Recognition

Dale Darychuk is an oldtimer 25-year call in a civil litigation practice with Kerry Deane-Cloutier in Port Coquitlam.  He draws his inspiration for pro bono work from the late Dugald Christie.  In January 2007, Dale approached the Administrative Judge and the Small Claims Registrar in Port Coquitlam about providing pro bono duty counsel in Small Claims Chambers which runs two days per month.  Encouraged by their support, the program has been running ever since.  With many individual lawyers contributing their time to this project, the local bar has been able to provide a lawyer for each and every Chambers date since January 2007.  The judges have expressed their appreciation along with the court staff for the free legal advice, and the clients have nothing but praise and gratitude for this initiative.

Dugald Christie’s cross-Canada bike ride for better access to justice ended with his untimely death on July 31, 2006.  With each effort by lawyers doing pro bono work,  Dugald’s memory is honoured and access to justice is enhanced.  Dale and Bibhas Vaze are planning to complete Dugald’s bike ride on its fifth anniversary in 2011.  The goal will be to gather support and interest from across Canada for pro bono work and to recognize a legal pioneer.  Dale would love to hear from anybody who is interested in this project.

Dale and his lovely wife Tracy live in New Westminster. They have three daughters, three dogs and two cats.  In his spare time, Dale is completing his Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies at SFU.

Shannon Salter is a litigation associate with Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy LLP in Vancouver where she practices primarily in the areas of complex civil litigation, as well as administrative and criminal law.  With the encouragement and support of Farris through its pro bono program, Shannon has taken on a number of pro bono files since she was called to the bar in 2007.  She recently assisted a single mother facing a petition for her immediate eviction from a housing cooperative by negotiating a settlement with the cooperative, including the withdrawal of the court action, which allowed the client and her child to remain in their home.  She has also recently represented a client through numerous criminal applications, including a successful bail review at the B.C. Supreme Court, which reversed the Provincial Court decision and ordered the client released from jail pending his trial.

Shannon has volunteered with the Law Courts Education Society and the UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program and has taken on pro bono files for the Salvation Army Pro Bono Program and Pro Bono Law of BC's Civil Chambers Pro Bono Duty Counsel Project.  She is also a volunteer reader with the Queen Alexandra Elementary Reading Program. 

Shannon attended law school at the University of British Columbia, after which she completed a clerkship with the British Columbia Supreme Court.  In the course of the clerkship she observed the significant barriers to access to justice faced by those who cannot afford legal counsel, and was motivated to dedicate part of her practice to pro bono cases.

Roy Millen is a partner  at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP in Vancouver.  He has broad experience in commercial, aboriginal and trade litigation, as well as constitutional, municipal, administrative and criminal matters.   Roy has taken on a number of pro bono files.  In 2006, Roy successfully assisted his client in obtaining an order appointing him and a family friend as committee for the estate of the client's injured wife, in the aftermath of a devastating car accident; reasons at http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/sc/06/08/2006bcsc0802err1.htm. 

Most recently, Roy appeared before the B.C. Court of Appeal concerning an action on a monetary judgment against his client, by which the creditor had effectively renewed the limitation period for a further 10 years.  While the appeal was unsuccessful on its facts (reasons at http://www.courts.gov.bc.ca/jdb-txt/ca/07/05/2007bcca0551.htm), the Court of Appeal clarified this rarely-considered area of the law.

Along with court matters, Roy provides pro bono legal advice for clients of Access Justice at its courthouse clinic, and is a member of the National Pro Bono Law Committee of the Canadian Bar Association.  Outside the legal profession, Roy is a Big Brother and a competitive runner, and has been involved at various levels with the charitable society BEST (Better Environmentally Sound Transportation). For his extensive community service and charitable work, Roy was awarded the 2006 Blakes Volunteer of Distinction Award.

Brent Olthuis is an associate with Hunter Litigation Chambers in Vancouver. Recently, Brent provided pro bono representation on a judicial review of a Residential Tenancy Act decision in respect of an artist's live-work studio.   The dispute resolution officer declined to hear the tenant's complaint, concerning a rent increase substantially in excess of what is permitted under the Act, ruling that the tenant occupied the studio primarily for business purposes and that the Act did not apply.   Brent continues to represent the tenant in the B.C. Court of Appeal.

Brent grew up in Kamloops and while watching an NHL game cannot help identifying all the ex-Blazers.  After finishing his law degree at McGill, he clerked for the Court of Appeal for Ontario and Mr. Justice Iacobucci at the Supreme Court of Canada.  His practice at Hunter Litigation Chambers is primarily administrative, civil, and constitutional, but also includes criminal appellate matters.

July 2007:

Shabnum Durrani is a lawyer with Pivot Legal LLP, the social enterprise venture of Pivot Legal Society.  A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Shabnum practiced securities and general corporate law with national firms in Toronto and Calgary before joining Pivot.  She currently maintains a general solicitor’s practice with a focus on business law.  Shabnum assists non-profit organizations through Pro Bono Law of BC’s Solicitors' Program.

In addition to pro bono work, Shabnum is in the process of setting up a pro bono program in the Lower Mainland to help female survivors of violence with their legal matters.  She volunteers with AIDS Vancouver and sits on the boards of the Inner-City Women’s Initiatives Society and the Vancouver AIDS Memorial Society. 

Robin Gage is an associate at Underhill, Faulkner, Boies Parker in Victoria.  Robin is currently providing pro bono legal assistance to a visually impaired inmate at a federal prison who has been denied access to assistive technologies aimed at accommodating his disability.  Robin participated in a Pro Bono Law of BC non-profit law seminar providing legal information to the non-profit community in Victoria.  She also volunteers with West Cost Environmental Law by providing representation in important environmental cases. 

Robin grew up in Victoria and has been involved in the community for many years.  She is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors of Capital Families Association, a non-profit society which provides a variety of services to people of all ages in the West Shore area of Victoria.  After graduating from UBC Faculty of Law in 2001 and clerking with the British Columbia Supreme Court in Vancouver, Robin Gage was called to the Bar of British Columbia in 2003.  She practices part-time in a variety of areas of litigation, but has a particular focus on administrative, environmental, and human rights/constitutional law. 

Ryan Parsons  is an associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP (BLG) in Vancouver.  In early January 2007, Ryan provided pro bono representation on appeal for a tenant facing eviction proceedings for non-payment of rent.  An arbitrator ordered the tenant to vacate her social housing accommodation.  The Supreme Court of British Columbia dismissed the tenant's judicial review application.  The Court of Appeal for British Columbia allowed the tenant's appeal, granting her relief from forfeiture, and remitted the matter to the arbitrator for a new hearing.  The judgment is viewable here.

At BLG, Ryan's litigation practice focuses on general commercial and insurance litigation, with an emphasis on civil appeals.  Ryan also assists Angus M. Gunn Jr. of BLG in coordinating PBLBC's Judicial Review Program and Federal Court of Appeal Program.

Louise Kim is an associate at Edwards, Kenny & Bray LLP.  Over the past year, Louise has provided pro bono representation to dozens of tenants of a Richmond apartment complex. The landlord issued eviction notices to the tenants claiming that their rental units required vacant possession due to renovations.  Louise succeeded in defending the tenants' case at arbitration and in the B.C. Supreme Court.  The judgment is viewable here.

The landlord has since appealed the B.C. Supreme Court decision, and Louise is now representing the tenants pro bono in the B.C. Court Appeal.  In all, Louise has provided well over a hundred hours of pro bono legal services in support of the tenants' fight to remain in their homes. 

At Edwards Kenny Bray, Louise's litigation practice otherwise focuses on contract disputes, employment law, family law and general civil litigation matters.  Louise was also elected as Treasurer of the Civil Litigation Canadian Bar Association Subsection.

David Miles is a two-year call  with a general solicitor's practice at Pushor Mitchell LLP.  He volunteers at a Salvation Army pro bono clinic, assists non-profit organizations through the PBLBC Solicitors’ Program, and is helping to set up the PBLBC Non-Profit Law Seminar in Kelowna.

Mr. Miles' dedication to community service extends far beyond pro bono, as he devotes time to being a Big Brother and a Director and Vice President of the Crossroads Treatment Centre Society.  In his spare time, he helps to organize, in addition to training for, the Kelowna Apple Triathlon.  He is also an ardent supporter of the Vancouver Canucks.

July 2006:

Jaime Mellott is a relatively new call to the British Columbia Bar. Currently, she divides her time between beautiful Pender Island, where she works with a small theatre and music society, and Vancouver, where she is building a practice in art and non-profit law and volunteering with Pro Bono Law of BC’s Solicitors’ Program.

Jaime is a founding partner of the Artists’ Legal Outreach (“ALO”), a legal information and resource clinic for artists. Upon its launch in September 2006, the ALO will provide free and low cost workshops, information services and advice to artists living and working in British Columbia. Jaime’s interest in the arts began as a (very) amateur actor in Edmonton and continues with her firm belief that artists are essential to the health of our community.

March 2006: