Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 7 L awyers and law firms in Nova Scotia looking to become more diverse and inclusive can now look to a special online portal developed by the provincial law society. The initiative, perhaps the first in the country, reflects one of the key regulatory objectives of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society: to promote diversity, inclusion, substantive equality, and freedom from discrimination in the delivery of legal services and the justice system. The intent is twofold, explains NSBS President Jill Perry. First, the legal profession should mirror the population it lives and works in. Second, lawyers need to be culturally competent. They need to understand how to work with and repre- sent people from different backgrounds. Becoming both culturally competent and embracing diversity may be new for many lawyers. Its promotion and support is cer- tainly new for a regulator in Canada, says Perry. "We are leading the way." That leadership has its historical roots in the wrongful conviction of Mi'kmaq native Donald Marshall, Jr., and the Royal Commission report that followed call- ing for substantive changes to the justice system. More recently, the provincial law society has been compelled to act and have its efforts reaffirmed by the findings of the Truth and Reconciliation Commis- sion of Canada, which is urging law soci- eties across the country to take action to ensure lawyers are culturally competent. The NSBS' new portal, Developing an equity strategy in your legal workplace, is a step in that direction. From concept to reality, the portal has taken approximately two years to complete. Online, lawyers will find four resource sections including information about employment equity and cultural competence. These are complemented by a resource library and assessment material that pro- vides human resource and First Nations toolkits offering insight into everything from hiring an employee to planning a culturally appropriate event. "The self- assessment tools [help you] to gain insight into your own performance," notes Perry. In addition to practical information, there is also personal insight. The portal includes a growing collection of videos that lawyers can access to examine diver- sity and cultural competence. "The video series is meant to provide people with tools and alert them to the importance of these issues," says Perry. "There is spe- cific and concrete information to help them fill in gaps in their knowledge." While lawyers across Nova Sco- tia, and beyond for that matter, can easily access the equity portal, it is anticipated the resources may be most beneficial to those in rural communi- ties where it can be more difficult to attend seminars, workshops, and otherwise access information first-hand. The equity portal is a reflec- tion of a new way of working for the NSBS, which is adopting a "triple P" approach to regulation that calls for it to be proactive, principled, and proportion- ate. This new way of working, and think- ing, is part of the society's larger move to entity regulation, which is well underway. — DONALEE MOULTON donalee@quantumcommunications.ca REGIONAL WRAP-UP AT L A N T I C \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T The NSBS' new portal, Developing an equity strategy in your legal workplace, is at tinyurl.com/nsbsportal. LONG-TERM PLAN FOR PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDED: REPORT E fforts to enhance community safety in Newfoundland and Labrador may take a back seat in the wake of a provincial election that saw the Liberals defeat the reigning Progressive Conservative government and take a com- manding majority of the legislature, winning 31 of the 40 seats. A report commissioned by the former premier, Paul Davis, may get lost in the shuffle. It is unclear what commitment new Premier Dwight Ball will have to the 103- page report released by the Premier's Advisory Council on Crime and Commu- nity Safety late last year. That report calls for the development of a long-term plan that looks at community safety and crime prevention from three perspectives: prevention, crisis response, and long-term strategies and supports. Continued on page 8 New portal helps lawyers enhance cultural competence The portal incudes educational videos on diversity and cultural competence.

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