November InForum - Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society

November InForum: Disposal of Undistributed Trust Funds, Holiday Hours, Recognition Reception and More!

Society News

Save the Date: Recognition Reception

The Society will be hosting the annual Recognition Reception at the Halifax Hotel on January 27 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. to celebrate excellence in Nova Scotia’s legal profession as it presents the 2022 Distinguished Service Award to Shawna Paris-Hoyte, KC, and recognize members receiving their 50-year and 60-year Practicing Certificates.

The Recognition Reception is an annual opportunity for the Society to honour lawyers for contributions that demonstrate the profession’s commitment to excellence in law, leadership, access to justice and community service. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Invitees will receive a notice to RSVP in December.

Disposal of Undistributed Trust Funds

The next application for disposal of undistributed trust funds will be made in December 2022. Submissions should be received at the Society’s offices no later than December 7, 2022.

If you wish to make an application for the disposal of undistributed trust funds, please refer to the FAQ’s and the Procedure and Sample Documents, or contact Heather Burchill, Professional Responsibility Counsel, at (902) 377 6307 or hburchill@nsbs.org.

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Holiday Office Hours

The Society’s office will be closed for the holidays from December 23, 2022–January 2, 2023. Our office will reopen Wednesday, January 3, 2023.

Your Practice

Trust Accounts: Changes to the Annual Accountant’s Report

To ensure compliance with newly introduced accounting standards on agreed-upon procedures (CSRS 4400), changes have been made to the annual Accountant’s Report, with a new Accountant’s Agreed Upon Procedures Report on the Trust Account (Accountant’s Report) being created.

Previously, a Specified Procedures document outlined the procedures expected of the accountant, and the outcomes and conclusions were reported on a separate ARTAR report. The new Accountant’s Report combines the specified procedures document with the report, allowing accountants to directly report the findings of each procedure performed. Merging these two documents will increase the clarity of the agreed upon procedures and provide greater consistency of reporting, which is in line with the new standards.

Please review the new Accountant’s Report to begin the process of preparing for the 2022 Trust Account Report (Due March 31, 2023). We do not anticipate a material change in the amount of work involved in preparing the report, however we encourage all lawyers operating a trust account to contact their accountant to discuss any implications this change may have on the engagement.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact TrustAccounts@nsbs.org.

Review the New Accountant’s Report

Canadian Bankers Association: Updated Contact List for Mortgage Discharges

The Canadian Bankers Association has updated its contact list for matters involving mortgage discharges. The CBA has requested that it be made available to lawyers immediately. If this is relevant to your practice, please visit this link for more information.

Canadian Banker’s Association Updated Contact List

Lawyers’ Insurance Association of Nova Scotia

Changes in Category

In every issue of our newsletter InForum, we provide updates on category changes. These are the Changes in Category from October 25, 2022 to November 23, 2022

Welcome to the members who were recently called to the Bar:

Kathleen Jean Kontak Adams
Omolola Olufunmilayo Agbaje-Williams
Rebecca Maria Alleyne
Olajumoke Yewande Arowolo
Michael Joseph Blanchard
Zoë Amar Morgan Busuttil
Alexia Robin Bystrzycki
Osvaldo Carvalho de Sousa
Amanda Marie Craig
Navid Dehghani
Claire Elizabeth Doucher
Rhiannon Ruth Dunphy
Matthew Ray Fancey
Lucas Patrick Fraser
Annelise Nisha Harnanan
Ifeanyi Ejike Ilukwe
Andrew Seth Jamieson
Mukisa Nassanga Samarie Kakembo
Ron Kugan
Maura Celeste Landry
Ross Lister Larkin
Omid Mohammadali-Zadeh
Amanda Polley Montgomery
Nancy Isobel Murray, KC
Shehu Suleman Mustafa
Nicole Christine Pelletier
Daniel Gordon Publicover
Nicholas Dwight Prince Robar
Timothy Douglas Roberts
Oluwaseyi Abayomi Sanni
Melissa M. Saunders
Naman Sharma
Nikolas Robert Shymko
Danielle Dawn Stone
Derek Jeremy Vihvelin
James Burton Whittier

These members have changed to Practising status:

Michael B. Murphy
Michael Yvon Robichaud
Jaimie Leigh Tax

These members have changed to Non-Practising status:

Hercules Chiu Chee Chung
Marian F. Mancini
Oluwabiyi Ayodeji Olafimihan

These members have changed to Retired status:

Deborah E. Gillis, KC

In Memoriam

Our condolences to the families, friends and colleagues of:

William Francis Meehan, who passed away on n November 8, 2022. He was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1968 and practiced law in Antigonish from 1969 onward.

For Your Information

Canadian Bar Association – Nova Scotia Branch Annual Professional Development Conference

The Canadian Bar Association – Nova Scotia Branch will host its Annual Professional Development Conference on December 1^st and 2^nd, 2022 at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel.

With the option to attend in-person or virtually, the event is a great opportunity to update your substantive knowledge, fine tune your practice management skills and reconnect with colleagues from across the province.

In addition to the many sessions lined up, our plenary speakers include Dr. Ilana Dodi Luther from the Access to Justice & Law Reform Institute of Nova Scotia discussing bringing the National Self-Represented Litigants Program (NSRLP) to the Schulich School of Law and Nova Scotia, and Justice Mahmud Jamal from the Supreme Court of Canada who will discuss litigating and deciding appeals before the Supreme Court of Canada. Click here to view the detailed agenda.

Registration is open to all lawyers in Nova Scotia. Non-CBA members can contact cbainfo@cbans.ca to register.

Board of Directors – Chebucto Family Centre

Join Our Board of Directors!
Are you passionate about community change? Do you want to have a real and meaningful impact in your community? Meet interesting people? Share your existing skills? The Chebucto Family Centre is looking for new board members. At this time, we are seeking a member or members with legal expertise.

About the Chebucto Family Centre:
CFC is a non-profit family resource center and community hub located in Spryfield. It provides free services and supports to enhance the quality of life of families and community members.
These include, but are not limited to:

Advocacy and support
Health and wellness programs
Prenatal and parenting courses
Volunteer doula program
Youth programming
Family Home Day Care Agency.

About our Board:
The Board meets monthly on Wednesday evenings from September to June. Members serve for three year renewable terms. Board members are asked to bring enthusiasm and commitment to supporting the mission of Chebucto Family Centre. Members are expected to attend meetings regularly, special events as they are able,
and serve on Board committees.

Who should apply:
Ideally, new board members will bring one or more of the following skills and qualities:

Previous board experience.
Human resources experience
Knowledge of financial services/accounting.
Legal expertise
Fundraising.
Knowledge of community issues/community development
Strategic planning

As part of being an inclusive and representative organization, we are very interested in receiving applications from Black, Indigenous, and persons of colour, immigrants, LGBTQ+, youth (18-35) , and people with lived experience of poverty or other systemic barriers.

What we can offer you:
An opportunity to give back to your community
Experience in working in a not-for-profit governance board
A role in supporting families in need

For more information:
Visit our website, www.homeoftheguardianangel.ca or Chebucto Family Centre on social media.

To apply for Board membership:
Send a letter of interest and your resume to lorain@setonspiritualityctr.ca by December 15, 2022

Job Deadline/Expiry Date: 12/15/2022

The Independent Legal Advice Program is Looking For Lawyers to Join Our Roster

Who are we:

We provide up to four hours of FREE independent legal advice to survivors of sexual assault in Nova Scotia, age 16+.
We provide independent legal advice on recent and historical sexual assaults that have occurred in Nova Scotia.
Our Lawyers are diverse, speak several languages and are service providers to all regions of Nova Scotia in various areas of practice.

How the Process Works:

The client calls 211 – they are sent out a package with a certificate/and a list of lawyers – the client then calls the lawyer directly – an appointment is set – after the advice is given the lawyer bills us directly for their hours.

Eligibility:

You are a practicing lawyer
You are insured
You are a member in good standing with the NSBS
You agree to the project service rate of $95/hr.
You are interested in expanding your knowledge on the issue of sexual assault
You are interested in being part of a Community of Practice
We are looking for Lawyers that are diverse in culture and languages. Although any lawyer that is interested may apply, currently we hope to obtain an Arabic speaking or Indigenous/Mi ‘maw speaking lawyer.

If you are interested in joining this supportive program for survivors of Sexual assault, please contact: The Independent Legal Advice Coordinator, Victim Services, Department of Justice at 902- 424- 2928. or email Lisa.Youssef@novascotia.ca, for an application.

Volunteers Needed for Research Study

My name is Paige Thomb and I am a PhD student in the Faculty of Law at UVic. My dissertation looks at the ways in which religious identity shapes legal practice. I am currently recruiting lawyers, law professors, and law students for 60-90 minute interviews. If your religious identity shapes part or all of your legal practice, then I would love to speak to you. All interviews are confidential and have been approved by UVic’s Human Research Ethics Board.

If you would like to participate or just want more information, I can be reached at paigethombs@uvic.ca

Call for Volunteers: Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia

Hearing and Speech Nova Scotia (HSNS) is actively seeking volunteers to join our Board of Directors. The HSNS Board is a governance board, representing the public in providing strategic directions, oversight, and accountability of the organization’s performance in its delivery of hearing and speech services to Nova Scotians. HSNS provides services from 35 clinic sites in 25 communities across Nova Scotia and was recently awarded Accreditation with Commendation by Accreditation Canada.

HSNS Board members have ample opportunity to expand their own skills in board governance and make a larger impact by participating voluntarily in active Board Committees and HSNS working groups. While all expressions of interest will be considered, we are currently looking for established professionals with proven experience in board governance, business, public relations, and government relations. We provide board orientation and ongoing resources to support our members, so do not let a lack of knowledge about the work of HSNS deter you from applying, if you possess the experience we are seeking.

Please click here to learn more about the HSNS Board and how to apply.

Court Attire for Sale

Selling a gown, vest, two shirts, a tab, and two pairs of pants for $850 + shipping. Please contact the seller at goodlawster@gmail.com for more information.

Missing Wills

Name on Will: Moira Russell

Last Know Residence: 61 Crescent Avenue, Kentville, Nova Scotia

Any lawyers with information please contact Chad Russell-Lutz at Chadrussell25@outlook.com or (403) 399-2962

Name on Will: Emeline Fraser

Last Know Residence: 310 Fraser Street, New Waterford, N.S

Any lawyers with information please contact David Fraser at davidfraser97@hotmail.com or (902) 577-6569

News from the NS Courts

Career Opportunities

Upcoming Events

CBA-NS Women Lawyers Forum Annual Trivia Night (November 24, 2022)
EDI Concerns in the Grievance and Arbitration Process: An expert session on ensuring fairness and inclusivity (December 1, 2022)
2022 Annual PD Conference(December 1-2, 2022)
RELANS 2022 REAL ESTATE CONFERENCE (December 5, 2022)
This Year Has 90 Minutes: Key developments in wrongful dismissal litigation and employment law from 2022 (December 8, 2022)