Women Lawyers Forum | IN-PERSON

May 16, 2023
Vancouver BC

Veuillez notez, cet événement ne sera disponible qu'en anglais.

DETAILS
ACCREDITATION

IN-PERSON MEETING: Careers in the Legal Profession: Which Path is Right For You?
This meeting is being hosted by the Women Lawyers Forum.

Speaker(s): Moderator:	Joyce Johner, General Counsel and Deputy Registrar at the BC College of Oral Health Professionals Sonali Sharma, Founder, Athena Law Erica Toews, Founder, Erica Toews Law Corporation Laésha Smith, Partner, Poulus Ensom Smith LLP
Time:	Tuesday, May 16, 2023 - 5:00pm - 6:30pm (Pacific Time)
Location:	Richards Buell Sutton LLP, 700 – 401 W. Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC
Meal Cost:	$ 25.00 (GST Incl.)
CPD Hours:	1.00

Synopsis

Have you taken the time to consider whether you are on a legal path that is right for you? There are many ways to practice law and more women are embracing different approaches. For many of us, it didn’t take a worldwide pandemic to know it was time to chart a new course in our legal careers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted more of us to closely study our lives and question whether we were on the right path personally and professionally. We also learned that due to technological advances, we could work differently. Specifically, as lawyers, we learned we could practice law differently and in ways which better catered to our interests, skills, family needs and personal priorities. Are you practicing law in a way that works best for you?

Please join us for a presentation and discussion featuring Joyce Johner, General Counsel and Deputy Registrar at the BC College of Oral Health Professionals, Sonali Sharma, Founder of Athena Law, and Erica Toews, Founder of Erica Toews Law Corporation facilitated by moderator Laésha Smith, Partner of Poulus Ensom Smith LLP.

At this event we will hear personal accounts from our speakers as they discuss why they chose their current and unique paths as well as the twists and turns of the journey along the way. We will explore tips for determining and carving your own path in law based on the varied experiences of our speakers as well as a Q&A portion that will allow attendees to share their own experiences.

We encourage you to reflect on your own journey ahead of this event and to share tips and lessons learned. If you have specific questions or issues that you would like to see discussed during the event, please feel welcome to write to us ahead of time! Please email your questions to Laésha Smith at lsmith@poulusensom.com

For those attending in-person, please join us for some light appetizers and mingling starting at 5:00pm. For those attending remotely, please join us for the presentation portion of our event starting at 5:30pm.

We look forward to seeing you!

Note: Space is limited to 23 in-person participants. Light appetizers will be served. You are welcome to bring a bottle of wine to share.

Speaker Biography

Joyce Johner – Joyce is General Counsel and Deputy Registrar at the BC College of Oral Health Professionals (BCCOHP). Born the 10th of 12 children on a family wheat farm in Saskatchewan, becoming a lawyer was not a predictable path but having a passion for education and being community-minded, paved a way for her career in law. Primarily focused on litigation, Joyce practised both criminal and civil law, first at Singleton Urquhart and then at Blakes before going in-house at the BC Securities Commission.

Joyce later joined the College of Dental Surgeons of BC as General Counsel, a role she held from 2018 until CDSBC amalgamated with three other regulators to become the BCCOHP. Joyce brings extensive governance experience working as corporate secretary to the BCCOHP Board, as well as overseeing regulatory functions.

She has also been on boards for not-for-profits and coached a variety of sports and organized charitable events. While on the board of Touchstone Theatre, she founded the annual Lawyers Show and organized ‘Hockey Helps the Homeless’ raising money for street level organizations. Joyce has a law degree from the University of British Columbia, and undergraduate degrees in Economics/Environmental and Psychology.

Sonali Sharma – Originally from a rural town in the East Kootenays, Sonali is not your typical lawyer. Passionate about social justice issues but pragmatic in nature, she completed her articles in Northern B.C., with a full-service firm and the Ministry of Justice. She has a unique mix of professional work experience ranging from positions at RBC Global Asset Management, Vancouver Coastal Health’s EFAP (Employee and Family Assistance Program) to working as a Family Lawyer with a mid-sized firm in Richmond, B.C.

She started Athena Law because she saw a need for affordable “unbundled” legal services, particularly for “Every Day Legal Problems” in the areas of Family and Wills and Estates. Since 2017, she has been promoting and advocating for unbundled legal services through various platforms such as Legal Aid BC, CLEBC, the CBABC, and by acting as a supervising lawyer for Access Pro Bono's Everyone Legal Clinic, in the area of Wills and Estates.

Outside of her practice, Sonali is the co-chair of the Collaborative Divorce Vancouver Society promoting the spread of collaborative family law and she sits on the board of Seniors First BC, a non- profit that focuses on ensuring that older adults in BC have the right to live with dignity and free from abuse of any kind.

Erica Toews – Erica created Erica Toews Legal Research in 2013 to provide freelance legal research and writing services to sole practitioners, small firms, and in-house legal departments. Together with her growing team of freelance lawyers, she researches legal issues, drafts court documents, and generally supports her lawyer-clients to help keep their practices running smoothly. She also enjoys writing her blog (https://www.toewslegal.com/blog), which explores various research and writing issues. Before starting her firm, she practised litigation for seven years, first in Toronto and then in Vancouver. She holds a JD from the University of Toronto and a BA from Queen’s University.

Moderator Biography

Laésha Smith - Laésha maintains a dispute resolution practice with a focus on securities, administrative law and complex commercial litigation at her firm, Poulus Ensom Smith LLP. Her career path has involved private practice at large, international full-service law firms in New York and London as well as a litigation boutique in Vancouver. She also worked in-house at the British Columbia Securities Commission first as a Senior Compliance Officer in its Corporate Finance division and then as Litigation Counsel in the Enforcement division. Laésha is on the Education Committee of the Women Lawyers Forum CBA BC Branch.

PARTICIPANT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT - COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY
By registering for the in-person option, registrants agree to follow and adhere to the health and safety protocols of the venue to reduce the risks of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 and agree to cancel your attendance if you are experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. If you test positive for COVID-19, you may transfer your registration to the virtual option.

Territorial Acknowledgement
This event takes place on the traditional and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish and Musqueam First Nations. We encourage members to explore the rich history and knowledge of Indigenous people, and to continue learning about their experience in Canada past and present.

Accessibility & Inclusiveness
The CBABC provides access to Section activities for all members. The facilities for this meeting may be wheelchair accessible. For information about accessible parking or to communicate your request for other accommodation you require, please contact CBABC Sections at sections@cbabc.org.

We also welcome your suggestions for enhancing the inclusiveness of our activities.

By attending this in-person Section event, attendees agree to follow the health and safety protocols of the venue to reduce the risks of exposure to and transmission of COVID-19 and confirm that they are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms on the day of the event.

Webinar/Teleconference (if applicable)
Sections host webinars from Internet-capable venues depending on the resources and technology available at the venue.

Disclaimer
Please ensure to sign-in at the meeting; failure to sign-in will result in de-registration. CBABC requires this as a record to confirm your attendance for this meeting for your CPD reporting (if applicable).