Over four decades, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (CLA) has lobbied the government for increased legal aid funding, stood up for the wrongfully convicted and appeared before Parliament to critique new legislation.
And next month, the organization will celebrate that legacy at the 2014 Past Presidents Gala, a big bash at the Ritz-Carlton.
“This is the first time in our history that we’ve thrown an event like this, where we look back and celebrate our achievements,” says defence lawyer Daniel Brown, a director at the CLA. Indeed, more than 400 guests — defence lawyers, prosecutors and judges alike — are set to attend the event on October 29.
The keynote speaker will be Edward Greenspan, perhaps the country’s best-known criminal defence lawyer.
“He’s a perfect example of someone who gives tirelessly to the criminal defence bar and to the public,” says Brown. He recalls how, before the 1987 vote in the House of Commons to re-institute the death penalty, Greenspan took a year off work and went on a high-profile, cross-country speaking tour to condemn the bill.
The gala, Brown explains, is also an opportunity to fundraise for future initiatives.
“We’re coming up to another round of negotiations with Legal Aid Ontario, where we want to ensure that legal aid is properly funded,” he says, adding that Legal Aid continues to fund fewer cases and to reduce the value of legal aid certificates.
Since he started practising a decade ago, Brown says far more people represent themselves or plead guilty because legal aid no longer funds their cases. As it stands today, a single person making more than $10,800 per year will not qualify for a legal aid certificate in Ontario.
In that sense, he says, the gala is also a “rally call” for the hard work that lies ahead.
Legal aid, he adds, has historically provided an income base for young lawyers trying to break into the world of criminal law. But these days, with funding drying up, “senior lawyers are doing well and the junior lawyers are struggling.”
With that in mind, the CLA has set aside 40 free tickets to the gala for young defence lawyers — those called to the bar less than five years ago — who otherwise might not be able to attend.
Brown says the CLA wants to ensure recent calls have a chance to network with senior members of the bar and interact with judges. To request a free ticket to the gala, email the executive director of the CLA, Anthony Laycock.
Other tickets to the event are still on sale at the CLA website.