess assignments completed by students during the final phase of PREP, the Capstone assessment. Capstone assessors can choose to assess students’ oral skills such as interviewing or written submissions. Training will begin in early 2021 and work will commence in March of 2021.

These are great opportunities for anyone looking for part-time casual contract work that they can do remotely. CPLED will provide training, resources and support for all positions.

For more information on these opportunities and to apply, check out the Join the Team section on the CPLED website.

For more information about CPLED, visit their website.


Pro Bono Opportunity with Halifax SAR

Halifax Search & Rescue is one of four Ground Search and Rescue teams in the Halifax Regional Municipality. We work with police and fire to help locate and assist the lost, missing, and injured person in the wilderness areas of our region.  We also provide support to the HRM and province during civil emergencies, such as wildfire and flooding.  In our nearly 50-year history, HSAR has been involved in some of the largest ground search and rescue and civilian emergencies in North America- including the ground-based recovery efforts for Swissair 111 in 1998.

Halifax SAR is a non-profit, volunteer organization. The team is registered as a charity with the Canada Revenue Agency. Restricted operational funding is provided by the Halifax Regional Municipality. The team actively fundraises for operational items outside of the scope of the funding agreement plus all capital items required to maintain the team in a state of good repair.  We currently have over 150 dedicated volunteers with Halifax SAR and proud of the service we provide in the municipality.

We are interested in having a lawyer with us to advise us on issues that arise. We anticipate that most of the legal advice will centre around Human Resources in the volunteer context. Occasionally, there are external items that will arise. For more information, please contact Chief Director Kara Baisley at [email protected].


Missing Wills

Name on missing will: Marion MacInnis
Last known residence: Westville NS
Any lawyers with information please contact: Lynn MacDonald at [email protected] or (902) 396-5065

Name on missing will: Lisa Sarah Cinnamon
Last known residence: Hammonds Plains, NS
Any lawyers with information please contact: Vanja Mitrovic via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (902) 423-6361 (ext. 315).

Name on missing will: Kenneth David Kumar-Misir
Last known residence: Hammonds Plains, NS
Any lawyers with information please contact: Vanja Mitrovic via email at [email protected] or by telephone at (902) 423-6361 (ext. 315).

Name on missing will: Elizabeth May
Last known residence: Dartmouth, NS
Any lawyers with information please contact: Rebecca Wildsmith at [email protected] or (902) 830-4110.


Notice of Opportunity for Fixed-Term Agreement as Agent of the Director of Public Prosecutions  

The Atlantic Regional Office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC) is seeking private-sector lawyers or law firms with experience prosecuting or defending criminal matters to assume responsibility for the conduct of prosecutions and related proceedings arising from the enforcement of various federal statutes, and assist the regional office in the judicial districts listed below.

Colchester County, including court location of Truro and the circuit court of Shubenacadie for matters concerning charges under the Fisheries Act only (and all other Acts and Regulations as administered by DFO) – Secondary (REF: NS 07-2020-1)

Colchester County, including court location of Truro and the circuit court of Shubenacadie  – Primary (REF: NS 07-2020-2)    
Applications will be accepted from July 15, 2020 to August 17, 2020; however, due to the current circumstances and in support of public health recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the deadline for the submission of applications in this process could be extended.  
You are invited to visit the PPSC Agent Affairs website to obtain forms and further information with regards to this competition:     http://www.ppsc-sppc.gc.ca/eng/aaf-man/index.html
Please submit your completed application to:
Angela Caseley
Atlantic Regional Office Public Prosecution Service of Canada
Suite 1400, Duke Tower
5251 Duke Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1P3
Fax:  902 426-1351 [email protected]
For any questions, please contact Ms. Sherry Katsihtis at 902 426-8801 or by email: [email protected].    

News from the NS Courts

  • In case you missed it, watch a recorded session of the Virtual Court Open House
  • Two new judges appointed to the Provincial & Family Court
  • Review Notices related to COVID-19

Career Opportunities

  • Litigation Associate
  • Associate Lawyer
  • Associate Property Lawyer
  • Crown Prosecutor
  • Articled Clerk (2021-2022)
  • Crown Attorney
  • Agent for the Director of Public Prosecutions
  • Assessment Developer
  • Virtual Law Firm Assessor
  • Practice Manager
  • Legal Assistant
  • Supervising Senior Crown Attorney
  • Senior Legislative and Applied Research Analyst
  • Prothonotary of the PEI Court of Appeal and Supreme Court
  • Property Paralegal
  • Chief Legal Officer
  • Corporate Paralegal
  • Legal Assistant

Upcoming Events

These events include NSBS events as well as professional development opportunities and related events posted to the events page on our website.

  • CCDI Webinar: Busting myths – Challenging the myth of meritocracy (August 4, 2020)
  • Workplace Violence and Threat Assessment: Essential guidance from the experts (August 13, 2020)
  • CCDI Webinar: Cultural competence (August 20, 2020)
  • It’s All About Attitude: Is there a duty to be happy at work? When is a bad attitude a disciplinary offence? (August 27, 2020)
  • CCDI Webinar: Respectful ways to celebrate inclusive holidays (September 8, 2020)
  • Sharper Than a Serpent’s Tooth: Responding to employee disloyalty and breaches of trust (September 10, 2020)
  • Online LRA Qualification Assessment (September 16-October 7, 2020)
  • CCDI Webinar: Combatting tokenism (September 22, 2020)
Category InForum Newsletter

Society’s Library and Barristers’ Gowning Room is Open

The Society’s Library is open during Courthouse hours (8:30-4:30) and after hour access is available with membership card. To gain after hours access, have your member card ready to present to the Commissionaire.

The Barristers’ Gowning Room is also open at the Law Courts for lawyers who are attending court. Please contact the Society’s Library staff at [email protected] or call (902) 425-2665 or connect with the Sheriffs upon entry to the courthouse to receive the room access code.

News Categories

  • 2023 Election: News and Key Dates
  • 2023 Election: News and Key Dates
  • Articled Clerks
  • Awards & Appointments
  • Career Opportunity
  • Committee Vacancy
  • Council
  • COVID-19 FAQs and Updates
  • Decisions and Dispositions
  • Equity and Access
  • Equity in Action
  • Fees
  • Fraud Alert
  • General Notices
  • InForum Newsletter
  • Legal Services Support
  • Legal Services Support Blog
  • Library
  • Media Release
  • Notice of Custodianship
  • Notice of Suspension
  • Notice to the Profession
  • Notices
  • NSBS Blog
  • Other News
  • Practice Resources
  • Public Hearing
  • Review of Systemic Discrimination
  • Society News
  • Truth and Reconciliation Working Group
  • Webinar

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

  • Who We Are and What We Do
  • Practice Resource Search
  • NSBS Regulations
  • Code of Professional Conduct
  • Lawyers’ Insurance Association of Nova Scotia
  • Nova Scotia Lawyers Assistance Program

Contact Us

T: 902 422-1491

F: 902 429-4869

E: General inquiry

More info
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

© Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, 2023. All rights Reserved.