January 2025 News and Updates | |
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We hope the new year has started off well for you and that you were able to wind down 2024 surrounded by loved ones in good health. This month brings a great opportunity to declutter and reorient ourselves for the year ahead, as well as decompress and share good times with those we care about.
Notably, we celebrated National Hot Tea Day on January 12, National Clean Your Desk Off Day on January 13, and National Dress Up Your Pet Day on January 14. We're sure there are many more amazing opportunities awaiting us this year! Plus, it's never too late to declutter and start anew!
For now, please feel free to grab a drink, cozy up, and read on for what's coming up. 2025, here we come!
-MBC Staff
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Continuing with Mediate BC's Equity in Conflict Resolution speaker series, we are excited to host this third session focusing on the use of power and inclusive leadership. This session will be facilitated by Nadine Nakagawa of Bakau Consulting. It invites mediation and conflict resolution practitioners to consider their identities and positionality in relation to the identities of their clients. While we may often think that centering equity in our work means understanding and accommodating the needs of our clients, this session will guide participants into self-reflection on how we may be perceived and received by those seeking our expertise, as well as how we can use our personal and professional power ethically within our practice. More info here & register here.
Jan 21, 6pm - 8:00pm PST
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For lawyers and advocates working in child welfare, check out some of the upcoming CDM workshops. Learn more here.
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Lower Mainland Service Providers, Jan 16, 10am-12pm
- More locations to be added!
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Ask a Mediator takes place on
the first and third Tuesdays
of each month from 4-6 pm.
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Ask A Mediator Clinic
Are you interested in volunteering at one of our Virtual Pro Bono Clinics? You'll speak with members of the public, during free 30 minute virtual sessions, about conflict resolution options. Common questions: How do I invite someone to mediate? What actually happens at a mediation? Is my dispute suitable for a collaborative process?
Email Ann Lee to volunteer or for more information. Please send clients who would benefit from this clinic here for more info. Please note that this volunteer position is specific to Roster mediators.
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The Department of Justice Canada wants your input regarding your experience with the amendments to the Divorce Act that came into force on March 1, 2021, concerning the best interests of the child, relocation, family violence, children’s views and preferences, family dispute resolution, as well as the public legal education and information materials that were developed or updated to support these amendments. The 2025 National Family Law survey is being distributed to judges, legal advisers and other family justice professionals. The survey will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It is open now and will close on February 24, 2025.
Note: if you are both a family law legal adviser and a family justice professional, please choose one survey to complete and base your responses on your experiences in the chosen profession.
Please click here to start the survey:
A summary of the results of the survey will be shared when it is available. For more information, please contact: Cherami Wichmann, Senior Researcher.
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Dr. Rachel Birnbaum and Professor Nicholas Bala from Western University invite you to participate in a groundbreaking research project on Child & Youth Informed Mediation during parental relationship breakdowns.
Your valuable insights will shape future policies and help better serve families.
- Time Commitment: The survey takes just 25-30 minutes.
- Confidential: Your participation is completely anonymous and voluntary.
- Impact: Help close the gap in research on mediator experiences with child and youth informed mediation in private practice.
Complete the survey here.
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UBC is researching challenges and successes with public legal education and information (PLEI) in British Columbia. They would like to hear from you about your experiences with publicly available free legal resources and information in a 10 question survey. Their hope is to learn from you as they develop recommendations for new approaches. Click here for more information and eligibility to participate. The survey will be open until January 31, 2025. If you would like more information about the study or survey, please contact the study’s research coordinator, at plei.project@ubc.ca. | | |
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Surrey and Victoria will be home to a new, expanded, and multidisciplinary family law clinic model in BC aimed at providing service to eligible clients experiencing family violence. In addition to offering in-person and virtual services in Surrey and Victoria, some staff will be dedicated to delivering mobile and virtual services to eligible clients in Kamloops, Kelowna, Prince George, Nanaimo, and Duncan. Learn more here. | | |
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Legal Aid BC (LABC) has transferred ongoing management of the Family Law in BC website (family.legalaid.bc.ca) to the Justice Education Society (JES) and it now lives at this URL: FamilyLawinBC.ca.
The website is largely unchanged and will continue to be a reliable, go-to source of information on BC family law. All existing links are automatically being redirected to the corresponding page on FamilyLawinBC.ca until further notice.
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In continued efforts to support mental health in the BC legal community, CLEBC is proud to announce the webinar Neurodiversity 101. Learn more and register here.
Feb 7, 12 - 1:15pm PST
1.25 EDI Hours
Free Online
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Join the Alberta Family Wellness Initiative (AFWI) for the Resilience Scale Masterclass: A free, 2.5-hour, interactive workshop which introduces the Brain Story and Resilience Scale Framework to community leaders and professionals from the health, education, justice, and children’s services systems in order to build resilience and improve outcomes for individuals, families, and communities. Learn more here.
Jan 20, 3 - 5:30pm PST: Register here
Jan 30, 8:30 - 11am PST: Register here
Free Online
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Access to Justice Week is an opportunity to engage with the access to justice movement that is taking place in BC and beyond. This is a week devoted to considering how to improve the justice system by putting its users at the centre of decisions and processes. This year, we explore the question, “What does the future of access to justice look like?”
Various free online and in-person events are available, including:
See A2JBC's website for more info.
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RFPs, Proposals, Conferences | | |
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Call for Papers on Indigenous Economic Development | |
CLEBC’s Indigenous Economic Development program will be held on Friday, April 11. We invite you to submit an outline of the paper and presentation you would like to present at the webinar.
If you have done work in the last few years on innovative developments, business or government structures, obtained private financing or changed the world for on-reserve projects, done some innovated economic development off-reserve, or something else awesome regarding Indigenous governance or economic development, we now encourage you to submit your proposal to present at this program.
Registration is also open for Indigenous Economic Development. Learn more and sign up here.
Please send your submissions and/or any questions you have via email to: Teresa Sheward with the following information:
- your name and organization;
- proposed topic; and
- ½- to 1-page outline of your proposed paper and presentation.
All submissions received by Tuesday, February 11, will be reviewed and considered by the Course Chair and Planning Committee.
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Please let us know if you are involved in or come across other events that may be of interest to our conflict resolution community. | |
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Jan 21, 6pm - 8:00pm PST
Online
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Feb 7, 12 - 1:15pm PST
Free Online
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* Inclusion in this list is not an endorsement of training or activities. | |
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