Welcome to OBA’s Annual Institute, Canada’s premier CLE event. This year – our 33rd – we’re delivering current updates, best practices and key strategies in 20 different practice areas. Whether you are a litigator or a solicitor, a sole practitioner or in a large firm, from the GTA or the farthest regions of the province, attending the Institute this year will give you practical knowledge and skills you can use in your everyday practice to improve your service to clients and your own bottom line.

Here are just some of the highlights for 2008:

• The Hon. Chris Bentley, Attorney General of Ontario, and the Hon. Warren Winkler, Chief Justice of Ontario, present keynote addresses at Institute lunches on February 4 and 5 respectively.
• Administrative – The chair or vice-chair of three tribunals discuss practice and procedure plus more strategic issues with noted practitioners.
• ADR – The Hon. Bob Rae, P.C., O.C., O.Ont. and the Hon. Douglas Lissaman moderate panels on mediation and pre-trial practical tips and strategies.
• Civil Litigation – Justices Perell, Gans, Pepall, Wilton-Siegel, Himel, Moldaver, Feldman and Cronk engage with practitioners on winning advocacy techniques and strategies.
• Criminal – Defence, Crown and judicial perspectives on the art of cross-examination, with a series of demonstrations, plus an experts panel on “No Harm in Asking – Or Is There?”
• Family – Philip Epstein, Q.C., Nicole Tellier and Thomas Bastedo provide a substantive law update; leading proponents/practitioners “face off” on various dispute resolution mechanisms; Justices Lang, Corbett, Goodman and Maresca give their “View from the Bench”
• Real Property – Learn from speakers including Caron Wishart, Jane Pepino, Maurizio Romanin, Brian Bucknall and Jeffrey Lem what happens when the lawyer and the client disconnect over land use issues.

Those attending CLE programs can take advantage of many free special events, including the Institute luncheons, the Welcome Reception, breakfast presentations on “Mentoring and Women Lawyers”, “Managing Your Practice in the Information Age”, “Stressbusters”, “Precedent Partnership Agreement for a Law Firm” and “Le monde juridique ne suffit pas/The Legal World Is Not Enough”, plus a new two-hour afternoon “Media Training” program. For a small fee you can also attend the Young Lawyers’ Division dinner program on “Healthy, Happy, Successful Lawyers”.

All of the substantive programs provide credit applicable to the minimum CLE expectations that exist for the entire profession. Registration for almost all of the CLE programs qualifies you for the LawPRO CLE Premium Credit, as do some of the special events, either taken alone or in combination.

OBA’s Annual Institute is made possible through the volunteer efforts of close to 275 chairs and speakers – distinguished practitioners, academics, members of judiciary, government representatives andother experts – along with the tremendous work done by the 2008 Institute Committee and OBA staff. To thank the volunteers, the OBA will again make a significant donation to the Hospital for Sick Children in honour of our speakers. This tradition, which began in 1995, has now raised over $130,000 to assist SickKids in purchasing much-needed specialized equipment.

The Annual Institute could not exist in its present form and would not be able to offer its programs in an economical fashion without the generous financial support of our sponsors and exhibitors. In particular we thank our Platinum sponsors: CBA Financial and the Canadian Bar Insurance Association; Dye & Durham; practicePRO/LawPRO and TitlePLUS; PrintersPlus; Stewart Title Guaranty Company; Teranet Inc; and Thomson Carswell. While at the Institute, do remember to set aside some time during the day or at our evening Welcome Reception to visit the sponsor and exhibitor booths and see the latest in legal, financial and consumer products and services. Complete the Exhibitors Walk Passport and you will be eligible to win some exceptional prizes.

Discounts are available for early bird registration, multiple programs and distance from Toronto. Multiple programs of interest to the same groups of practitioners are available on a bundled basis, so you can build a schedule that meets your needs and interests.

There were close to 2,200 registrations for the 2007 Institute. We expect 2008 to be even bigger and better. Do mark February 2, 4 and 5 on your calendar and plan on joining us there.

Margaret E. Rintoul
Chair, 2008 Institute Committee