CLEBC - Courses On Demand

Immigration Issues in Depth 2024

Course Date: December 6, 2024

Full Course Materials

Total: 5h 30min

Total Ethics: 1h

Course Introduction and Land Acknowledgement (9:00 – 9:10)

Nadia Myerthall — Program Lawyer, CLEBC, Vancouver
Erica L.C. Louie — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Brett J. Nash — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Deanna L. Okun-Nachoff — McCrea Immigration Law LLP, Vancouver

Jurisprudence Update: Administrative and Immigration Law (9:10 – 10:40)

review of key Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada immigration, refugee and citizenship decisions in 2024
discussion of recent developments in other areas of the law that may impact immigration, refugee, and citizenship law practice
trends, highlights, and lowlights in recent jurisprudence, and what is expected in 2025

Mark Mancini — Assistant Professor, Thompson Rivers University, Faculty of Law, Kamloops
Johanna Russell — Legal Counsel, IRB, Vancouver
Zahida Shawkat — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
William Tao — Heron Law Offices, Vancouver

BREAK (10:40 – 10:55)

Federal Court Update (10:55 – 11:50)

the federal court and artificial intelligence: what do we need to know?
challenges created by unprecedented volumes of immigration litigation, including court initiatives to improve access to justice
recurring issues in federal court litigation

The Honourable Alan S. Diner — Federal Court, Ottawa
A. Connie Campbell — Edelman & Co. Law Offices, Vancouver
Dupe Oluyomi-Obasi — Department of Justice Canada, Toronto (virtual presentation)

NETWORKING LUNCH (provided to in-person registrants) (11:50 – 12:50)

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (12:50 – 1:50)

updates from the IRB

Preeti Adhopia — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Western Region, IRB, Calgary (virtual presentation)
Jody Brennan — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Alice Tang — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Linda Taylor — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver

How to Run a Viable Litigation Practice (1:50 – 2:50)

how to "manage the back end" of your practice—so you can continue doing the work you believe in (yes—even the legal aid files!)
building a balanced practice that leverages profitable work to "subsidize" pro and low-bono files
tech (or other) tools to facilitate faster and more effective research—including tips for cataloguing materials for maximum searchability
tips to avoid burn-out and to identify/managing burn-out among staff
challenges for new lawyers seeking to break into this area of practice
mentoring junior litigators: best and worst practices

Laura A. Best — Laura Best Immigration Law, Toronto (virtual presentation)
Sadaf Kashfi — DMF Law, Vancouver
Claire L. Marchant — Director, Policy & Practice, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Rose Morgan — Articled Student, Law Society of BC, Vancouver

BREAK (2:50 – 3:05)

Representing Vulnerable Clients before the IRB (3:05 – 3:55)

practice tips for leveraging Chairperson's Guidelines 4, 8 and 9
a "how to" on client-centred and collaborative advocacy, with an emphasis on
- unique issues for refugee claims on SOGIESC grounds
- trauma-informed lawyering best practices and special accommodation options for complex hearings

Antoine Collins — Coordinating Member, Refugee Protection Division, Quality Centre, IRB, Ottawa (virtual presentation)
Sharalyn Jordan — Associate Professor, Counselling Psychology and Equity Studies in Education, SFU, Burnaby
Kamaljit K. Lehal — Lehal Law Corporation, Delta

Closing Remarks (3:55 – 4:00)

Erica L.C. Louie — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Brett J. Nash — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Deanna L. Okun-Nachoff — McCrea Immigration Law LLP, Vancouver