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Equality, Diversity, and Inclusiveness in the Legal Profession
Wednesday 25 May 2022, 06:00pm - 07:15pm
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Language:English

Description:

The Young Lawyers Committee of the CBA has recently conducted a wide survey among young lawyers, the findings of which evidence that equality and non-discrimination are pressing matters among the young lawyers’ community in Cyprus. As part of the Committee’s action plan in this respect, and with the endorsement from the Council of the Cyprus Bar Association which has set the matter as a priority, the Committee decided to proceed with the organisation of this seminar, to give our members the opportunity to learn about equality issues, the evolution of the modern policies, to hear and be informed on the way other organizations abroad deal with and alleviate similar or identical problems related to gender discrimination, equality, diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace, the strategies that they had established as well as the policies they follow and as such, how they managed to achieve equal pay, diversity and inclusiveness.

 

*The event is in collaboration with the Nicosia Bar Association – Committee of Equality.

Programme:

 

18:00 – 18:05

Welcomingnoteby the Moderator, Ms Georgia Stephanou Advocate and member of Nicosia Bar Association

 

18:05-18:15

Introduction by the President of Young Lawyers Committee, Ms Georgia Constantinou Panayiotou

 

18:15-18:30

Equality: The Norwegian Bar Association case by Ms Merete Smith, Chair of CEEBA and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Bar Association

 

18:30-18:45

How the Law Society’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee deals with the matterby Professor Sara Chandler Chair Law Society’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee

 

18:45-19:15:Q&A and closing remarks

 

Moderator:Ms Georgia Stephanou Advocate and member of Nicosia Bar Association

 

Verified CPD: 1 – CBA will upload the CPD units following the completion of the event to those who attended the entire event.

 

To register click on the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwc8dBwSOaqu_hzJCXdNQaizCk9bcZpwx_pHIdDpPGB4l_2g/viewform

Deadline: Monday 23rd of May 2022

After the deadline, the link to join the webinar will be sent to your email. Please note that due to limited availability, the applicable method of selection will be based on “first come first serve” rule.

 

The Guest Speakers:

Ms Merete Smith:

Merete Smith has been Secretary General of the Norwegian Bar Association since 2003. She has a law degree from University of Oslo, and an LL.M. from Georgetown University in Washington DC. She has experience as an associate in a corporate law firm and from the Ministry of Justice in Norway. She has been an assistance judge in Asker og Bærum District court and a judge at Borgarting Appeal Court in Oslo. She has been Head of the Board of The National Theatre in Norway, she Co-chairs The Bar Executives Committee in the IBA and she is head of CEEBA (Chief Executives of European Bar Associations).

Professor Sara Chandler:

Sara is a solicitor in London South Bank University’s Legal Advice Clinic, and was a Council Member of the Law Society of England & Wales (LSEW), representing solicitors in the voluntary sector. From 2002 to 2021. She is also active in local law societies and is Past President of Westminster & Holborn Law Society and Past President of South London Law Society. She was Chair of the Law Society’s Human Rights Committee from 2011 to 2015 and continues as an active member with particular responsibility for Colombia.

Sara has a background in free legal services having worked for 15 years in Law Centres, 5 years in legal aid firms, 9 years in the University of Law Legal Advice Centre, and joined London South Bank University in 2012. Her work in the Legal Advice Clinic involves training and supervising law students to give free legal services to members of the public.

In 2016 Sara was made Honorary QC for her work in human rights, pro bono and clinical legal education. During 2003 to 2012 Sara worked pro bono in training programmes of the Law Society of England & Wales with the legal professions of Nigeria, Uganda, Zambia and the Eastern Caribbean on access to justice, promoting legal aid schemes and free legal services.

In 19971-72 Sara was a postgraduate student in Chile, studying land tenure and agrarian reform. When the military coup of 1973 happened, Sara was in the UK and joined others to form a human  rights committee. From 1974 to 1980 she worked in the Chilean Refugee Programme.  From 1982 to 92 she worked in North Lewisham Law Centre as a welfare rights worker in one of the poorest inner city areas of London. In 1995 she qualified as a solicitor, working in a legal aid firm assisting homeless people as a solicitor specialising in Housing Law.

 Sara has been a member of the Human Rights Commission of the Federation of European Bars (FBE) since 2006, and in 2011 she became President of the Human Rights Commission of the until 2015, when she joined the FBE Presidency. She remains an active member and is currently the Secretary to the Commission.

In 2017 she became the first female President of the European Bars Federation (FBE), Sara is a member of the Law Society’s Women in Law Core Group, and campaigns for Women in Leadership in the Law. Since 2018 she has been the Chair Law Society’s Equality Diversity and Inclusion Committee and is working to achieve a more diverse and inclusive legal profession.