I first started putting on this conference maybe 10 years ago co-chairing back then with one of my many friends who are now Judges. It was hosted at the Law Society, who provided the administrative support. When I joined the CLA’s Board in 2013, we brought the conference in house as my friend and I were both on their governing body. Since then the Association has put this conference on for seven years, although we skipped a year here and there. Since I formed LAMDA in 2017, we have co-hosted each conference with CLA. The program just gets better and better each year. In 2021, all presenters were women! This year we are adding new voices, young lawyers from diverse backgrounds and practice areas. Join us again this year as Cassandra De Melo co-chairs with Jessyca Greenwood.

7th Annual Virtual CLA & LAMDA Mental Health Conference

Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022

The 2022 Mental Health Conference will be 100% virtual this year. 

Saturday, March 26, 2022, 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET

CPD Confirmed!

• Professionalism Hours: 1 hour
• Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Hours: 30 minutes
• Substantive Hours: 2 hours and 35 minutes (if hours are not needed for EDI and/or professionalism they can be added to substantive)

Agenda and Speakers:

• 8:30 to 9 a.m.: IT support
• 9 to 9:03 a.m.: Welcome by Jessyca Greenwood, Assistant Secretary, Criminal Lawyers’ Association
• 9:03 to 9:43 a.m.: Fitness Primer – Theory and Practice – back to basics
  • Moderator – Mary Murphy (Toronto)
  • Charlena Claxton (Whitby) 
  • Christopher Dobson (London) 
• 9:43 to 10:28 a.m.: NCR Primer – Theory and Practice – back to basics
  • Moderator – Naomi Sayers (Sault Ste. Marie)
  • Daniella Guido (Newmarket)
  • Jeff Marshman (Toronto)
• 10:28 to 10:43 a.m.: BREAK
• 10:43 to 11:17 a.m.: What does a tough NCR case look like? – R. v. Minassian
  • Introduction: Cassandra DeMelo, Vice President, Criminal Lawyers’ Association (London)
  • Boris Bytensky, Treasurer, Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Toronto)
• 11:17 to 11:45 a.m.: Challenges and Rewards in Doing MH Work / Criminal or Civil
  • Moderator – Maya Kotob (Toronto)
  • Emily Dixon (Toronto)
  • Nicola Circelli (London)
  • Kelley Bryan (Toronto)
  • Sabrina Feldman (Toronto)
• 11:45 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: BREAK
• 12:00 to 12:47 p.m.:  Sullivan & Chan and R v. Brown – the problem of extreme intoxication and non-insane automatism – s. 33.1
  • Moderator – Sarah Rankin (Alberta)
  • Carter Martell (Toronto)
  • Stephanie DiGiuseppe (Toronto)
  • Michelle Biddulph (Toronto)
• 12:47 to 1:27 p.m.: Keynote – Zoë Dodd – Patient prisoners- the problems with mandated drug treatment
  • Introduction– Anita Szigeti, President, LAMDA (Toronto) 
  • Zoë Dodd
• 1:27 to 1:30 p.m.: Closing by Cassandra DeMelo, Vice President, Criminal Lawyers’ Association (London)

Registration Fees:

• $30 plus HST: CLA Senior Full/Senior Observer/Affiliate Members
• $20 plus HST: CLA Junior Full/Junior Observer Members
• $10 plus HST: CLA Student members
• $30 plus HST: LAMDA members
• $10 plus HST: LAMDA Student members
• $125 plus HST: Non-member lawyers/legal professionals
• $65 plus HST: Non-member students

As a result of the impact of the pandemic on our members, we have reduced the Conference Registrations fees for CLA members, LAMDA members and non-members significantly this year. 

Register online by going to https://members.criminallawyers.ca/event-4692970