A Legal Profession for Everyone

A Legal Profession for Everyone EDI Action Plan 2026 – 2029

Introduction CBABC has a long history of promoting equity, diversity and inclusivity in the legal profession and justice system in British Columbia. This work is advanced through thought leadership, advocacy, toolkits and education, as well as communities of belonging for its members.

The CBABC Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan sets out our priorities and commitments from September 1, 2026 to August 31, 2029. The Plan guides CBABC’s decisions and activities across advocacy, member programming, governance and internal operations, focusing on actions within CBABC’s mandate and sphere of influence. The Plan also complements the CBABC Reconciliation Action Plan, which sets out distinct commitments to support Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

All lawyers, particularly those from historically excluded communities, must be able to thrive, lead and belong within the legal profession on equitable terms. As an influential organization, CBABC is well positioned to meaningfully contribute to cultural and structural changes in workplaces, institutions and systems.

The Plan is informed by member input, external expert consultation, and a review of comparable initiatives across the legal profession. Implementation is monitored through semiannual reporting to the CBABC Board of Directors and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, with highlights included in CBABC’s Annual Report.

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Current State British Columbia’s legal profession has made measurable but insufficient progress on equity, diversity and inclusion. Representation gaps, inequitable career outcomes and cultural barriers persist, especially at the intersections of race, gender, Indigeneity and disability.

Available data illustrates ongoing disparities between the composition of the legal profession and the population it serves. Data from the Law Society of British Columbia identifies that approximately 20.5% of lawyers identify as visible minorities, compared to 33.4% of B.C.’s population. Indigenous lawyers represent approximately 2.7% of the profession, compared to approximately 4.8% of B.C.’s population. However, interpretation of these figures is constrained by voluntary disclosure and limited intersectional, advancement and longitudinal data.

Research indicates higher attrition and burnout rates among women and other equitydeserving lawyers, contributing to a range of adverse outcomes, including persistent underrepresentation in senior and decision-making roles relative to entry-level participation. These patterns suggest that entry into the profession has not translated into equitable retention, advancement, or leadership outcomes across demographic groups.

CBABC has made meaningful progress to increase diversity on our Board of Directors and Provincial Council. To foster communities of belonging and support, identity-based Sections include the Women Lawyers Forum, Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance, Aboriginal Lawyers Forum, Internationally Trained Lawyers, Young Lawyers and Senior Lawyers. CBABC’s Mentorship Programs connect participants based on identity and other factors, enabling young lawyers facing barriers to learn from senior counsel with similar lived experiences.

The EDI Committee serves as a forum for generating ideas and resources to advance EDI programming and advocacy, while the Truth & Reconciliation Committee contributes to advocacy and programming to that supports CBABC’s role in Reconciliation. CBABC also delivers more than 50 programs annually that have a specific focus on networking and professional connection.

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Through the CBABC Resources for EDI, members and non-members can access materials tailored to lawyers and legal workplaces to enhance EDI efforts. CBABC also maintains both structural and informal relationships with external equity-focused legal organizations, including the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (BC), South Asian Bar Association of BC, and the BC Chapter of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers.

CBABC’s Agenda for Justice sets out recommendations to improve provincial laws and policies affecting equality and access to justice for British Columbians from equity-deserving groups. In addition to ongoing advocacy in support of these recommendations, CBABC tracks progress over time.

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Alignment with Strategic Plan The CBABC EDI Action Plan is grounded in Strategy 2030: Strengthening B.C. Lawyers, which includes a guiding principle committing CBABC to recognizing and valuing the differences in lived experiences and perspectives among our members.

Strategy 2030 outlines three strategic goals with specific commitments. This Plan sets out activities that support and advance those goals and commitments.

Our Voice

Our Community

Our Association

Amplify our members’ voice and influence to uphold the rule of law and strengthen legal and justice systems

Cultivate a connected and inclusive membership that strengthens the capacity of lawyers across the province

Enhance our sustainability as B.C. lawyers’ professional association

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Our Voice

Amplify our members’ voice and influence to uphold the rule of law and strengthen legal and justice systems

EDI Actions

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Strengthen relationships with equity-deserving professional associations to improve engagement, inform advocacy priorities, and support sustained collaboration.

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Advocate for an EDI competency requirement for licensees to normalize inclusive practice standards benefiting both the public and licensees.

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Advocate for increased diversity in judicial appointments and administrative tribunal members.

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EDI Actions

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Advocate for collection and disclosure of diversity data at an aggregate level within the CBA, LSBC, the judiciary in B.C., B.C. law schools and the legal and justice systems broadly. Within the CBA, consideration should be given to enabling members to have their diversity disclosure attributed to them, for purposes of ensuring they are notified of resources, programming and opportunities that may apply to them.

Ensure all policy recommendations are developed with consideration of impacts on equity-deserving people.

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Our Community

Cultivate a connected and inclusive membership that strengthens the capacity of lawyers across the province

EDI Actions

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Strengthen relationships with professional associations representing equitydeserving groups to align efforts, avoid duplication and increase collective impact and efficiency, including through coordinated planning and information-sharing mechanisms.

Support the community of members seeking to advance EDI in the legal profession through in-person events, virtual roundtables and an online community platform.

Use CBABC platforms to discuss promotion, power, compensation and leadership readiness, not only confidence, wellness and accommodation as they relate to equity-deserving groups.

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EDI Actions

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Elevate lived experience narratives and intersectional analysis through platforms such as BarTalk and professional development programming, in ways that are ethical, consensual and nonexploitative, including attention to potential risks and respect for participant boundaries.

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Develop the Internationally Trained Lawyers employment campaign.

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Support identity-based Sections to augment programming with explicit advancement and power-sharing strategies.

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Develop model workplace policies and complementary toolkits to support members navigating leave, return to work and accommodation issues related to caregiving, gender transition, neurodivergence, disability, and related circumstances.

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Establish religious and cultural inclusion guides.

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Conduct annual review to enhance CBABC Resources for EDI.

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Our Association

Enhance our sustainability as B.C. lawyers’ professional association

EDI Actions

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Strengthen relationships with equity-deserving professional associations to improve engagement, inform advocacy priorities, and support sustained collaboration.

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Advocate for an EDI competency requirement for licensees to normalize inclusive practice standards benefiting both the public and licensees.

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Advocate for increased diversity in judicial appointments and administrative tribunal members.

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EDI Actions

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Advocate for collection and disclosure of diversity data at an aggregate level within the CBA, LSBC, the judiciary in B.C., B.C. law schools and the legal and justice systems broadly. Within the CBA, consideration should be given to enabling members to have their diversity disclosure attributed to them, for purposes of ensuring they are notified of resources, programming and opportunities that may apply to them.

Ensure all policy recommendations are developed with consideration of impacts on equity-deserving people.

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Resources

Canadian Bar Association. Equity and Diversity Guide and Resource Manual for Successful Law Firms and Legal Organizations (2007).

Canadian Bar Association. Measuring Diversity in Law Firms: A Critical Tool for Achieving High Performance (2012).

Canadian Bar Association. Understanding Gender Diversity and Inclusion (2025).

Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch. “Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.”

Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia Branch. Reconciliation Action Plan 2023-2025 (2022).

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. “Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI).”

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity by the Numbers: The Legal Profession (2016).

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion. Diversity by the Numbers: Update Report on Representation in Canada’s Legal Profession (2018).

Continuing Legal Education Society of British Columbia. But I Was Wearing a Suit (Parts I & II).

Continuing Legal Education of B.C. CLEBC Truth & Reconciliation Action Plan: Answering the Calls (2023).

Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers (British Columbia Chapter). But I Look Like a Lawyer.

Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Advancing Mental Health and Wellness in the Canadian Legal Profession: Phase II of the National Study.

Law Society of British Columbia. Addressing Discriminatory Barriers Facing Aboriginal Law Students and Lawyers (2000).

Law Society of British Columbia. Diversity Action Plan (2020).

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Resources

Law Society of British Columbia. “Mentorship Programs.”

Law Society of British Columbia. “Practice Resources.”

Law Society of British Columbia. On the Path to Equity for Women in Law (2022).

Law Society of British Columbia. Retrospective Analysis of Gender in the Legal Profession in British Columbia (2018).

Law Society of British Columbia. Towards a More Representative Legal Profession: Better Practices, Better Workplaces, Better Results (2012).

Law Society of Ontario. “Equity Supports and Resources.”

Law Society of Ontario. “Women’s Resource Centre.”

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. Equity Lens Toolkit (2019).

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. Racial Equity Survey Report (2024).

Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society. Regaining Trust: The Ruck Report (2024).

Public Prosecution Service of Canada. Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Action Plan 2021-2024 (2021).

Raise the Bar. “Raise the Bar: Legal Access & Diversity Initiative.”

Simon Fraser University Library. “Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) resource guide.”

The Bar of Ireland. The Bar of Ireland Equality Action Plan: Enhancing Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Bar. University of British Columbia. “Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Office.”

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