Events
Access to Justice Week 2023:
October 23 - 27
Fostering an A2J-Oriented Legal Community: Early Introduction to A2J
October 24
Over Summer 2023, the Action Committee surveyed individuals involved in legal education, including current students, educators, and young legal professionals. The objective of this research was to better understand the impact of a2j education on the career choices of young legal professionals, including decisions to incorporate access to justice work into their legal careers. This panel provides an overview of the research findings, and explores how a broader understanding of young professional’s views and experiences with a2j can potentially help inform where the broader A2J sector’s priorities — including those of the Action Committee at this critical juncture — should lie.
Speakers:
1) Dana Rotenberg, National Director of Pro Bono Students Canada
2) Jérémy Boulanger-Bonnelly, Assistant Professor at McGill University
3) Ayesha Adamjee, Lawyer
Moderator: Ashley Major, CALIBRATE
Family Justice: Indigenous World View Jurisdiction Must Prevail
October 23
11 am - 12:00 pm PDT
12 pm - 1:00 pm MDT/SK
1 pm - 2:00 pm CDT
2 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
3 pm - 3:00 pm ADT
Join Former Chief Cadmus Delorme for a McKercher Lecture Series session on family justice and the Indigenous world view. The McKercher Lecture Series at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan, is a prestigious annual event that brings together legal scholars, practitioners, and the broader community to engage in insightful discussions on contemporary legal issues. Named after a distinguished alumnus, this series features prominent speakers who share their expertise and perspectives on a wide range of legal topics, fostering intellectual exploration and encouraging critical thinking among attendees. The lectures serve as a platform for meaningful conversations, encouraging a deeper understanding of the law's role in shaping society.
Access to Justice in French: A World to Discover
October 24
10 am - 11:30 am PDT
11 am - 12:30 pm MDT/SK
12 pm - 1:30 pm CDT
1 pm - 2:30 pm EDT
2 pm - 3:30 pm ADT
Hosted by the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Law. This event will be live-streamed from Robson Hall with simultaneous interpretation so you can listen in either French or English.
Saskatchewan Legal Needs Assessment
October 24
11 am - 12:00 pm PDT
12 pm - 1:00 pm MDT/SK
1 pm - 2:00 pm CDT
2 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
3 pm - 4:00 pm ADT
Join this webinar to learn about the results of the Saskatchewan Legal Needs Assessment conducted during 2021-2022. The Legal Needs Assessment provides the perspectives of lawyers and community organizations on access to justice issues and legal needs within communities across Saskatchewan. It offers insights for addressing unmet legal needs and areas of focus. The researchers involved in the assessment will present their findings and key insights to advance access to justice within Saskatchewan.
Open Access, Artificial Intelligence & Virtual Hearings
October 25
9 am - 10:30 am PDT
10 am - 11:30 am MDT/SK
11 am - 12:30 pm CDT
12 pm - 1:30 pm EDT
1 pm - 2:30 pm ADT
This panel will showcase the research of BC Access to Justice Centre for Excellence scholars, Rob Lapper, K.C., Michelle Lawrence & Michael Litchfield. They will share preliminary findings from their study on the application of the open court principle to virtual hearing processes in the administrative tribunal context. They will evaluate artificial intelligence as a tool for legal research and increasing access to justice, and they will identify opportunities for justice system actors to improve the potential of this tool through contributions to open access legal content.
Are we there yet? Reflecting on A2J Progress & the Obligation to Advance A2J in Manitoba
October 25
10 am - 12:00 pm PDT
11 am - 1:00 pm MDT/SK
12 pm - 2:00 pm CDT
1 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
2 pm - 4:00 pm ADT
Join us for a reflection on the tenth anniversary of the Action Committee on Access to Justice in Civil and Family Matters 2013 report, “Access to Justice & Family Justice: A Roadmap for Change”, and the nine Justice Development Goals identified to bridge the implementation gap. Representatives from The Manitoba Law Society, The Manitoba Law Foundation, Legal Aid Manitoba, and the Manitoba Law Reform Commission gather to discuss the status of the Justice Development Goals in Manitoba, how interpretations of access to justice have evolved, and share insight on the status of access to justice in Manitoba and what the future of access to justice looks like for our province.
Hosted by the Law Society of Manitoba.
Two Spirit and Trans People’s Perception of Legal Actors
October 25
11 am - 12:30 pm PDT
12 pm - 1:30 pm MDT/SK
1 pm - 2:30 pm CDT
2 pm - 3:30 pm EDT
3 pm - 4:30 pm ADT
The session will explore the perceptions of two spirit, trans, non-binary, and gender nonconforming (2STNBGN) individuals regarding legal actors, including lawyers, paralegals, judges, and administrative decision-makers. The data for the session was collected from qualitative surveys of over 700 2STNBGN respondents and over 60 interviews across Canada (2STNBGN A2J Project). The session highlights that despite some positive legal developments in recent years, trans people face a disproportionate number of legal issues, most related to discrimination (based on gender identity, and/or another ground). While legal actors cannot solve all of these problems, they can significantly contribute to improving access to justice for 2STNBGN people.
Racial Equity, Legal Education, and Access to Justice
October 26
10 am - 11:30 am PDT
11 am - 12:30 pm MDT/SK
12 pm - 1:30 pm CDT
1 pm - 2:30 pm EDT
2 pm - 3:30 pm ADT
Access to justice initiatives require an understanding of and commitment to racial equity to be successful. This virtual panel discussion will explore the ways in which legal education is needed to prepare law students and help lawyers to support access to justice, disrupt barriers to equity which prevent access to justice, and address the challenges to providing relevant legal education which supports these goals.
Hosted by the Manitoba Bar Association.
Enforcing Support Orders
October 26
11 am - 12:30 pm PDT
12 pm - 1:30 pm MDT/SK
1 pm - 2:30 pm CDT
2 pm - 3:30 pm EDT
3 pm - 4:30 pm ADT
The Maintenance Enforcement Office (MEO) was created 40 years ago to help people enforce their support orders and agreements. The MEO has been very successful at collecting support. The Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Act (EMOA) has been periodically amended to ensure that the MEO has effective enforcement tools at its disposal.
Meeting Everyday Legal Needs: A View from British Columbia
October 26
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm PDT
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm MDT/SK
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm CDT
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm EDT
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm ADT
This panel discussion will examine recent efforts in British Columbia to improve access to justice and meet everyday legal needs (Justice Development Goal #2). Among other things, this panel will discuss efforts to address legal services gaps, foster innovation, and expand the scope of legal aid in British Columbia.
Host: Canadian Bar Association
Creating a Seat at the Table, Saskatoon Book Launch Event
October 26
3:30 pm - 5:30 pm PDT
4:30 pm - 6:30 pm MDT/SK
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm CDT
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm EDT
7:30 pm - 9:30 pm ADT
Join us for an inspiring and thought-provoking evening as the College of Law at the University of Saskatchewan proudly presents the book launch event for "Creating a Seat at the Table." This event promises to be a captivating experience, bringing together legal professionals, students, and advocates who are passionate about promoting diversity and inclusion in the legal field. Attendees will have the unique opportunity to engage in lively discussions, network with like-minded individuals, and gain invaluable knowledge. Whether you are a law student, legal professional, or simply interested in the pursuit of justice, this book launch event offers an unparalleled opportunity to engage with trailblazers in the field, gain fresh perspectives, and contribute to the ongoing discourse on inclusivity within the legal system. Don't miss your chance to be part of this significant event.
Access to Justice in Family Law and Navigating a File with a Self-Represented Litigant
October 27
10 am - 11:00 am PDT
11 am - 12:00 pm MDT/SK
12 pm - 1:00 pm CDT
1 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
2 pm - 3:00 pm ADT
The panel will cover an array of issues with respect to the triage process and in the context of files where one party is self-represented and how that effects best practices in completing the triage prerequisites.
Hosted by Manitoba Bar Association
Click here for information about other A2J Week events hosted by Manitoba.
Click here for information about other A2J Week events hosted by Ontario.
Click here for information about other A2J Week events hosted by Saskatchewan.
2022 A2J Week Session: We’ve Got the Data - Now What?
The Action Committee on A2J has been advocating for more national A2J data to support people-centred legal services. Now that a pool of good data is being collected and shared, how will the A2J community use it to tailor legal services, funding and policies to respond to people's civil legal needs?
This session highlighted Canada’s A2J data, shared key insights revealed by the data and then challenged a panel of A2J champions to identify ways that we can use the data. The session wrapped up with a discussion of the future trends in A2J data collection.