Staff
CCEL Staff |
Previous Research Assistants |
|
|
Executive Director
|
Jim Emmerton
|
Rob Allan |
CCEL Staff
|
604.822.0145 |
Jim Emmerton Executive Director Jim Emmerton is the Executive Director of the British Columbia Law Institute. He received his LL.B. from the University of Western Ontario in 1973 and was called to the Bar in 1975. Since then he has served in various legal and senior executive capacities with John Labatt and Methanex Corp. Jim has a broad spectrum of knowledge in the fields of law, finance and corporate development. |
|
604.822.0633 |
Laura Watts Laura Watts is the National Director of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies (CCEL), the national organization which focusses on issues of law and aging in Canada and a Staff Lawyer at the British Columbia Law Institute. Completing her law degree at the University of Victoria Law School in 1998, Laura was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1999. Her work includes research, education, law reform and outreach on elder law issues. She has authored a number of reports, articles and studies in the area of law and aging. Laura is the Vice Chair of the National CBA Elder Law Section and a frequent contributor to national and international CLE programs on elder law issues. She is the editor of SageAdvice, the National Elder Law Section newsletter. Laura serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Journal on Elder Law and is the facilitator of the World Study Group on Elder Law. She is co-Chair of the International Federation on Aging's Law and Aging section and the Chair of the National Initiative for Care of the Elderly (NICE Network) Strategic Sustainability Committee. She has testified on law and aging issues before both Canadian and US government committees and is affiliated faculty with a number of national and international universities. In 2009 she was appointed a representative to the Uniform Law Conference of Canada, where she is leading a project on health care substitute decision-making in Canada. She has been actively engaged with the BC Centre for Elder Advocacy and Support in various positions, including helping in the creation of Canada's second legal services clinic for low income seniors - the BC Elder Law Clinic - and serving as its (past) Director of Legal Programming and Strategic Development. She organizes the Canadian Conference on Elder Law, which is an international conference advancing issues of elder law to both legal and interdisciplinary audiences. Laura lives in the village of Steveston BC, nestled in the City of Richmond, with her husband Roger Watts and their children Alex and Madeleine. |
|
604.827.5337 |
Gregory G. Blue, Q.C. Gregory Blue completed his B.A. (Hons) from the University of Saskatchewan, then graduated from the University of Victoria Law School. He was called to the Bar in 1981 in Saskatchewan and subsequently called the BC Bar in 1986. Greg holds his LL.M. from the University of Toronto. Greg was a Legal Research Officer to Law Reform Commission of British Columbia from 1989-1997. Greg Blue articled and practised law with MacPherson, Leslie & Tyerman in Regina, Sask. 1980-82. He served in the Constitutional Law Branch, Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice and as departmental solicitor to the Department of Energy and Mines (Sask.) 1982-87. Greg also practised law with Halyk Brent Dovell in Saskatoon, Sask. from 1987-89. He then practised maritime law with McEwen, Schmitt & Co. 1997-2003. Greg was the staff lawyer responsible for the such projects as the Succession Law Reform Project and the Privacy Act report. He served as reporter to the Trustee Act Modernization Committee. Greg was the Chair of the CBA Legislation and Law Reform Committee from 1997 to 1999.
Greg is the author of the Annotated British Columbia Mineral Tenure Act (Vancouver; Western Legal Publications, 1998-). |
|
604.827.5336 |
Kevin Zakreski grew up in Saskatoon and moved to Vancouver to attend law school. He graduated from UBC Law School and was called to the BC Bar in 2001. He articled and practised with Chow and Company in downtown Vancouver in the area of corporate / commercial law. He then joined the BC Law Institute in 2003 as a staff lawyer. Kevin has worked on a number of law reform projects, including revision of the Builders Lien Act, Civil Enforcement of Judgments, Unfair Contract Terms and, drafted the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies’ Consultation Paper on Reverse Mortgages and the recent review of s.90 of the BC Family Relations Act regarding issues of filial obligation. He is currently responsible for the ongoing work on the BC Society Act.
Kevin sits on the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws working group on unincorporated associations. He is an avid marathon runner. |
|
604.822.0564 |
Krista James graduated from UBC Law School in 1997 and articled with Legal Services Society. She was called to the BC Bar in 1998. She has worked as an adovcate and has taught legal advocacy skills, legal rights and other workshops through a number of not-for-profit organizations. In 2000-2003 Krista practised labour law at Victory Square Law Office. From 2005-2007, she taught critical writing through the Emily Carr Institute Writing Centre. She is currently working in the area of capability and capacity studies, family caregiving leave and real property. Krista is a filmmaker, visual artist and lifelong student of yoga. She has produced films on various topics including child protection in BC and the narrative of the personal body.
|
|
604.822.0142 |
