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EDITOR'S DESK BY GAIL J. COHEN A world of possibilities story, "Fighting for independence." All I can say is that it has not been pretty, but at the end of the day, here's hoping that corporate counsel end up benefiting from it. The number and importance of corporate and in-house counsel has been steadily I increasing in Canada over the past decade. Whereas their numbers have been increas- ing rapidly, services for them through professional associations have not really kept pace. The Canadian Corporate Counsel Association has been around for some time and in the last few years has increased its offerings to members in the form of both continuing legal education and conferences. For many years it was the only game in town, however, the U.S.-based Association of Corporate Counsel has stepped up its efforts to recruit Canadian in-house lawyers and within the past few years has launched chapters in Ontario and Quebec with a recent announcement that it'll be pushing for a few more. Law firms, partially in their own interests, have also started offering CLE programs (usually for free) to both current and potential clients. The professional development front is covered. What there isn't much of is other types of offerings, such as research, networking, etc. There is the annual CCCA Barometer Survey and the occasional salary survey, but beyond that, not much. Look at what the ACC does. It started the whole value-billing campaign, and it conducts all manner of research and other outreach. Another U.S. group, The Minority Corporate Counsel Association, does a tremendous amount of research, it works with law schools, with in-house legal departments, and with law firms to push innovation, diversity, inclusion, and more. They are very active and focused on the needs of corporate counsel. The CCCA has the chance for a new lease on life but it needs to get better at what it does. It needs to offer more and do things differently in order to meet the needs of the burgeoning number of in-house lawyers in Canada. Already under its new leader- ship, the CCCA has been given more funds by the CBA, but with so many in-house lawyers at odds with recent events, there's a good chance a new association will pop up and, already, the ACC has made it clear it's out to get even more Canadian members. It would seem, then, that no matter what, all this competition can only be good news in terms of services for in-house counsel. — gail.cohen@thomsonreuters.com Group Publisher: Karen Lorimer Editorial Director: Gail J. Cohen Staff Writer: Robert Todd Copy Editor: Heather Gardiner Art Director: Bill Hunter Account Co-ordinator: Catherine Giles Contributors: Jean Sorensen, donalee Moulton, Diane Cook, Kathryn Leger, Andi Balla Canadian Lawyer is published 11 times a year by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd., 240 Edward St., Aurora, Ont. L4G 3S9 (905) 841-6480 Fax: (905) 727-0017. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information pre- sented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Canadian Lawyer disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. 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Outside Canada 1 year print & digital US$94.50, 1 year digital only US$40. Student rate 1 year print and digital $36 plus HST, 1 year digital only $20 plus HST. For all circulation inquiries and address changes send a copy of your mailing label or labels along with your request in writing to Canadian Lawyer , 240 Edward Street, Aurora, ON, L4G 3S9 Making Rain Executive coach Debra Forman's video column on career and business development. May 30 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com M AY 2011 3 'm not going to opine about who was wrong or right in the conflagration between the Canadian Bar Association and the former board and executive direc- tor of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, the topic of this month's cover THIS MONTH EXCLUSIVELY ON CANADIAN Lawye rmag.com Trials & Tribulations Margaret Waddell ruminates on issues of import and interest to litigators. May 9 Human Rights . . . Here & Th ere University of Ottawa law school's Sonya Nigam's column on human rights and international law. May 9 Career Path Guest columnist André Bacchus shares his perspective on what associates should be doing to "get ahead" in their careers. May 9 Defi nitely Mabey Stephen Mabey examines the thorny issues facing law fi rm management. May 16 Th e IT Girl Sarah Dale-Harris takes a wry look at the intersection of technology and the law. May 16 Law Library Reviews of books — and more — of a legal nature from Damian Penny. May 16 Th e Immigration Line Jennifer Nees lets readers know what's on the mind of the immigra- tion bar. May 23 Arguably the Best Bennett Jones' Jeff rey Leon discusses motion advocacy in the fi fth instal- ment of our online litigation skills series. May 23