Jordan Furlong, journalist, consultant and award-winning author of law blog Law21 featured Nicole Garton-Jones and Heritage Law in “Leading the Way” for the Canadian Bar Association’s National magazine’s September issue. Mr. Furlong cites Heritage Law as an example of a new class of “highly innovative start-up law firms (that) are taking on new markets, leveraging technology and dreaming up new ways of doing business.”

Mr. Furlong describes Heritage Law as “one of the most streamlined, automated and forward thinking legal business models in Canada.”

You can download a pdf of the article or see the entire magazine here.

Date: Friday, May 14, 2010
Time: 8:30 am to 1:30 pm

I am excited to be able to participate in this year’s CBA BC Branch Women Lawyers Forum Education Day event. Along with Elizabeth Watson and Stacey Handley, I will participate on a leadership panel which will be led by Marion McAdam of Fourth Wall Project Management & Consulting. Marion has worked extensively with women who are leaders already or who are aspiring to become one within their own context. In conjunction with this, she has also done a considerable amount of research on emerging and changing trends in women’s leadership.

I have been tentatively asked to speak to “defining success for yourself and making it happen.” My personal conception of what success is and my level of achievement in that regard are both rather fluid concepts, so this should be an interesting exercise.

I am particularly interested in the quotes contained in the draft discussion materials prepared by Marion McAdam, some of which I include here:

“Success has been defined by men all these years as movement high up the ladder. Women have to define success differently. It isn’t necessary to be the top person to be successful…Success is having work in your field that permits you to have a life as well. … A woman’s life is a horizontal journey rather than a vertical climb.”

“Women At Law: Lesson Learned Along the Pathways to Success” Phyllis Horn Epstein

Trying to act like men in the workplace creates a kind of dissonance. We can sense when people are not acting authentically and we don’t trust them. “Women bring a unique set of behaviours to the workplace that are needed, especially in today’s climate. Our tendencies to collaborate rather than compete, listen more than talk, and use relationships rather than muscle to influence are the very same behaviours I coach men to acquire. But it’s all about balance. Just as men can overuse their stereotypical characteristics, so can women.” (p. 62 Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office)

“In order to be effective leaders, women need to be comfortable practicing law as women – in their own way. Women don’t need to practice law the same way that men do in order to be successful.”

It should be an interesting discussion!

The Honourable Robert D. Punnett and the Honourable Peter M. Willcock have been appointed to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

Mr. Justice Punnett served as a Bencher for Prince Rupert County until his appointment on June 19. He also served two terms on the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) Provincial Council and on the board of directors for the Trial Lawyers Association of BC. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel earlier this year. He was a partner in Punnett & Johnston of Prince Rupert until his appointment.

First elected a Bencher in 2006, Justice Punnett served on several Law Society committees and task forces during his time as a Bencher. Law Society President Gordon Turriff, QC congratulated Mr. Justice Punnett on his appointment. “This is great news for the people of BC,” said Turriff. “Mr. Justice Punnett has all the qualities communities want a judge to have — he’s thoughtful, a good listener and measured in his responses.”

Mr. Justice Punnett replaces Mr. Justice D.A. Halfyard in Prince Rupert.

Mr. Justice Willcock practised with Harper Grey LLP from 1983 until his appointment. He was a member of the insurance, health and professional regulation practice groups, having chaired the insurance group for several years. Mr. Willcock contributed to a number of professional education courses and publications. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Continuing Legal Education Society for many years.

Mr. Justice Willcock replaces Mr. Justice L. Paul Williamson in Vancouver who elected to become supernumerary judge as of January 28, 2009.

From CBC News Wed, 05 Jul 2006

Nearly every major city in Canada is dealing with a considerable shortage of licensed day care spaces, according to a new national study.

The report, entitled “Learning from Each Other: Early Learning and Child Care Experiences in Canadian Cities,” examines the local provision of children’s services in Canadian cities, including child care, kindergarten, and out-of-school-hours care for six- to 12-year-olds.

It concludes that in most cities there are licensed day care spaces for only 15 per cent of children.

Janet Libbey, acting director of the Mothercraft Day Care Centre in Ottawa said the lack of space has led to an increase in waiting list times.

“Well, it can be a minimum of a year’s waiting list,” said Libbey. “And sometimes with the full-time program, 18 months is not unrealistic. And there’s still many families we never get to.”

The City of Toronto organized the national study, which also includes St. John’s, Halifax, Montreal, Sherbrooke, Toronto, Sudbury, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Vancouver and Whitehorse.

Montreal came out ahead in the study, due to a provincial commitment to day care. Montreal has spaces for 45 per cent of children until the age of 12.

Julie Mathien, policy development officer with the City of Toronto, said a Conservative government plan to cancel federal-provincial funding agreements next year will result in even more of a squeeze, with 5,000 fewer spaces in Toronto alone.

“Most of those spaces were in communities where there were significant numbers of children living below the poverty line and there is a significant lack of services to begin with,” Mathien said.

In Ottawa, Libbey said the federal proposal to give parents a monthly allowance of $100 is inadequate, as the average cost for a preschooler in the capital is approximately $900 per month.
Copyright ©2006 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation – All Rights Reserved

In an effort to close the gap that exists between Canadian First Nations people and the general public, Canada’s premiers have agreed to a 10 year plan that will attempt to eliminate aboriginal poverty. The ambitious plan will be put into motion this Fall at the first ministers meeting on native issues and will address a range of problems associated with health care, housing, and economic development. One major goal will be to implement a means for natives to enjoy treaty benefits while not living on a reserve, especially with regard to extra federally funded health care benefits. Currently only half of the country’s native population actually lives on reserves, resulting in separate treatment for many.

A strong effort from all parties involved will hopefully begin a movement towards a much sought after increase in standard of life for Canada’s First Nations people, however simply throwing money at the problem will not lead to the desired goal. Over the past decade, Canadian tapayers have spent $3.8 billion on Native housing alone, however once received, band councils decide where the money goes without, in some cases, even accounting for it. Furthermore, a recent report by the auditor general indicates that the bands have no competant way of ensuring that the houses built meet national building code standards. Clearly no bankroll will correct the problem with the First Nations People’s standard of life when it is not accompanied by proper initiative and accountability. Money is not medicine.

One of the best known journalists in Quebec was appointed yesterday to
the post of Governor-General. Michaëlle Jean has been the host of The
Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts for the last five years and has won
numerous prizes for her efforts throughout. Hailing from Haiti, the
poorest nation in the Western hemisphere, her family fled the
dictatorship in 1967 when she was only 11 years old. Michaelle now
speaks five languages and is one of Canada’s most accomplished
journalists. Despite her qualifications, one can only guess at the
political reasons for this appointment – the Liberal minority
government has had a loss of support in Quebec since damage by
scandals and a federal election looms on the horizon of next year.

Read the full story here

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled yesterday that provincial
governments will be given a discretionary capacity in deciding Judge’s
pay. The provinces will no longer be forced to follow the
recommendations of independent commissions as long as their reasons
for doing so are rational. The decision is a result of Judges in
various provinces across Canada taking their governments to court for
not following the advice of the aforementioned commissions. Judges
cite various reasons for the necessity of having independently decided
salaries, including the importance of keeping an independant judiciary
free from the allure, or lure, of money. The S.C.C. has decided the
provinces will have some discretion, but cannot stray too far from the
recommendations.

Full story

Last night the House of Commons voted on Bill C-38, the much debated Same Sex Marriage Bill. Despite the resignation of a Cabinet Minister Joe Comuzzi and what appeared to be divisions within Paul Martin’s minority government, the Bill recieved widespread support from the NDP and Bloc Quebecois allowing it to pass 158 to 133. By giving same-sex couples the same legal rights as traditional couples, Canada has become the third country in the world to legalize gay marriages.

Meanwhile, in Vancouver our city council rejected a bid by Wal-Mart to build a box store on Southeast Marine Drive. Citing various reasons from traffic congestion and protection of small businesses, to Wal-Mart’s labor practices and the “satanic nature of giant multi-national corporations”, our councillors voted 8-3 against allowing the store to be built. City Councillor Anne Roberts has stated the next step is a re-examination of the zoning laws that allowed the proposal in the first place.