Upcoming CLA Event Open to Non-Members as well:

The Second Annual CLA Women’s Gala: Meet A Legal Legend – Progressive Dinner Party. Friday, May 26, 2023, from 7 – 9:00 p.m. EST

At this event, you will meet Women Legends in Criminal Law including Judges such as Justice Renne Pomerance, Justice Maureen Forestell and Justice Michelle Fuerst!

$60 plus HST: CLA members $70 plus HST: non-members

For more information and to register: https://members.criminallawyers.ca/event-5240489

The FULL INFORMATION about the Event is Reproduced Below:

The Second Annual CLA Women’s Gala: Meet A Legal Legend Progressive Dinner Party

Double Tree Hilton, 108 Chestnut St., Toronto, ON.

At this unique networking event for female-identifying CLA members, guests will rotate around the dining room, making stops at several delicious food stations, each hosted by a team of “Legal Legends”. Each team of Legal Legends will include a Judge, a senior Crown, and a senior defence lawyer. This structure will allow guests to mingle with senior members of the bench and bar who inspire them and who have demonstrated a commitment to mentoring the next generation of female lawyers, including Justices Fuerst, Pomerance, and Forestell.

Registration is only open to those that identify as female, two spirited persons and non-binary persons.

I HAD A LOT OF FUN BEING A “LEGAL LEGEND FOR THE EVENING”

There are no real pictures of me at this event, though the back of my head appears in one of the group shots, but I made sure to document my Legend Status via nametag – something near and dear to my heart at the moment.

It was very moving and truly special to be among 125 women colleagues all in the criminal law. Well done by CLA Women’s Committee indeed.

Laura Metcalfe, Stephanie DiGiussepe and Michelle Johal put together this huge event. Thank you and congratulations to them and to CLA’s Women’s Committee!

I personally needed one evening away from my house and my thoughts so it was very exciting to play “legend” – it would be tough to describe how much fun I had with that in speaking to our newest generation of the changing face of the profession – good to meet so many young women in our bar. While talking with them, I did hear that many who are completing articles in criminal defence are planning a career as lawyers working for the Crown – that part filled me with sadness, though I understand the impetus all too well.

But events like last night, and many of the things we try to do within WiCCD for our members are hopefully keeping at least some women in criminal defence.

I was personally very happy to have an opportunity to meet, for the first time in many cases, members of WiCCD who were at this event last night, and to hear from them what WiCCD means to them. I also had the opportunity to reconnect with many old friends I had not seen in years, both Judges now and Crowns who were once part of the CLA and the defence.

Mostly it was just really neat to see this giant room filled with our colleagues and to hear a lot of laughter in real life.

It was very moving and truly special to be among 125 women colleagues all in the criminal law. Well done by CLA Women’s Committee indeed.

I also look forward to WiCCD hosting an in person gathering or the start of local socials hosted our regional reps or both as soon as possible.