| Victoria Rees – Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society |
| Role: Director of Professional Responsibility |
| Background: Employed in various management positions with the NSBS for 29 years |
| Tell us a little bit about yourself… Mother of three wonderful young men; 3rd degree brown belt in karate; love to travel; voracious reader; lover of all sports, especially American football (go Patriots!); gardener; pianist |
| Tell us more about what you do at work I am responsible for complaint mediation, investigation and prosecution; ethics education and advice for lawyers; claims against the Compensation Fund; trust audits; conduct risk assessment and management; Fitness to Practice Program; professional responsibility policies and procedures; |
| Tell us about your organisation’s remit Independent Governing body for the Nova Scotia legal profession; public protection; access to justice; |
What projects are you currently working on?
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What are the biggest challenges facing your organisation?
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| What do you consider to be your greatest achievements in life, and in work? a. In life? Raising 3 unique, engaging, interesting and kind sons despite many challenges b. In work? Contributing to excellence in regulation and governance of the legal profession in various ways over 29 years |
| What is the most unusual/surprising thing you have had to deal with at the NSBS? I could write a book! Things we have received in the course of complaint investigations: many photos of various body parts we’d rather not see; a large plastic container of used lottery tickets; ‘the case of the missing diamond ring’; ‘the case of the footsteps in the snow’; a box from someone in Russia of what looked like internal organs in plastic bags, but turned out to be various parts of a birthday cake wrapped in old sweatpants; a very tall articled clerk running into my office to hide while being chased by a very small one-armed lawyer; and lawyers calling ‘actus interruptus’ to seek permission to have sex with clients! |
| What are the biggest changes you have witnessed during your time as a legal regulator? So many… probably the impact of technology on how we do our work, how lawyers work, client expectations, cybercrime, supporting global law firms; and changes in access to legal information which have impacted legal service providers and the role of lawyers |
| What interests you most about your work? Understanding human nature and what leads good lawyers to make bad decisions; how to identify areas of potential risk and better protect the public; helping lawyers in dark places find the light; helping staff become the best they can be. |
| What are you most looking forward to about the conference? Meeting new counterparts (and seeing old friends) and thought-leaders, hearing new ideas, engaging in commiseration and support; understanding global trends in regulation; sharing knowledge and experience. |
