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regional wrap-up THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN NOVA SCOTIA I n the wake of extensive consultations with lawyers and the largest public outreach ever conducted by the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, lawyers in the province can expect sweeping changes to the system of continuing professional development. The Futures Project, launched in 2008, explored issues of competence as they affect lawyers today — and tomorrow. "The Futures Project recognizes that there is a complexity of factors that are impacting people who are practising law," says Kim Turner, a member of the proj- ect advisory committee and a managing partner with Pink Larkin in Halifax. That impact can be traced to four key trends, the discussion paper stated: demographic shifts, technology advances, justice issues, and market changes. "The needs are quite different than those that have been historically identified," says Turner. Those needs are reflected in eight challenges to the profession that emerged as the futures team conducted its consul- tations and research. Among the chal- lenges lawyers face moving forward are a polarization of legal services; conflict between law as a profession and law as a business; a decrease in professional repu- tation; and failures in communication. The latter, interestingly, was identified as an issue by the public. The time for talk is now past, and the futures team is pressing the NSBS for action. It has recommended forming a working group to develop concrete rec- ommendations for council. Turner says those recommendations may be ready as soon as this fall. Lawyers outside Nova Scotia may want to take a closer look at what the society is doing and what it may be pro- posing. "You would probably find the same types of [issues] in other provinces," says Turner. The times they are a changin'. — DM MOVES AND SHAKES IS ONLINE If you or anyone in your firm has made a move, won recent accolades, or done anything else noteworthy that should be shared with your colleagues across the country, let us know. E-mail your moves and shakes to moves@ clbmedia.ca. We'll be updating the web site daily, so keep your eyes on www.canadianlawyermag.com to see what your friends and colleagues are up to. 8 M ARCH 2010 www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com urnettDuckworth_CL_Mar_10.indd 1 2/18/10 10:04:38 AM