Restoring Justice

society news
The details are nearing completion and here’s how the revamped
requirement is likely to work:
• Basic CPD information will be provided to the Society, such as
whether lawyers have a CPD plan, if they met their goals from
the previous year, and if they had any trouble finding relevant
education.
• Lawyers and firms will be able to use any CPD plan format that
suits their needs, but the Society will provide templates and selfassessment
tools to assist lawyers in identifying their education
goals and needs.
• As the Society moves toward its new entity regulation framework,
the designated lawyer for each firm/legal workplace will
report that the firm/workplace has plans in place to maintain
competence and is meeting their set goals.
It’s a much more purposive approach, which will be unique to each
individual and their own area of legal practice. It’s also in keeping
with the Society’s new ‘Triple P’ risk-based approach to regulation:
proactive, principled and proportionate.
Creating an annual CPD plan
For ideas on how to create a professional development plan and
what to include, visit the Society’s website to find CPD resources in
the Professional development area: nsbs.org/for_lawyers/professional_
development. We will enhance this section shortly with more tools,
resources and details about the revamped NSBS CPD Requirement.
Also a reminder that the website’s Events calendar and Upcoming
events page are updated daily with a wide variety of CPD opportunities
here in Nova Scotia and elsewhere, including online webinars.
If you have any questions, please email us at CPD@nsbs.org or leave a
message on the CPD line at (902) 422 1491 ext 371.
Halifax hosts national Discipline Administrators’ Conference
For the first time since 2001, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society hosted
the annual Discipline Administrators’ Conference (DAC), from
October 21-23. More than 65 delegates were registered, representing
all 13 provincial and territorial law societies, the Chambre des
notaires du Québec and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada.
A key focus of the conference is to educate and provide support as
we strive for excellence in regulating the legal profession in the public
interest. Over the last several years, the law societies, through the
Federation, have developed the National Discipline Standards, now
adopted across the country. These standards complement the national
Model Code of Professional Conduct, as a means to ensure the rules of
ethics are being applied in a similar manner and with similar outcomes
no matter where a lawyer may practise in Canada. Areas for improvement
and for national cooperation are always topics of discussion at the DAC.
The DAC provides a unique opportunity for those who work
in the field of conduct regulation to network with colleagues and
exchange ideas about current trends and issues of national interest.
Many regular attendees have worked in this area of professional
regulation for years, and their experience and insight about ongoing
challenges are invaluable to their less experienced counterparts.
Those in attendance also bring diverse background experience to the
table, with work in law enforcement, securities regulation, Crown
prosecution work and other private and public legal practice. Many
of the trends we experience in Nova Scotia are shared across the
country. Hearing decisions and results of appeals of those decisions
across the country can directly impact the thresholds, standards and
processes in all jurisdictions.
This year’s agenda included:
• Law Firms and Legal Entities – Regulating toward Compliance
and Ethical Decision-Making;
• Enhancing Lawyer Competence: Charter and Constitutional
Challenges to Law Society Compliance Regulation;
• Identifying and Managing Risk at Early Complaint Stages;
• Taking a Principled Approach to Settlement Negotiations; and
• Restorative Justice Concepts and Principles – Creating Options
and Changing Behaviours through the Discipline Process.
We’re hopeful that all who attended enjoyed the opportunity to learn
and make new connections.
New Director of Finance & Administration
The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society
welcomed a new Director of Finance
& Administration on April 27: Sean
Walker, CPA, CGA, CIA.
As a member of the Society’s senior
management team, he leads the annual
financial audit process, enterprise
risk management program, outcomes
measurement process, human resources
(personnel), and ensures that effective
budgetary and compliance procedures
and controls are in place.
He also helms the Finance & Administration department, which
includes the accounting/finance, information technology, member
database management, reception and communications/web
functions.
Sean joins the Society from the IWK Health Centre where he had
worked for the past decade, most recently as Chief Financial Officer
and Director of Finance and Corporate Services. He received his
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) designation in 2005, Certified
General Accountant (CGA) designation in 2003, and Bachelor of
Commerce degree at Saint Mary’s University in 1997. He’s a member
of the Canadian and Nova Scotia Association of Certified General
Accountants, and the International and Maritime Chapters of the
Institute of Internal Auditors.
Sean can be reached at 902 422 1491 and swalker@nsbs.org.
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