The Canadian Bar Association's Nova Scotia Branch has had an excellent year, with its membership increasing to 1,587, the highest figure since 2008. The increase in membership has resulted in greater vitality among our Sections, with 29 active groups conducting 65 meetings—10% more than in the 2024–25 period and 27% more than in 2023–24. More than 60 volunteers contributed to the success of all these activities.
This momentum carried over into professional development. More than 330 people attended three major one-day conferences, and members were able to access over 60 hours of professional development during the year, including 36 sessions which were offered free of charge. The Bench & Bar events also drew 415 participants from across the province, demonstrating that professional development remains one of our main strengths.
This year, we also increased the range of our programmes, with a particular focus on wellness and equity. The Empowering Bystander training had 190 lawyers attending it in 2026, and the Atlantic Women’s Health & Hormones series attracted more than 150 participants. Additionally, we organized four events in regions outside Halifax, making it easier for members across the province to take part.
It wouldn't be possible to achieve any of this without funding, and the Branch did make real progress in this area. We obtained more than $188,000 in grants in order to expand the programmes available to small, sole, and rural practitioners and to improve access to justice in both official languages.
The Branch had more than 1,000 members taking part in both in-person and online events during 2025–26, indicating that our growing membership is also highly engaged.
