Keeping Tabs - Summer 2020

TAS ONLINE
TAS Goes Virtual
Claudia Cappuccitti, Dyer Brown LLP and
Chris Kinnear Hunter, Lenczner Slaght
March 12, 2020 began with a flurry of emails and text messages: “What’s
happening with trivia night tonight?” “Are we a go, or no?”
For months we had been looking forward to hosting YASC’s annual Toronto
Trivia Challenge, this year to benefit Pro Bono Canada, the charity
being supported by the annual TAS Gives Back campaign. While no TAS
events had been cancelled to date, the NBA had just announced it was
postponing the season. Ultimately, Trivia Night became the first Advocates’
Society casualty of COVID-19.
Almost immediately, TAS’ Board took action. A special task force was
struck, consisting of members of the Board, 10+, and YASC. The mandate
of the task force was to determine the best way of keeping members connected
and informed during the pandemic.
#ICYMI - Here’s some of what TAS has been up to over the last
four months:
Litigating from Home Series: This educational
series kicked off with the first instalment
on March 27 and provided tips on everything
you ever wanted to know about working from
home, including: how to stay healthy, privacy
and security, and the ins and outs of litigating
remotely.
Remote Skills Workshops: TAS also held its first
virtual skills training program on examinations
for discovery last month, taking what TAS does
best and transferring it to our new online world.
Look for more programs like this in the months
to come, including a remote skills workshop in
August on motions advocacy.
Fireside Chat Series: Throughout April and May,
TAS hosted a series of fireside chats with the
Honourable Chief Justices Morawetz, Strathy,
and Fraser, who spoke about the courts’ response
to the pandemic, and also with Dr. David
Goldbloom of the Centre for Addiction and
Mental Health, who provided invaluable tips for
coping with self-isolation and stress.
@Home Advocate: In mid-April TAS launched
a weekly newsletter for members with key updates,
resources, and personal reflection pieces
written by members on their experiences
during lockdown.
Mentoring Dinner: The Toronto Mentoring
Dinner scheduled for May was reformatted
into a virtual event where mentors discussed
tips and tricks for working through the pandemic,
and provided insight into how young
lawyers can build their practices and maintain
client and firm relationships through
COVID-19.
Virtual Mentoring: In late April and early May,
YASC hosted Un Réseau Virtuel de Mentorat Pour
Les Jeunes Plaideurs. Young lawyers and senior
mentors met virtually to discuss working from
home, and health and wellness during lockdown.
#TASFit HIIT and Yoga Classes: In April and May
TAS members got sweaty, centred, and fit with free
HIIT and yoga classes hosted on Zoom by TAS.
Coffee Klatch: On May 14, YASC’s Health and
Wellness working group hosted a drop-in networking
event. Questions circulated in advance
served as a jumping off point for discussion.
Participants were able to exchange ideas and
strategies on working and litigating from home
at a time when we were all trying to figure it out.
COVID-19 Resources: YASC’s Health and Wellness
working group, with the help of volunteers,
compiled a list of resources related to physical
and mental health for the TAS website.
End of Term Dinner: In a matter of mere weeks,
TAS staff were able to adapt plans for the annual
End of Term Dinner, Canada’s largest gathering
of advocates. The virtual EOT@Home, held on
June 11, included a conversation between The
Honourable Rosalie S. Abella and Guy Pratte,
performances by the EOT Member Band, The
Force Majeures, and an after party on Zoom.
Toronto Trivia Challenge for Charity: The
event, originally scheduled for March, was held
on June 23 on Zoom. Thanks to participants and
sponsors, YASC was able to help raise money
for Pro Bono Ontario (a special shout-out to
quizmasters Raphael Eghan and Tom Macmillan,
who were wildly entertaining).
Looking ahead to the new term, YASC will be putting on a slew of new virtual events, in particular
the first ever virtual Fall Forum (for more information, click here). If you have ideas or proposals
for other future virtual events we would love to hear from you (feel free to shoot us an email to
events@advocates.ca).
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