Entitled "Seeing the Need, Taking the Lead," the 7th National Pro Bono Conference will bring together lawyers, paralegals, law students, judges, politicians, government representatives, non-profit sector leaders, academics and the public from Canada, the US and abroad to share ideas and best practices for increasing access to justice for all members of society.

Over two days in downtown Vancouver BC, plenary and workshop participants will discuss new and different ways to identify and serve the unmet needs of people seeking timely and effective resolutions to their legal problems. Plenary and workshop topics will include: justice system reform, supporting self-represented litigants, serving Indigenous communities, unbundled legal services, reduced rate legal services, paralegal pro bono services, the politics of access to justice, and good corporate citizenry.

The Conference will also include a two-day 12 CPD hour Accessible Practice CLE stream on skills and resources relevant to legal practitioners seeking to provide pro bono or reduced rate legal services to increase access to justice. The CLE will provide cultural competency training, and will look at soft skills such as interviewing and problem solving for clients, as well as new skills and strategies for serving clients in under-served practice areas like family law and administrative law.

Confirmed Conference speakers include The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, Chief Justice of Canada, The Honourable Thomas Cromwell, former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and The Honourable David Eby QC, Attorney General of British Columbia.