March InForum - Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

March InForum: Nominate a Lawyer for the Distinguished Service Award, Introducing the Cloud Computing Checklist & more

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Society News

Nominate a Lawyer for the Distinguished Service Award

The Society’s Distinguished Service Award (DSA), established in 1999, recognizes outstanding lawyers who have contributed significantly to their community, the legal profession and to the Society.

The 2021 DSA recipient was Malcolm Jeffcock QC. Review the full list of recipients.

The DSA Committee reviews the nominations and makes a recommendation to Council based on these considerations:

Integrity: The recipient is of unimpeachably good character, with a reputation for the highest professional integrity.
Professional achievement: The recipient is amongst the leaders in the practice of law or the academic realm.
Service to the profession: The recipient has made long-term, exceptional volunteer contributions to elevate the legal profession through work with one or more of the following: The Society, the justice system, legal scholarship or otherwise.
Community service: The recipient is an outstanding contributor to the community, through volunteer service and a commitment to making the world a better place.
Reform: The recipient has made an outstanding contribution to the betterment of the law or the improvement of the justice system.
Overall: The recipient espouses the highest ideals of the legal profession and is a person to whom all members of the profession can look for inspiration.

Do you know an outstanding lawyer who fits the nomination criteria?

Nominate a lawyer by submitting a completed online nomination form or send a completed PDF nomination form to klister@nsbs.org by 4:00 PM on May 31, 2022.

Both members of the Society and members of the public may nominate a lawyer.

Questions? Please contact the Society’s Governance, Policy & Planning Officer, Katie Lister, at klister@nsbs.org.

Distinguished Service Award Online Nomination Form

Complaints Investigation Committee Seeking Transactional Lawyer

We’re seeking a member with transaction practice experience to add their voice and experience to the Society’s Complaints Investigation Committee (CIC).

The CIC considers matters referred to it in relation to allegations against members of professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming, professional incompetence and incapacity. The Committee also provides direction on investigations when requested and addresses urgent matters where the public interest may require action by the Society. It refers matters to the Fitness to Practice Committee and to formal hearings and has other specific duties under the Legal Profession Act, Part III.

The Committee is looking for candidates with an understanding of:

administrative law principles and professional regulation concepts;
the CIC’s authority under the Act and Regulations;
the Code of Professional Conduct;
the various Professional Standards; and
the Society’s responsibilities and obligations to complainants, lawyers and others impacted by complaints.

Candidates should also have:

an ability to review lengthy and complex materials resulting from investigations and other reports, strong analytical and communication skills;
a commitment to fairness, respect, integrity, accountability;
an ability to separate public interest and legal ethics from lawyers’ self-interest and, where required, to effectively balance those interests; and
an ability to make difficult decisions and demonstrate firmness yet empathy toward those under investigation.

The time commitment is approximately 6-10 hours bimonthly to prepare for and attend regularly scheduled meetings, 4-6 hours through the year to assist with complaint file review when requested and an additional 3-6 hours ad hoc, as available, for unscheduled meetings, interviews, and hearings.

Committee members are not required to attend meetings in person at this time and can participate via video conference.

Are you interested in being considered for this appointment? To be considered, please complete our online expression of interest form by April 12, 2022, at 4:00 pm which includes a field to attach your brief resume (1-2 pages).

We value diversity on all our committees and encourage and welcome applications from all equity deserving communities.

Questions or assistance? Please contact Katie Lister, Governance, Policy & Planning Advisor, at klister@nsbs.org.

March Council Meeting Highlights

The Society’s Council met Friday, March 25, 2022, at 9:00 AM in person and via Zoom.

Race and the Law Essay Prize

We’re seeking essay submissions for the 2022 Race & the Law Essay Prize, an initiative of the Society’s Racial Equity Committee. This award recognizes and encourages outstanding scholarship by law students in Nova Scotia, on topics pertaining specifically to issues of race and law.

Applicants must be currently or previously enrolled in the JD program at the Schulich School of Law. The essay must have been written in the past 24 months for the JD program.

The deadline for submissions is May 20, 2022, and the successful applicant will receive a plaque and a cash prize of $500 at the NSBS Racial Equity Committee’s reception honouring racialized and Indigenous articled clerks.

Learn more about this award, the criteria & submission details

Your Practice

Legal Services Support: Support at All Stages of Your Practice

Whether you’re opening your practice, looking for practice guidance, succession planning, or seeking to understand your professional and ethical obligations, Legal Services Support (LSS) is here to assist you.

How can LSS support you in your practice?

Legal Services support is here to

help you understand and fulfill your professional responsibilities and requirements
support you in managing and enhancing your practice systems

LSS achieves these goals by answering your questions, providing resources and supporting you through practice transitions and LSS initiatives.

Learn more about LSS can support your in your practice

Getting Technical: Introducing the Society’s Cloud Computing Checklist

cloud graphic with hands using mobile phone and laptop

Does the concept of “cloud computing” elicit fear and confusion? If so, you’re not alone!

Using information technology (IT) can be one of the most difficult parts of legal practice management, especially when you are the IT department. Identifying the right cloud-based services for your practice can be especially tough – many lawyers simply don’t speak the same language as software providers.

To address this, the Law Office Management Standards Committee started a Technology Sub-Group to look at the existing Cloud Computing Standard and its supporting resources. This group set out to develop a tool to help smaller practices manage the risks of the cloud and engage in a meaningful dialogue with providers. Introducing, the new Cloud Computing Checklist.

Learn more about the Cloud Computing Checklist in the latest LSS blog

Lawyers’ Insurance Association of Nova Scotia

Changes in Category: February 24, 2022-March 31, 2022

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

Congratulations to Justices Aleta Cromwell, Dan Ingersoll and Lorne MacDowell, the three newest judges of the Supreme Court of NS. Read the NS Courts announcement.

These members have changed to Practising status:

Renee Marie Jessica Thompson

Joseph Solomon Ur

Jennifer Star Weston

These members have changed to Non-Practising status:

Selby Andrew Evans

Justine Patricia Lucas

Lauren Katherine Murphy

Harvinder Singh Saran

These members have changed to Retired status:

Martin Edward Herschorn QC

Kenneth H. Anthony Robinson QC

This individual has Resigned:

Natascha Marie Johanne Joncas

For Your Information

CBA-NS Empowering Bystanders Training

The Canadian Bar Association Nova Scotia Branch’s Sexual Harassment Working Group has developed a comprehensive Empowering Bystanders training program. The interactive training has expanded since its inception in 2020 to utilize interactive breakouts to help participants recognize and combat various types of workplace harassment. Join the other 200 lawyers and law students across Nova Scotia who have completed the training to date.

Anyone who is interested in participating – either individually or as a group with others in their firm or legal workplace – are asked to contact cbainfo@cbans.ca for more information.

Nova Scotia shares the results of the Review of the Adult Capacity and Decision-making Act

The Nova Scotia government has reviewed the Adult Capacity and Decision-making Act. This law is for adults who cannot make some or all of their own decisions because of a learning disability, mental illness, brain injury or other reasons. This law respects the rights of adults to make their own decisions, while allowing someone else to make important decisions for them when they cannot.

Read the report on the review and the results of the public consultation

Payment in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel members Notice of Opportunity

The Government of Canada has launched an open selection process for members of the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel (PILT-DAP).

The Payments in Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel members provide advice to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement to resolve disputes about payments in lieu of taxes between the federal government and local taxing authorities.

The panel members also provide advice to the heads of Crown corporations who exercise their own discretion concerning their respective corporation’s payments in lieu of taxes.

For a more complete description of the experience, knowledge and abilities required in this position and to apply online, please visit the Governor in Council Appointments Website.

NOII-Hfx Migrant Workers Program: Call for volunteer lawyers

No one is illegal – Halifax/Kjipuktuk’s Migrant Workers Program provides free information and mutual aid support to low-waged migrant workers who face workplace abuse, exploitation, and discrimination on farms and fish plants throughout Nova Scotia.

This past year, we supported migrant workers to do the following: apply for Vulnerable worker open work permits, which would allow them to leave situations of workplace abuse, file complaints with NS Labour Standards, report their injuries to the NS Workers Compensation Board, and much more!

We’ve had a number of successes and steps forward this past year in the fight for migrant worker rights in this province! As our Program continues to grow, we are seeking to expand our current roster of volunteer lawyers! In particular, we are seeking lawyers with the following practice areas: immigration; labour and employment; and human rights. Time commitment varies depending on lawyer’s availability.

Fluency in Patois, Spanish or Tagalog would be a strong asset, but is not required. If you would like to get involved or find out more, email us at outreach@migrantjusticens.ca.

College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents (CPATA) 2021 Annual Report

CPATA’s inaugural Annual Report for 2021, is available in English and French.

2021 was a ground-breaking first year of operation for the College. Since the enactment of the College of Patent Agents and Trademark Agents Act by the Government of Canada in 2018, we have been busy building a transparent, comprehensive regulatory framework and infrastructure for the profession. With CPATA’s coming-into-force this past June, we advanced our important work protecting the public interest, strengthening agent competencies, building confidence in IP services, driving innovation and ultimately stimulating economic growth in Canada. We believe this report will be of key interest to your organization members and stakeholder audiences and invite you to share its contents with your constituencies.

As CPATA looks ahead to 2022, we will continue to bring a standard of excellence to the training and testing of Canada’s patent agents and trademark agents. Our work will help build confidence in intellectual property professionals and the services they provide. We will play our part in building a culture of innovation and catalyzing Canada’s economic strength. For monthly updates on CPATA’s activities, we invite you to subscribe to our newsletter.

We welcome your feedback and thoughts on our annual report and hope to engage with your team as CPATA’s board continues its work as part of Canada’s innovation strategy in the coming year.

CBA Criminal Law Conference: The Nuts & Bolts of Advocacy

Volunteer Opportunity: Bladder Cancer Canada Board of Directors

Volunteer Opportunity: Chebucto Family Centre Board of Directors

Missing Wills

Name on will: Jean Cossett
Last known residence: 82 Flying Cloud Lane
Any lawyers with information please contact Tim Cossett at flint01@gmail.com or 902 999 3616

Name on will: Ernest and Mildred Johnson
Last known residence: Glebe St., Halifax
Any lawyers with information please contact Steven Garland at klsgarland@outlook.com or 902 818 4882.

Name on will: Mabel Siefert
Last known residence: 6849 Highway #3
Any lawyers with information please contact Shannon Siefert at shannoncpsiefert@gmail.com or 778 882 7004

Name on will: Roger Hamilton
Last known residence: Kentville, NS
Any lawyers with information please contact Marlene Andrews at info@24webster.com or 902 678 1616

Name on will: Lorraine St. Pierre
Last known residence: Shoreham Village, Chester
Any lawyers with information please contact Kristin Dobrosky at kristin@kjdlaw.ca or 902 275 5093
Additional information: Possible spelling variations of the deceased: Lorraine Victoria St. Pierre Lorraine Victoria Saint Pierre

Name on will: Reida Elizabeth Woodside
Any lawyers with information please contact Syd Woodside at 506-458-5459

New Application Process for Judicial Appointments Open

Nova Scotia lawyers who want to be provincial court judges can now apply under the Province’s new application process.

“Nova Scotia needs to have a strong pool of candidates who are of the highest integrity, exhibit professional excellence and reflect the wide diversity of this province,” said Brad Johns, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “I invite members of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society who represent the best of Nova Scotia and who are interested in being judges to apply.”

The government recently revised its Provincial Judicial Appointments Guidelines, updating the process for appointing judges to the criminal court. The guidelines include a new independent advisory committee, which will recommend candidates to the minister of justice.

The seven-member advisory committee is chaired by retired Justice N.M. (Nick) Scaravelli.

The guidelines ensure that appointments to the bench continue to be based on merit and professional excellence. Gender, racial and cultural diversity, geographical representation and commitment to public service are among the criteria for the appointment of judges.

There are currently two vacancies on the provincial court.

The Provincial Judicial Appointments Guidelines and the application form are available at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Court_Services/.

Individuals who previously submitted applications are encouraged to reapply using the new application form.

Members of the Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments:

retired Justice N.M. (Nick) Scaravelli, Chair
Paulette Anderson, public representative
Natalie Borden, public representative
Matthew Darrah, on recommendation of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
Judge Ann Marie MacInnes, on recommendation of the chief judge of the Provincial court
Anil Mohan, member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
Jade Pictou, on recommendation of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

Read the Province’s news release

News from the NS Courts

Career Opportunities

Upcoming Events

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

Online LRA Qualification Assessment (April 6-27)
CBA Criminal Law Conference: The Nuts & Bolts of Advocacy (April 8)
Outreach Officer Role and Mandate of the Dedicated Service Channel (April 14)
Knowledge and Information Management: Better Legal Processes for Administrative Decision-makers (April 25)
Limited Scope Lawyering in Family Law Cases (April 28)