The pride of being a CBA member

CBA National: What’s the highlight of your year? 

Stephen Rotstein: I don’t think it’s one thing. It’s a combination of things. But the highlight really was engaging with our members. The branch visits in particular, whether it was to places in Canada that I’ve never been, like the Yukon, or the place that I most recently just went to, which is Prince Edward Island. Meeting with our members, our partner firms, and people who’ve been engaged with the CBA for a long time, such as Daphne Dumont, Q.C., CBA President in 2000-2001, the only president from PEI.

Everywhere you feel the pride of being a CBA member, especially for those of our members who are active in sections, or at the national executive level, or at the branch level. I would say engaging with our members was the highlight of my year.

N: Your priorities were mental health and wellness for members of the legal profession and volunteering. What was accomplished last year to advance those priorities, and where do you think the CBA should go to continue to move this forward? 

SR: I am proud to say that the CBA is a leader in providing mental health and wellness training and resources to the legal community. Throughout my term, I had the opportunity to speak many times and the issue of mental health and wellness resonated universally. I appreciate the CBA is just one voice in what hopefully is a symphony of voices speaking about the mental health and wellness issue. There recently was a Globe and Mail article where the Chief Justice of Ontario spoke about his views on the matter. I gave the President’s Award to Justice Clément Gascon, who used the forum he has as a former Supreme Court of Canada justice to speak about it. I am glad to have been able to talk about it and make sure that people know about the resources and hopefully do my part to take away the stigma.

When lawyers can deal with their mental health and wellness, they can be better lawyers and family members. I’m proud of how the CBA, through its Well-Being Subcommittee, has provided great tools and resources. We should continue to build on those.

Talking about the importance of volunteering was another highlight. And I’m pleased to say that we have a high percentage of our members who put their names forward to serve – to sit on the board, or get involved in branches or sections.

N: What do you think the CBA can do to encourage more of that kind of contribution to our communities – within the CBA or outside it? 

SR: It’s essential to have role models. People from different groups benefit from seeing people like them in leadership roles within the CBA. Our strength as an association is our diversity.

I learned years ago, when I took a management course, the concerns about groupthink, where people are all the same, and always think about being the same, always come to the same conclusions because they all have the same background. Our strength is we don’t all come from the same backgrounds. We are from different areas of practice. We have different histories and different ethnic origins. That’s what makes us so good, why we do such good work together.

And then there’s mentorship. People in leadership roles can help mentor others who’d like to follow a similar path. I got involved because people took me under their wing and said, “Stephen, why don’t you get involved?” At that time, it was the CCCA, Ontario branch. But if it hadn’t been for that mentorship, I wouldn’t have known how to navigate the system. It’s a combination of leadership and mentorship.

N: What surprised you?

SR: That international events would be a big focus of my presidency -- Afghanistan and Ukraine, but also the Dobbs decision out of the United States. These are events outside of Canada. But as CBA President, you speak on behalf of the legal community in Canada, and these are important issues.

N: Anything else? 

SR: There is a fellowship, if that’s the right word, of people who have been in CBA leadership roles, many of whom I had the honour of meeting, or who reached out to me when I started on my journey. It is such a privilege and honour to be the president of this association. And it’s now 37,000 members; our membership has grown during my presidency.

I also want to add a few words on the importance of our international partnerships: The International Bar Association, the G7 Bar Leaders, and other international associations. It’s gratifying to realize how respected the CBA is on the international stage.