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regional wrap-up New LSBC president plans speaking tour T he Law Society of B.C.'s 2009 president Gor- don Turriff is plan- ning a province-wide speaking tour aimed at greater public awareness of the law society and the changing role of lawyers today. The tour is expect- ed to begin in February and carrying over nine months as Turriff visits counties across B.C. "I hope to reach out to the community to talk about the role of the law society and the lawyer but also the role the law society plays in protecting public interests." He says he is interested in speaking with lawyer does but not really understand the "important connection" between the law society and the practis- ing lawyer. Turriff, a senior counsel in THE WEST community and school groups. Lawyers involved with community groups are in- vited to contact Turriff regarding a pos- sible speaking engagement. While the LSBC regulates the legal community, it is also a watchdog on public interest issues impacting lawyers and their clients, says Turriff. "We have to be constantly vigilant to the indepen- dence of lawyers." Turriff believes an information gap exists between how the public perceives the LSBC, lawyers, and the legal profes- sion's obligation to the pubic. "I have learned over the years as a bencher, that most people don't know the role that the law society plays," he says, adding that individuals may have an idea of what a the Vancouver offi ce of Stike- man Elliott LLP, will also discuss the changing role of today's lawyer. Lawyers have moved from being simply a litigator or solicitor to arbi- trator, mediator, and other similar roles. The addition of Vancouver's new community court is an example of how the judicial system has also changed and prompted law- yers to respond. In addition, he says, "family law is an area where lawyers have become quite creative in how they are now solving problems." Turriff says there is "no doubt that one of the hurdles" to obtaining access to Gordon Turriff is the new LSBC president. justice for all is the cost of legal services. Legal bills are often seen as prohibitive to mounting a case, but Turriff believes an open and fair discussion with the public will lead to a better understanding of the cost, the differing ways that lawyers bill, and the recognition of the many hours of pro bono work that members of the legal profession perform annually. Turriff replaces John J. L. Hunter of Hunter Litigation Chambers. — JEAN SORENSEN jean_sorensen@telus.net Who's checking for grow ops? brances, there is a new threat as more homes are used in illegal drug opera- tions. The problem that exists for B.C. lawyers, realtors, and buyers is that there is no central registry or com- mon means among municipalities for recording such information. There is also the question of whose responsi- bility it is to check the home's history. W VANCOUVER 1-800-465-7878 Untitled-6 1 EDMONTON 780-420-0897 GUELPH 1-800-265-8381 hile real estate lawyers are often retained to check the title of a property for encum- In B.C., the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board (FVREB) has started its own process, initiating a vendor disclo- sure form (with the sales agreement) that asks whether the vendor knows if the home has been used as a grow op or drug lab. The form has been adopted throughout B.C., but it does have fl aws as it is used mainly in mul- tiple listings, and may not surface in private sales, inter-family, or divorce property settlements. McKellar. The first choice for structured settlements. No controversy. The McKellar Structured Settlement™ HALIFAX 1-800-565-0695 USA 1-800-265-2789 www.mckellar.com www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com JANU AR Y 2009 7 9/9/08 9:27:12 AM