Law Times

Law Times • January 30, 2012 BRIEF: OBA INSTITUTE PAGE 13 BY MICHAEL McKIERNAN Law Times with their professional develop- ment requirement for 2012, say organizers. Institute 2012 runs from Feb. T 9-10 at the Westin Harbour Castle conference centre in downtown Toronto. A third day devoted to criminal law practitioners follows on Feb. 11 at the OBA conference centre in the city. "There are many practitio- ners who already attended before compulsory CPD was instituted, but we like to think the Institute allows those who want to concen- trate it at one time to come along and get their hours," says Thunder Bay lawyer Janice Vauthier, co- chairwoman of the Institute's sev- en-person organizing committee. The Law Society of Upper Canada demands 12 hours of con- tinuing professional development each year, including a minimum of three hours on topics related to professional responsibility, ethics or practice management. "You can quite easily get the three professionalism hours in just one day," says Jon Clancy, an OBA spokesman. He explains that lawyers can enjoy breakfast with the sole, small-firm, and general practice section to discuss ethical issues around social media followed by half-day programs with the family law and trusts and estates sections to meet the quota all on Feb. 10. About 1,800 lawyers are expected to attend the event over its three days to hear more than 300 experts speaking on more than 20 different practice areas of the law. "It's huge," says Vauthier. "It's our single largest pro- fessional development event in Ontario. It's a great opportunity for people to learn new tools and apply them in their practices. The theme this year is learn, thrive, and succeed. In addition to sub- ject-specific content, which is of course of the greatest importance, this is also a wonderful gathering of colleagues and it gives every- one the opportunity to meet and greet and I'm really looking for- he Ontario Bar Assoc- iation Institute is a one- stop shop for lawyers looking to dispense early ward to some of the special events we have planned." This year's special events have a distinctly political flavour with federal NDP leadership candidate Thomas Mulcair slated to address the OBA's official languages com- mittee bilingual lunch on Feb. 10. New Attorney General John Gerretsen is also set to introduce himself to the province's lawyers on the same day. On Feb. 9, the keynote lunch speaker will be Terry Fallis. The former Liberal party strategist reinvented himself as an author of satirical novels on Canadian politics following his earlier role on former prime minister Jean Chrétien's staff as he ran for the party leadership in the mid-1980s. His novel The Best Laid Plans won the 2008 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and triumphed again in CBC's 2011 Canada Reads competition to find the essen- tial Canadian novel of the last decade. "We're looking forward to "We're hoping to introduce a bit of lightness to the event, so I think everyone can look forward to a little bit of entertainment," says Vauthier. After two years at the Royal York hotel in Toronto, the Institute is trying out a new venue this year at the Westin Harbour Castle. "The Royal York has been a bit of a tradition, but this year we're moving to what we hope will be an even better venue," says Vauthier. For those who were used to Attorney General John Gerretsen is among several speakers planned for the OBA Institute. his particular type of political humour," says Vauthier. The entertainment continues on the first night, when the A2D2 Aerial Dance Cirque Company brings its unique fire dancers and acrobats to the welcome reception in the Westin Harbour Castle's grand ballroom. the old destination and find the habit hard to break, the OBA has a solution. "To transition it, we're also going to have a bus available for transfer from the Royal York over to the Westin for those who may not be so familiar with the new location. So we're hoping to lead them right to the event," says Vauthier. More than 20 of the OBA's 35 practice groups are sponsoring their own sessions at the Institute this year, including some that are putting on multiple events. For example, the business law sec- tion is providing an event focused on international law on Feb. 9. Experts will discuss the challeng- es of transactions across borders with practical and helpful hints to avoid common pitfalls and mini- mize risk for clients. The following day, the section turns its attention in-house, put- ting on a joint session with the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association that will tackle four of the most common areas where companies call on in-house counsel for their advice: human resources, marketing, the execu- tive suite, and administration. The municipal law section is also running a full-day program on Feb. 10 split into two parts. "You can pick one and not nec- essarily have to stay for the sec- ond, so we hope we're providing a variety and enough selection that everyone can not only learn from the event, but also over the two or three days that they attend, obtain all their necessary CPD hours," says Vauthier. LT BRIDGE THE GAP GET THE FULL PICTURE OF THE LAW WITH WESTLAW® CANADA INTELLIGENT FINDING TOOLS Leave nothing to chance with finding tools that ensure you never miss a case on point. Westlaw Canada gives you finding tools that work as smart as you do. 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