December 2024 Newsletter: News from the BCLI!
December 16, 2024
BY British Columbia Law Institute
Holiday Closure Notice
Happy winter holidays from all of us at the BC Law Institute! Our office will close at 12:00 pm on December 24th and reopen on January 2nd. Wishing you a season filled with joy, peace, and warmth. See you in the New Year.
BCLI Congratulates Nancy Carter, KC
At the recent Premier’s Awards for public service, Nancy Carter, KC, was inducted into the BC Public Service Hall of Excellence. The hall recognizes individuals who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to British Columbia.
Until her recent retirement, Nancy was a lawyer who had served in various roles within the ministry of attorney general, including leading the ministry’s Civil Policy and Legislation Office and its office on Family Policy, Legislation and Transformation. “Her work has resulted in a number of civil reforms, perhaps most importantly in the area of family justice,” as noted in the award announcement. “As a direct result of Carter’s dedication and passion, B.C. families have the benefit of what is a model of excellence for family justice, both nationally and internationally.”
BCLI has been honoured to work with Nancy to advance our collective law-reform goals. Starting with BCLI’s Succession Law Reform Project (2003-06), which formed the basis of BC’s Wills, Estates and Succession Act, through to recent projects reviewing part 6 (pension division) and part 3 (parentage) of the Family Law Act, and countless projects in between, Nancy has been a major supporter of BCLI. She was often the crucial link between the ministry and BCLI’s law-reform work. BCLI congratulates Nancy on this well-deserved honour.
Fresh Perspectives on Law Reform: The Student Take on BCLI Projects
The November article in The Advocate shares insights from our summer and articling students, who joined us from across the country this year. Their contributions have been invaluable, and they offer a unique perspective on BCLI’s projects, highlighting their experience and engagement with law reform.
Advancing Legal Reforms: A Conversation with Zara Suleman, KC, on Modernizing Family Law
Read the The Advocate September issue article on parentage, modernizing family law and importance of law reform from our Parentage Committee Chair Zara Suleman.
Wills and Estates Planning for Indigenous Clients Living on Reserves
Read our article in The Scrivener written by our summer research student Ignacia Mendez on advising and drafting estate planning documents for clients living on reserves.
During the month of November, our staff lawyer Marie Ong presented at the CBABC’s online seminar Older Adults: Witnesses Victims and Offenders and attended the Housing Central Conference where she was able to share some information on our new housing reform project with other participants.
Earlier in November, our articling student Maria Michouris and staff lawyer Megan Vis-Dunbar attended Allard Law’s annual Social Justice Forum to showcase BCLI’s work. This event was a chance for law students to connect with the community, learn about local social justice work, and engage with legal professionals.
Our senior staff lawyer Kevin Zakreski attended How to Renovate the Public Hearing Process event hosted by the SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue and the Museum of Vancouver. The event featured a panel discussion, short films, and an interactive exhibit, offering a space to reflect on the history of public hearings and explore new approaches for more equitable planning.
In September, we were invited to Providence Health Care’s Dialogue on Aging event, where we engaged the community by sharing our Dementia + Decision Making Project along with other elder law tools and resources.
We were honoured to attend our former articling student Kira Davidson’s Call Ceremony in July. Throughout her articling journey, our senior staff lawyer Kevin Zakreski served as her principal.
MARIA MICHOURIS
How a Metropolitan Mindset Can Inspire Collaborative Solutions to the Housing Crisis
MARIA MICHOURIS
First Draft of the Renovate the Public Hearing Project Final Report Discussed
MARIA MICHOURIS
BCLI Pension Division Report Recommendations Implemented
BCLI
Ensuring Equitable Parentage: Proposed Reforms for Part 3 of the Family Law Act
