Moncton Lawyer Appointed President of Canadian Bar Association
MONCTON – A New Brunswicker has been appointed as the new president of the Canadian Bar Association (CBA).
René Basque will be the fourth New Brunswicker to lead the bar and the first Acadian to do so. He currently serves as the association’s second vice president and will step into his new role on Aug 14.
“It’s definitely an honour. It’s a prestigious job that I’ve been very fortunate to have the confidence of my members to let me sit in that position,” Basque said in an interview with Huddle.
The Tracadie-Sheila native is currently a partner at Actus Law Droit in Moncton where he practices regulatory work, corporate litigation, outside corporate counsel and employment law. Basque was admitted to the bar in 1989 and in addition to his practice, works as Public Intervener on behalf of the Attorney General of New Brunswick. He is currently a member of the Canadian Bar Insurance Association Board representing New Brunswick, a board member of the New Brunswick Law Society and a member of the Canadian Bar Association’s excellence awards committee.
Basque said the CBA is undergoing two big changes. The first is the appointment of a new CEO since John Hoyles, who currently holds the position, will be retiring after 20 years in the position.
“So it’s my job as the president to welcome the new CEO and to make sure they have the opportunity to take the reigns with full speed,” he said
The CBA is also going through a “rethink” of the organization and how they can be more member-centric.
“We’re changing our governance model at the annual meeting which is held next month to specifically be more nimble and respond better to our members’ needs,” Basque said. “My job is to pilot this to a fruition over the next year.”
Being the fourth New Brunswicker to serve as the association’s president, he hopes his appointment will help raise the profile of the province’s law sector and education. He also hopes it will show New Brunswick lawyers the potential with the CBA.
“New Brunswick is a fortunate province where we are a universal province, meaning every lawyer in New Brunswick is a member of the CBA,” Basque sais. “I think the fact a member from New Brunswick has the ability to get to the national board will give a little punch to the CBA in New Brunswick so they will see that there is a value for us to be members of the CBA.”
Basque says the changes the CBA is undergoing reflect how the law, and the way people practice it, is changing. As with any industry, they need to adapt.
“The law is changing and the system that has been there for a century. We have to innovate and we have to change with it. That’s what I’m going be a part of, and that’s really exciting.”