LawCast BC The Law Society of BC

In this episode, we are going to talk about one of the most critical areas the Law Society is addressing – meaningful Indigenous reconciliation and cultural safety.

In July 2023, the Law Society's board of Benchers approved recommendations from the Indigenous Engagement in Regulatory Matters Task Force report, to remove systemic barriers experienced by Indigenous complainants and witnesses. Implementation of the task force’s recommendations is now underway.

Hear from Vicki George, Senior Advisor, Indigenous Engagement, who shares one component of her role that includes guiding the implementation of the Indigenous Engagement in Regulatory Matters Task Force’s recommendations. She also provides an introduction to the new role of the Law Society’s Indigenous Navigator, the importance of relationship building and the context that has informed the Law Society’s ongoing efforts and path toward reconciliation. 
Read the full report and recommendations of the Indigenous Engagement in Regulatory Matters Task Force.

A national survey was published last year on the state of legal professionals’ mental health. More than half of respondents in BC reported experiencing psychological distress and many of them said they did not seek help despite needing it.  

In this episode, we share information about one of the most pressing issues facing the legal profession – mental health. The Law Society is committed to supporting the mental wellness of lawyers and has taken a number of steps to increase access to resources and provide opportunities for connection and conversation. 
Learn about our new mental health and wellness resources in this discussion with Claire Marchant, Director of Policy & Practice Support, and Rose Morgan, UX & Content Strategist. We chat about the types of support available, reducing stigma and dispelling some common myths about accessing help.

To find out more about all of the services Claire and Rose mentioned in this episode, visit the Lawyer Well-Being Hub on the Law Society's website.

Other resources referred to this episode include:
The Trauma-Informed Lawyer podcastThe National Study on the Psychological Health Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada: Phase I ReportThe National Study on the Health & Wellness Determinants of Legal Professionals in Canada: Executive Summary

Conservative Member of Parliament Michael Chong joins host Jon Festinger to talk about the government's use of "orders in council," legal secrecy and the unwritten rule of law on Parliament Hill. 

Michael Chong was first elected to Parliament in 2004 and represents the riding of Wellington-Halton Hills. He currently serves as Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Official Opposition.
He's previously served in the federal cabinet as President of the Queen’s Privy Council, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Minister for Sport as well as serving as the chair of several House of Commons standing committees.

Renowned criminal defence lawyer Marie Henein joins host Jon Festinger to talk about the role of lawyers, what influenced her to be a lawyer, and current threats to democracy and the rule of law that are taking place around the world.

Marie Henein is a senior partner at Henein Hutchison LLP, recognized in Canadian Lawyer as one of the country’s Top Ten Litigation Boutiques. She has been interviewed on CBC’s The National, written for The Globe and Mail, and is a sought-after speaker. She recently released her memoir Nothing But the Truth, which weaves her personal story with her strongly held views on society’s most pressing issues, legal and otherwise.

Marie Henein will be speaking at the Law Society's Rule of Law Lecture on April 4, 2022. For information on the event and how to register, visit our website.

Is everyone equal before the law? In light of the recent surge in anti-Asian racist events in BC, we take this episode to examine how racism was built into our legal system, discrimination in the legal profession and how that impacts everyone.
 
Dr. Carol Liao joins Andrea Hilland, policy lawyer at the Law Society of BC, and host Jon Festinger for a roundtable chat on racism, equity, diversity and inclusion and the rule of law. Dr. Liao recently spoke about her experience as an Asian lawyer in the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyer's documentary "But I Look Like a Lawyer."

Dr. Carol Liao is an associate professor at the Allard School of Law and the UBC Sauder Distinguished Scholar of the Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics at the Sauder School of Business. In 2021, Carol received the Influential Women in Business Award from Business in Vancouver and was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network.

In this new episode, our host Jon Festinger and Michael Lucas, director of policy and planning at the Law Society, take a look back at the first season of Rule of Law Matters and the events that have transpired since the podcast launched in September.  They chatted about how this podcast began, whether the rule of law is a western concept that is applicable world wide, and recent threats to the rule of law in Hong Kong, Poland, Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom, and right here in Canada. 

If you want to know more about the rule of law, visit the Law Society's website at lawsociety.bc.ca. If you liked today's episode, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts. If you have suggestions or comments, please send them to us at podcast@lsbc.org.