Equity/Diversity Policies

Equity / Diversity Policies

INTRODUCTION

The Equity/Diversity Committee is a standing Committee of The Law Society of Saskatchewan established in 1992. Pursuant to the development of a strategic plan in 1998, the mandate of the Committee is as follows:

The Committee shall assist the Law Society in providing leadership and acting as a role model for the legal profession and the public on equity/diversity matters by:

(a) developing and overseeing the effective implementation of equity/diversity programs for the legal profession;

(b) reviewing and revising all policies/practices of the Law Society to ensure all systemic barriers are removed and the vision of an equitable, diversified legal profession free of disadvantages is realized;

(d) developing and implementing effective incentives for firms who implement equity/diversity programs;

(e) providing information/education to members of the legal profession on issues pertaining to equity and diversity;

(f) developing methods of identifying and resolving equity/diversity complaints within law firms and the Law Society that members are willing to utilize and are non-punitive in nature;

(g) researching this issue and determining best equity/diversity practices in other industries/professions; and

(h) reporting to the membership regularly, raising awareness and providing ongoing information.

Membership in the Committee consists of Lay Benchers, elected Benchers and members of the Judiciary.

The work of the Committee has been reflected in various activities:

Policy Adoption and Encouragement of Use of Practices by Members
The Committee has overseen the adoption by the Benchers of various policies, including gender neutral language, interviews, parental leave, alternate work arrangements and sexual harassment. These policies were approved by the Benchers and circulated to the membership for adoption and implementation by individual firms and law offices. Working with the CBA and Department of Justice, the Committee has been active in developing policy on government contracting work.
Training/Information Sharing
The Committee has been active in coordinating training and information sharing presentations for members. For example, in 1996, the Committee co-hosted a gender equity luncheon held in both Regina and Saskatoon. The title of the presentation was “Practice makes perfect gender equity in the law office”. The Vice-President of the Royal Bank of Canada addressed the 2000 Annual Meeting on the equity initiatives undertaken by the Bank which resulted in increased business and profits.
Future projects of the Committee include planning and presenting training and information sessions for the members; and creating the position of equity officer. The challenges for the committee involve encouraging members to implement the policies adopted by the Benchers, thus ensuring, an equitable profession. The Committee must also encourage the development of practices to ensure equal opportunities within the profession for all members regardless of race. Given the current population of the province, the Committee must ensure that opportunities exist for First Nations lawyers. Training and information sharing for the membership must recognize this need as well.