Exciting times for Canadian Lawyers Abroad (CLA)!
Today was a big week in the history of Canadian Lawyers Abroad. On Monday, Brittany Twiss came on board as our new Executive Director. The torch had officially passed from Yasmin Shaker and me, the CLA co-founders, to the next generation!It really was an exciting moment. Not only is Brittany an extremely accomplished woman, she is a great fit for this role. Brittany has been involved with CLA since her days as a University of Ottawa law student when she was selected as one of our amazing summer interns. That summer she did an amazing job interning with ECPAT International in Bangkok, an organization focused on ending sex trafficking. Brittany then went on to run our Student Internship Program. And, while articling and working as a lawyer at top family law firms in Toronto, she still found the time to volunteer with CLA. Brittany is the ideal person to lead CLA into its next decade!It is bittersweet to be leaving as ED of CLA (although I will still be on the board). I realize how lucky I have been to work with so many passionate and committed lawyers and law students who live up to CLA’s motto of using law to improve lives. We are lucky to count among our boosters (and my mentors) amazing leaders in the legal community including Allan Rock and Nathalie Des Rosiers (who very kindly gave us our first office at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law), Bill Graham, Antonio Lamer, Ed Waitzer, Bob Rae, Greg Kane and Armand de Mestral. We also have thousands of law students who have come through our Student Chapter and Student Internship Programs who are now using their law degrees to build the rule of law and promote human rights in Canada and around the world.However, I know CLA is well positioned for its next decade. In particular, CLA has the opportunity to do a great deal more in partnership with Aboriginal people and communities in Canada. Through our Dare to Dream pilot program, we’ve seen the positive impact that lawyers and law students can have in mentoring Aboriginal children. And working in partnership with communities and organizations like the Mikisew Cree First Nation, the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Watershed Council and the Nunavut Legal Services Board, we’ve helped to promote and protect Aboriginal rights and promote access to justice. Equally important, the lawyers and law students involved (including me) have all learned a great deal about Aboriginal law and the culture and traditions of the communities with whom we work with.Stay tuned! It’s an exciting time for CLA.