Focus on role of law schools
LONDON – Pascale Daigneault, president of the Ontario Bar Association, took part in a symposium on access to justice held at the University of Western Ontario’s law school February 24.
The symposium was organized by Doug Ferguson, director of Community Legal Services at Western. Ferguson is a member of OBA Council.
The keynote speaker was Fred Headon, president of the Canadian Bar Association, who spoke about the CBA’s Report on Access to Justice and how it will impact law schools.
Daigneault participated in a panel discussion entitled “Legal education and access to justice: what should be the role of law schools?”
Other panelists included Chris Bentley, executive director of Ryerson University’s Law Practice Program and formerly Attorney General of Ontario, Margaret Capes, a lawyer at Community Legal Services, Nikki Gershbain, national director of Pro Bono Students Canada, Michael Lerner, a bencher of the Law Society of Upper Canada, and Bob Ward, chief executive of Legal Aid Ontario.
The panel was moderated by Erika Chamberlain, associate dean of Western’s law school.
Prior to the symposium, Daigneault attended an event marking the re-opening of the Community Legal Services, which provides free legal advice to people in the London community.