This month’s spotlight shines on Braeden Rahn of Geoffrey W. White Law Corporation and Clark Wilson LLP.
How did you first get involved with CLEBC?
In 2019, one of the regular presenters for Advanced Wills and Estates for Paralegals was unable to present, so she reached out to me to take her place and present on the topics of Trust law and s. 58 curing applications. I have also been involved in writing the updates for the probate and administration chapters of the British Columbia Probate & Estate Practice Manual since 2016. My mentor, Geoffrey White, is an editor of that manual and encouraged me to get involved.
What are you currently working on (or have most recently worked on) with CLEBC?
I just presented on “Advanced Planning for Clients with Disabilities and Dementia” at Elder Law 2025 and am currently working on the 2026 updates for the probate and administration chapters of the Probate and Estate Administration Practice Manual. This was a busy year in which I presented at three CLEBC courses and co-chaired the Wills and Estates Basics for Paralegals course.
What made you decide to become a lawyer?
I have always been interested in the law, right back to my grade 3 mock trial. I obtained a paralegal diploma right after high school and worked as a paralegal at a boutique estates and trusts firm. After a while, the time seemed right to get through seven years of university and take my career to the next step. I chose to keep working as a paralegal while completing my undergraduate degree and my law degree, wanting to stay involved in the industry. I am now a lawyer with the same firm where I was hired as a paralegal almost 20 years ago. I am grateful to be part of a profession that really makes a difference for people.
Your practice includes both estate planning and estate litigation. Do you feel that you are more a solicitor or more a barrister at heart?
I find that a balanced estates practice is beneficial to both my work as a solicitor and as a litigator. Currently, most of my practice is estate litigation, but I expect that I will always continue to maintain a significant solicitor’s practice.
You worked as a designated paralegal for more than a decade before being called to the bar. How has that experience helped you in your law practice?
The paralegals really do the heavy lifting at any firm. Having that practical experience has been a huge benefit to my practice (you don’t really know probate procedure until you have filed 1,000 applications for probate). I would recommend that anyone who is thinking of becoming a lawyer should spend some time as a legal assistant or paralegal to decide if law is right for them. It is easy to tell which law students have law office experience and which ones do not. I found it very beneficial to have that practical experience to help ground the theory.
Other than law, what are you passionate about?
I like to travel and see new places (though I frequently end up seeking out law-related things to see). I also like to experience all that the Okanagan has to offer, including wine, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
What are you looking forward to most in 2026?
I will get in trouble if I say anything other than my wedding. I have the great fortune of getting married to an incredible person (and civil litigator) in 2026.