Canadian Association of Black Lawyers

🚨 Early Bird pricing for the inaugural internationally trained lawyers (ITLs) conference ends on November 30! Lock in your spot at the first-ever ITL Conference where you’ll connect with a diverse community of legal professionals. Date: April 4-5, 2025 Venue: The Westin Calgary Register at https://lnkd.in/gYBHEUZJ Spaces are limited, so register today to secure your spot! See you in Calgary! #ITLConference2025 #Calgary #WestinCalgary #CalgaryPetroleumClub #ITLs

The Jamaican Canadian Bar Association would like to invite CABL members to join them on their very first Lawyers and Paralegals Networking event on November 29th at 6:30 pm. Come early and enjoy the flavours of Jamaica at the Real Jerk-Legacy restaurant and bar, and stay later for the karaoke. Space is limited so please confirm your attendance as soon as possible.

The Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) has started to accept applications today! They are seeking accomplished persons from diverse backgrounds with the potential to lead positive change and develop creative solutions to Canada’s most pressing policy issues, such as the fight against climate change, reconciliation, food security, criminal justice, health, international trade, and more. This program places successful candidates into a fully qualified pool for mid- to senior-level policy analyst roles (EC-05 through EC-07 levels). Successful candidates also receive mentorship and networking opportunities across the federal public service.    This competitive program seeks individuals with: policy-relevant experience (e.g., from NGOs, Indigenous organizations, government, academia, think tanks, the private sector, etc.); demonstrated leadership, initiative and/or community engagement; and a record of research achievements. Candidates must hold (or complete by December 31, 2025) a Master’s degree or a PhD in any discipline, or a law degree combined with an undergraduate degree in any discipline.    Three streams are available for applicants: - The General Stream: open from November 12-26, 2024: https://lnkd.in/dESWZrMd - The Indigenous Stream: open from November 12-December 10, 2024: https://lnkd.in/dGnX7ZRU - The Persons with Disabilities Stream: open from November 12-December 10, 2024: https://lnkd.in/gyKSa3Be   Applicants must only apply once. Candidates from all three application periods will be assessed together, using the same assessment process. Assessment accommodations are available at any stage of the hiring process to help candidates demonstrate their abilities to their fullest capacity.   For more information and to apply, please visit https://lnkd.in/g9JEA_6e. You can also visit our GCwiki page, which contains links to recorded presentations and video profiles of alumni, as well as information for webinars taking place over the coming weeks. All prospective applicants are encouraged to attend a webinar to learn more about the application process. Details and registration links are available on the GCwiki page.    If you have any questions about the program, please contact the Public Service Commission of Canada at CFP.RLP-RPL.PSC@cfp-psc.gc.ca.

Nia Centre for the Arts is dedicated to connecting community to Black artistic and cultural experiences all year round, and we are thrilled to present A Black Art Fair this weekend! Our Centre will be transformed into a grand exhibition space displaying original work from 27 brilliant Black artists from across the diaspora. All of which, will be available for purchase and were curated for all budgets. In honour of our first anniversary at 524 Oakwood Avenue, we would like to extend a special invite to the members of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers. Use BLACKFAIR30 for 30% off - valid until EOD Thursday, November 21.   The fair will not only feature incredible works, but an opportunity to meet many of the artists who will be in attendance themselves, as well attending the "Demystifying Art Collecting" panel discussion on Sunday at 1pm between Ashley McKenzie-Barnes (curator, creative director), Emilie Croning (curatorial assistant, Arts of Global Africa and the Diaspora, Art Gallery of Ontario), Komi Olaf, a featured artists in the fair and hosted by our wonderful co-curator, Anthony Gebrehiwot. A Black Art Fair kicks off on this Saturday 11am - 8pm, and runs through Sunday 12am - 6pm. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email info@niacentre.org.  We hope you can all join us for this incredible celebration of Black Art and Artists! Register here: https://lnkd.in/dh5yktaY

Dear partners and stakeholders, The Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage, Governement of Canada is seeking your input for informing the theme and the approach for Black History Month 2025. You will have between November 4, 2024 and November 18, 2024, to complete the 2025 Black History Month survey. It takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. Please note that all questions in the survey are optional and your participation is voluntary. In addition, responses will be kept confidential. The survey can be accessed here: https://lnkd.in/dXJBqJWG If you experience technical difficulties in accessing or completing the survey, please contact the Policy Research Group at recherchedopinionpublique-publicopinionresearch@pch.gc.ca. Thank you for your participation. Planning, Reporting and Operational Policy Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Branch Department of Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada *** Partenaires et intervenant(e)s, La Direction générale du multiculturalisme et de la lutte contre le racisme sollicite votre participation afin d'informer le choix du thème et de l'approche pour le Mois de l’histoire des noirs 2025. Vous pouvez compléter le sondage sur le Mois de l’histoire des noirs 2025 entre le 4 novembre 2024 et le 18 novembre 2024. Il faut environ 5-10 minutes pour le compléter. Veuillez noter que toutes les questions du sondage sont facultatives et que votre participation est volontaire. En outre, les réponses resteront confidentielles. Le sondage est accessible ici: https://lnkd.in/dG92Y2V6 Si vous éprouvez des difficultés techniques pour accéder au sondage ou pour le remplir, veuillez contacter le Groupe de recherche sur les politiques à recherchedopinionpublique-publicopinionresearch@pch.gc.ca. Nous vous remercions de votre participation. Planification, Rapport et Politiques opérationnelles. Direction générale du multiculturalisme et de la lutte contre le racisme Ministère du Patrimoine canadien, Gouvernement du Canada 

I had such a great time at the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers Conference in Vancouver. Thankful for the opportunity to share some insights with our junior lawyers on the business side of law practice. Getting fancy for the Gala was fun too 🙂 #CanadianBizLawyer #BusinessLaw #BusinessofLaw #CorporateLaw #BlackExcellence

The police power to make arbitrary traffic stops is unconstitutional because it raises the risk of racial profiling, the Court of Appeal of Québec has ruled in PG du Québec v. Luamba. Article 636 of Quebec’s Highway Traffic Code gives police officers an absolute power to pull people over. The judges found this not only violates the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but that a lack of guidelines and an absence of adequate limits to the power encourages racial profiling. Karine Joizil and Sajeda Hedaraly of McCarthy Tétrault's Montreal office represented Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, intervenors in this landmark case. Learn more about it on our Canadian Appeals Monitor blog: https://lnkd.in/dPqWC32q #Charter #ConstitutionalLaw 

The Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL) proudly congratulates Justice Love Saint-Fleur on her historic appointment to the Federal Court, marking her as the first Black woman to serve on this court. Justice Saint-Fleur is fluent in French, English, Haitian Creole, and Spanish, and brings extensive expertise in international law and human rights. She holds a Bachelor of Laws from Université de Montréal (University of Montreal) and advanced degrees in international law from both University of Paris I: Panthéon-Sorbonne and UQAM | Université du Québec à Montréal. Her distinguished career includes roles as a legal expert with the United Nations in Haiti, and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Venezuela and Ecuador. Since 2012, Justice Saint-Fleur has served in decision-making roles at the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada | Commission de l'immigration et du statut de réfugié, where she trained new members and coordinated decisions within the Refugee Appeal Division. Most recently, she served as Commissioner for the Refugee Appeal Division in Montréal. We extend our best wishes for her continued success in this new role on the Federal Court!

Open Letter on behalf of the Black Action Defence Committee, Canadian Association of Black Lawyers, and the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) regarding Ontario’s Calls for Bail Reform Our organizations, representing decades of advocacy for a fair and just criminal justice system, have serious concerns about the Ontario government’s recent calls for bail reform. The proposed changes not only threaten the progress made in addressing systemic issues in the criminal justice system but also risk disproportionately impacting Black people without improving public safety. Ontario’s assertion that a “catch-and-release” standard exists in our bail system is not only misleading and offensive but undermines public confidence in the administration of the criminal justice system. Experienced judges and justices of the peace carefully weigh public safety in bail decisions, and any reforms must be built on evidence, not rhetoric. Measures like the “three-strike” rule, mandatory minimum sentences and blanket bail restrictions ignore historical lessons and could lead to overcrowded, underfunded jails, worsening already inhumane conditions. We urge Ontario’s leaders to consider reforms that support public safety and equal justice, rather than regressive policies that compound racial disparities and harm communities. Read the full letter here: https://lnkd.in/djjXzh8r

As Black lawyers continue to break barriers, and build thriving practices, it is becoming increasingly important to have an in-depth understanding of financial, estate and tax planning. This session aims to provide Black lawyers with the areas they need to consider as they manage their finances, secure their assets, and adeptly organize their affairs, to confidently prepare for eventual retirement. The session will be an introduction to financial, tax, and estate planning strategies, specifically tailored to the unique needs and challenges of Black lawyers. The session will also explore managing financial, estate, and tax planning efforts, mitigating risks, and practical steps to setting and working towards retirement goals. At the end of the session, participants will understand the areas they need to start addressing to organize their financial affairs and plan for the future. Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024 Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. ET Location: Cassels Toronto Office, Bay Adelaide Centre – North Tower, 40 Temperance Street, Suite 3200, Toronto, ON M5H 0B4 Take the first step in planning effectively for your future by registering today. Registration is open to Black lawyers at all stages of their career. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dhtdSJY9