Upcoming webinars:
Criminal Defence Advocacy Society - AI in Criminal Practice: Duties, Dangers and Future Directions
Presenters:
Mister Justice David M. Masuhara, BC Supreme Court, Nadia Rowe, Practice Advisor, Law Society of BC, Gloria Ng, President of the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society, Professor Robert Diab, Faculty of Law, Thompson Rivers University and host Andrea Spence, Professional Development Crown Counsel, BC Prosecution Service.
Description:
The Courthouse Libraries BC is proud to support the Criminal Defense Advocacy Society (CDAS) in presenting: AI in Criminal Practice: Duties, Dangers and Future Directions
This webinar will review your professional obligations when using AI, including how different systems affect client confidentiality and obligations with disclosure materials, as well as address key risks such as hallucinations. It will also provide practical guidance on developing and implementing an AI policy in your workplace. Participants will hear a view from the bench and learn about current AI tools, along with predictions of how AI may transform criminal law practice—from case analysis to courtroom transcripts—in the years ahead.
Participants may claim up to 1.25 hours of CPD with LSBC.
Time and date:
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2025 12:45 PM to 2:00 PM
To register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_zx4meJLPRP2EsuO3gfOImQ
Advising Complainants on Civil Sexual Assault Tort Claim
Presenter:
Morgyn Chandler, Managing Partner, Hammerco Lawyers LLP
Description:
The Courthouse Libraries BC is proud to support Community Legal Assistance Society BC – SHARP and Stand Informed Legal Advice Services: Advising Complainants on Civil Sexual Assault Tort Claims.
Complainants of sexual assault face a daunting process when pursuing tort claims for sexual assault, including if it happens in the workplace context. This presentation will provide the challenges and benefits of pursuing a civil sexual assault claim, and issues to consider when advising a complainant of sexual assault. In this presentation, Morgyn Chandler will discuss understanding and assessing a civil sexual assault claim, recent trends in damages and causes of action, evidentiary issues, and privacy considerations. She will also highlight practical tips in working with and supporting clients through the process.
Participants in this presentation may claim up to 1.5 hours of CPD credit
Date and time:
Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
To register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wBcHygPUS7iv6t9N2uAmEQ
Rethinking the Constitutionality of Life Sentences for Youth
Presenter:
Debra Parkes is a Professor and Chair in Feminist Legal Studies at the Allard School of Law, UBC, where she teaches Constitutional Law, Penal Policy, and Women, Law & Social Change.
Description:
The Courthouse Libraries BC is proud to support the Criminal Defense Advocacy Society (CDAS) in presenting: Rethinking the Constitutionality of Life Sentences for Youth.
The life sentence is an extraordinary sentence that has become normalized within Canadian legal, social, and political discourse, even when applied to young people whose diminished moral responsibility is constitutionally recognized. In this talk, Professor Parkes will argue that it is time to revisit and fundamentally rethink the constitutionality of imposing life sentences on youth. Drawing on the 2025 decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in R v I.M., she will discuss relevant constitutional principles and demonstrate how such sentences perpetuate harm and undermine stated penal objectives.
The talk will highlight the particular vulnerabilities of youth and the enduring nature of the life sentence. Even where parole is granted, individuals sentenced as youth remain under the weight of the sentence for life, either in prison or constrained by ongoing supervision and the perpetual threat (and reality) of re-incarceration. These harms have never been meaningfully measured against the stated objectives of lifelong punishment and relevant constitutional principles. Professor Parkes contends that genuine compliance with these principles requires a constitutional re-examination of life sentences for youth and a broader reconsideration of the place of the life sentence in Canadian law.
Participants may claim 1.5 CPD credits.
Date and time:
Wednesday, December 10th, 2025 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM
To register:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UDwdXeoETa6ClT_DdfUj4A
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More CPD opportunities
Archived webinars
Archived webinars are organized by topic. If you plan to review a previously recorded course for CPD credit, it is your responsibility to ensure that your review of the course meets the Law Society of BC's Eligible Activities for continuing professional development.
Legal research course
This course, which is eligible for CPD credit, is a series of videos that demonstrate how to plan a research strategy and employ specific research skills. In the videos we show you how to use popular legal research tools that are free (CanLII) or that you can use for free at the BC Courthouse Libraries.
Take the course (including self-assessment quiz questions) through the Law Society's Brightspace platform.