Volume 11, No. 1 – January 2012
Public Sector Law Section
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR:
LET’S KEEP THE SECTION GOING STRONG IN 2012 – WE VALUE YOUR
PARTICIPATION
By Abi Lewis
With the holiday season over and early in the New Year, I am expressing my gratitude to
members of the OBA Public Sector Lawyers’ Section (PSLS) for their contributions to the work
of the Section in 2011. Together, the Executive Committee and the members at large joined
hands in ensuring the success of Section programs and activities last year.
In the September 2011 issue of the Public Sector Lawyers Newsletter, immediate Past Chair Julie
Jai wrote about programs and activities undertaken by the Section between January and August
last year. I don’t intend to comment on the period she’s already covered.
The last of our three-part seminar series on ethics and professionalism was held on September
21, 2011. The speakers were the Honourable Sidney Linden, Conflict of Interest Commissioner
and Professor Anita Anand, Faculty of Law, University of Toronto. The program was moderated
by Valerie Jepson, Counsel, Office of the Ontario Integrity Commissioner. They discussed the
role of lawyers in ministries, agencies and public institutions and knowing “who is your client”.
Like the previous two seminars, this program was well attended with many joining the web cast.
On October 3, 2011, the PSLS held a reception to welcome articling students in Toronto, which
was well attended. A panel of speakers shared their experience about what it means to be a
public sector lawyer. You can read more about the reception in the newsletter.
This year, the PSLS intends to follow up on the success of last year’s three-part series on ethics
and professionalism by organizing another three-lunch hour sessions. We are also planning a
half-day CLE program in March on a topical issue. To keep up with the momentum of the
Ottawa members of the Section that organized their first ever regional program in the nation’s
capital last year, the PSLS is planning another regional program this year.
We’ll keep you posted once we finalize the programs. I hope you can take part in these programs
and that we can count on your support.
Nominations are now open for the Tom Marshall Award of Excellence for Public Sector
Lawyers. I ask you to spread the word and consider nominating a worthy colleague for this
Award. The Award recognizes exceptional contributions and achievements among public sector
lawyers.
Newsletter – we want to hear from you. As you plan ahead in 2012, please consider writing an
article for the newsletter. The more articles we receive, the richer is the content of the newsletter
as a vehicle for dissemination of information to all of us.
While the PSLS Executive Committee will be busy working on your behalf in 2012, please
always feel free to drop us a line on what we can do together to make Section’s activities more
meaningful to everyone.
*Abi Lewis is a Counsel at the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, Policy and
Adjudicative Tribunals Division.