This month’s spotlight shines on Richard Kurland of Kurland, Tobe.
How did you first get involved with CLEBC?
I went to a CLEBC lecture over a quarter century ago. That was the hook.
What are you currently working on (or have most recently worked on) with CLEBC?
The Federal Court Practice webinar on November 19, 2025, is an all-day event. We are looking at case volumes and trends; what we see daily and how to improve case efficiencies; best practices and how to make things better; the view from the Bench regarding Court efficiency, from Chief Justice Paul Crampton, who will have retired just a few weeks earlier; and best practices from the practice areas of immigration law, aboriginal law, intellectual property law, and maritime law. The focus is on the “practical.”
What inspired you to become a lawyer?
Survival. Not having math skills shut the door on most professions. There was no silver spoon or family business. I wanted a way of life, not a job. And, I enjoyed helping people, so “law it is.”
How did you decide to focus your practice on the area of immigration law?
As above. There were three areas of law for a sole practitioner: criminal, immigration, and intellectual property. Intellectual property was out, “no math.” I looked at the criminal law area, but in Montreal at the time, I saw that the very best in the field seemed to have a poor retirement path. Some had ‘lead poisoning,’ perhaps because the very best knew too much. That left immigration. There were no immigration courses at the time, so I became “self-taught” and did shift work at the McGill University legal aid clinic, under the supervision of a lawyer. By my last year in McGill, I had an immigration law book published by Carswell. Then, a short contract with the Immigration and Refugee Board, and I went on from there.
Other than law, what are you passionate about?
Don’t get me started. I am also a policy analyst, and “in the day” I was considered among the top five foreign policy “thinkers” in Canada. I enjoy trying to resolve geopolitical problems, short-term, and long-term.
If you weren’t a lawyer, what career path would you have chosen?
Serendipity would have made the choice. I am quite the happy camper, so it is likely that I would enjoy the journey, whatever path taken. You go around once, and every day is a gift.
What are you looking forward to most in 2026?
2027. 2026 is not going to be pleasant internationally. In Canada, things may become financially challenging for many families until Ottawa and Washington resolve some trade issues. The common ground on defence issues may be the saving grace.