Original course: Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Time: 12:00 Noon - 1:00 pm
Online rebroadcast: Friday, March 30, 2012
Time: 12:00 Noon – 1:00 pm
Who should attend: Lawyers and legal support staff who have elderly clients and clients with disabilities or other barriers to communication.
Learning level: Fundamental
Improve your communication and make your legal services more accessible
How many clients have you lost due to a lack of effective communication? Aging, hearing loss, visual impairments, illiteracy, and ESL are all barriers to communication and you may not realize their impact and your legal and professional responsibilities.
- Do you know your responsibilities according to the Law Society?
- What other legislation requires that your legal services be accessible to clients with disabilities?
- Will those responsibilities be increasing?
- How can you identify when there is a communication problem?
- What are the communication problems you are likely to have in your practice?
- What are the best ways to enhance communication in your office and on the Internet?
- How do you ensure communication access for your clients during court and tribunal hearings?
- What should you do if you discover a communication problem that is not easily dealt with?
Hear from Marla Gilsig, an experienced lawyer who has a hearing loss and understands the disability culture. She will help you improve your practice by sharing her expertise in working with clients who have disabilities that affect communication. You will receive useful resources and links.
Law Society of BC CPD Hours: 1 hour which will involve aspects of professional responsibility and ethics, client care and relations, and/or practice management.
This program has been accredited by the Law Society of Upper Canada for 1 Professionalism Hour.
This program has been accredited by the Law Society of Upper Canada for 1 New Member CPD Hour.
Registration will include reference materials. Note: You will receive an email with a link to the online version of the materials approximately one day before the course.
Faculty
Marla B. Gilsig — Barrister & Solicitor, Vancouver
Dianne Wintermute — Staff Lawyer, ARCH Disability Law Centre, Toronto
CLEBC Program Lawyer
Meredith Woods
mwoods@cle.bc.ca