Canadian Lawyer

{Q&A} with Robert Brun on board to the Canadian Bar Association, you go through several phases and have the opportunity to get a feel for what will be required of you. The CBA has an excellent group of staff and leaders, so that takes away from the feeling of intimidation a bit, but, of course, it's still there, particularly when you realize how involved the association is with issues like access to justice, legal aid, and civil justice. It's a good thing I've had some time to get used to it all! Q: You've been president of the B.C. branch of the CBA. How has that prepared you for this role? Do you plan to do anything differently? A: I very much enjoyed my role as president of the B.C. branch. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Canadian, and I enjoy all parts of Canada, so it was very much a natural progression. In that role, I looked at what was in the best interest of B.C. members, but, now, of course, I'll be looking at what's best for each branch nationally. So, I don't think I'll be doing anything different really. I think it's more about having a different perspective. A familiar face from the West BY KENDYL SEBESTA 2003 and second vice president of the association in 2010. Prior to that, he was elected as a member of the provincial council of the CBA in 1997. So it's no surprise that the self- described "dyed-in-the-wool Canadian" would find him- self helming the national bar association as its president this month. The only question is what will Brun do next? Canadian Lawyer chatted with Brun to find out. A look at Robert Brun's career path couldn't be more telling. The founding partner of Vancouver-based firm Harris & Brun was named president of the British Columbia branch of the Canadian Bar Association in Q: How does it feel to be at the helm of the organization responsible for being the voice of Canadian lawyers? A: The responsibility is pretty daunting. As you start to come the middle class. While we're still determining many of the details and can't give many specifics at this point, I can say it will also look at ways to increase access to justice. Q: Using that national perspective, what do you think Canadian lawyers are most concerned about in the year ahead and what are your priorities? A: I think access to justice is a fundamental issue for Canadians and remains a top concern. I think every lawyer enters their practice wanting to ensure people are able to access justice. So, we'll be rolling out a new initiative to address that issue. It will be comprehensive and multifaceted and will look at legal aid and affordable legal services for Q: Lastly, what do you think the CBA could do better? A: The Canadian Bar Association is a remarkable organiza- tion and it's one I'm very happy to lead. But, that being said, there is always room for improvement. Like any organiza- tion, the CBA has to move forward and evolve. In the 35 years or so that I've been a lawyer — if I'm calculating that correctly! — the profession has changed dramatically in the types of technologies that we use. I think the association has to evolve technically too to serve its members. That's one of the daunting things. The organization is doing so much and is growing so much, it's daunting to try and get a handle on it all. But, it also shows that it's becoming more and more remarkable. www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com A U GUST 2012 41

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