The CBA’s head cheerleader
New VP Loreley Chekay says her longtime involvement with the Association has made her a better person and lawyer
An athlete most of her life, Loreley Chekay, K.C. knows the value of a good cheerleader.
As she takes on the role of vice-president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA), it’s what she plans to be for the organization for the next year.
“I see it as an opportunity to be the biggest advocate and cheerleader,” she says.
“I think we get so busy as volunteers that we sometimes forget to do the cheerleading and we just do the work. The chance to potentially have opportunities to do the elevator pitch to remind people about and introduce them to the value of the CBA is really important to me. I think sometimes we don’t cheer on the CBA enough.”
Chekay first got involved with the Association as a law student at the University of Saskatchewan. Her $20 registration included a wine and cheese night, information nights, social events, and insurance. When she joined a firm after law school, it was a CBA supporter.
“I was able to not just practice law, but get involved very quickly in all other areas of how you can contribute back to the legal profession and to the benefit of society.”
Growing up in Australia, Chekay’s mom instilled in her the importance of education and being aware of what was happening in the world, as well as her role in it. Every night, they watched local and international news.
“How you can make a difference and add value – those are the things I remember being taught,” she says.
“So that’s always been me. I like to give back. I tend to want to be involved in everything.”
Given her tendency towards keeping a very full plate, her husband often jokingly reminds her that ‘no ’ is a word she can use in her life.
She doesn’t tend to listen, however.
Since joining the CBA as a student, Chekay has held many roles, including branch president of CBA Saskatchewan and chair of its Criminal Justice and Young Lawyers Sections.
At the national level, she has been a member of the National Sections Executive Committee, chair of the Young Lawyers and Criminal Justice Sections, and chair of the CBA Finance Committee.
Chekay says time with the Association has benefited her personally and professionally.
“I believe I have grown to be a better person, to understand more about how the legal profession impacts us as lawyers and other people within the justice system, but also how it impacts people and society overall.”
It’s been an opportunity to see how the CBA can support other organizations within Canada and beyond and to work with lawyers around the world, including on the development of legal frameworks.
“From a professional perspective, I'm a better lawyer,” says Chekay, the executive vice-president, general counsel and chief risk officer with Saskatchewan Government Insurance.
That’s the result of speaking to colleagues and learning from others, both good and bad, whether from their courtroom style or views on or approach to an issue. She’s also had exposure to immense diversity, which has been particularly important working in Saskatchewan, which has a small bar.
Chekay says she wouldn’t hesitate to call someone in any jurisdiction in the country if she were struggling with something as a lawyer, personally or professionally.
She values the relationships she’s gleaned from her CBA work the most. She has lifelong friends with the same group that joined as young lawyers, even though they’re spread across Canada. Their video calls provided needed connection and lots of laughs during COVID-19 lockdowns.
“I could go on and on about the benefits of the CBA. I have learned so much and have been given a greater ability to give back.”
Ultimately, it was friends and colleagues Chekay had come to know through the Association who encouraged her to run for vice-president.
“I’ve always had it in the back of my mind, but didn’t have the confidence to do it,” she says.
“It took people coming to me, saying they think I’d be a good fit, to give me that little nudge to be confident enough, which is also the value of the CBA. To have those allies who will have vulnerable conversations with you and also say, ‘Hey, this is something I think you can do and we’d love to see you do it.’”
As Chekay begins her term as vice-president, she says she has goals and priorities for the year ahead, but is also cognizant of the fact the legal landscape is ever-changing, particularly right now. This time last year, she says it would have been hard to imagine the position colleagues south of the border find themselves in amid the attacks on the rule of law.
“For me, the underlying priority is our members. Everything we do feeds into that, because we only exist because of them. Are we providing value for them? Are we there for them?”
That holds true regardless of the political and global climate.
“We’re working to protect their right to practice independently, to protect the rule of law, and to protect our justice system as we know it and as it ought to continue to be,” Chekay says.
“We need to keep that as our foundation and then build on that with what’s happening in the world.”
