Equity and Diversity Committee Seeks Input

April 18, 2018

By Kara-Dawn Jordan
Policy Counsel, Law Society of Saskatchewan

In 2017, the Law Society of Saskatchewan re-established its Equity and Diversity Committee. The purposes of the committee are to monitor developments and advise the Benchers on issues affecting equity and diversity in the legal profession; explore and recommend equity and diversity actions/initiatives; and recommend and support ongoing education and awareness training for members of the profession.

Over the last year, the committee’s focus has been on enhancing its understanding of the makeup of our membership as well as the equity and diversity issues affecting the legal profession in Saskatchewan and society generally. To that end, the committee has sought (and continues to seek) the input of various individuals and groups willing to share their experiences and perspectives. This input will inform the committee’s recommendations for action.

The committee is interested in hearing from any members who have personal experiences they are willing to share regarding barriers they have faced either entering the profession or practicing in Saskatchewan. Anyone interested may contact Ronni Nordal (Chair of the Equity and Diversity Committee) ronni@nordalleblanc.ca or Barbra Bailey (Policy Counsel) barbra.bailey@lawsociety.sk.ca, in confidence, to discuss how their experiences might best be communicated to the committee.

In order to enhance awareness and encourage dialogue among the membership about equity and diversity issues, the Law Society will look for opportunities to share the experiences and insights of our members and to focus on topics relating to equity and diversity. As such, we would like to thank Lola Ayotunde for submitting the following article (to be posted on Legal Sourcery tomorrow) sharing her experience and perspectives gained as an Internationally Trained Lawyer entering the profession in Saskatchewan.

 

Originally published in Benchers’ Digest, Spring 2018