2025 CLA Spring Conference

Date: Saturday, June 14, 2025

Saturday, June 14, 2025, 8:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
In-person and Virtual options

In-person: 20 Toronto Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto ON M5C 2B8

• CPD CONFIRMED:

  • 15 minutes of Professionalism content.
  • 45 minutes of EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion)
  • Two hours and 50 minutes substantive (if hours are not needed for professional they can be added to substantive)
• Plus: Approved for LAWPRO’s Risk Management Credit

Agenda:

• 8:45 to 8:50 a.m: Welcome by Cassandra DeMelo, Co-Chair, Spring Conference, CLA Director, London
  
  
• 8:50 to 9 a.m.: Reconciliation Update
  Featuring:
  1. Riali Johannesson, Johannesson Criminal Law (Parry Sound)
  2. Ryan Stiles, Falls Law Group (Bracebridge)
  
  
• 9 to 9:30 a.m.: Sentencing – Practical tips and tricks for getting Credit where Credit is Due
  Featuring:
  1. Nadia Chaabane, Defence Lawyer (Toronto)
  2. Susannah Chung, Susannah Chung-Alvares Law (Toronto)
  3. Moderated by Elizabeth Barefoot, Barefoot Law (Owen Sound)
  
  
• 9:30 to 10 a.m.: Top 5 under 5
  Featuring:
  1. Isaac Heo (London)
  2. Sukhraj Hundal (Brampton)
  3. Lauren Konarowski (Ottawa)
  4. Michael Michel (Sudbury)
  5. Anna Zhang (Toronto)
  
  
• 10 to 10:40 a.m.: Diversity in the Criminal Justice System: updates on Gladue; Ensuring your client is seen
  Featuring:
  1. Robin Rice (Spirit name: Waabishkizi Miigwan Kwe) (Concord)
  2. Justice David Gibson, Regional Senior Justice, Northwest Region, Ontario Court of Justice
  3. Moderated by Sweta Tejpal, Kalina & Tejpal Lawyers (Mississauga)
  
  
• 10:40 to 10:55 a.m.: BREAK
  
  
• 10:55 to 11:25 a.m.: Scopelliti Applications / Corbett Applications
  Featuring:
  1. Simon McNaughton, Assistant Crown Attorney (Hamilton)
  2. Justice W. Danial Newton, Superior Court of Justice, Northwest Region (Thunder Bay)
  3. Moderated by George Joseph, Co-Chair, Spring Conference, CLA Director, Thunder Bay
  
  
• 11:25 a.m. to 11:55 p.m.: The Role of Complainant’s Counsel and Recent Cases
  Featuring:
  1. Ashley Dresser, Dresser Defence (Toronto)
  2. Cornelia Mazgarean,  Cornelia Mazgarean Law (Toronto)
  3. Amanda Ross, Goldbloom Ross Cunningham LLP (Toronto)
  4. Moderated by Riali Johannesson, Johannesson Criminal Law (Parry Sound)
  
  
• 11:55 a.m. to 12:25 p.m.: It happened, but should/can your client be convicted?
  Featuring:
  1. Elizabeth Barefoot, Barefoot Law Professional Corporation (Owen Sound)
  2. Perrie Douglas, Cudmore Law Office (London)
  3. Breana Vandebeek, GV Law (Toronto)
  4. Moderated by Cassandra DeMelo, Co-Chair, Spring Conference, CLA Director, London
  
  
• 12:25 to 12:45 p.m.: Gladue Sentencing: Circles and More
  Featuring:
  1. Hollie Black, Indigenous Criminal Court Worker, M’Wikwedong IFC (Owen Sound)
  2. Emily Wickins, Indigenous Criminal Court Worker, M’Wikwedong IFC (Owen Sound)
  3. Moderated by Hilary Dudding, Partner, Daniel Brown Law (Toronto)
  
  12:45 to 1:15 p.m.: Risky Business: SOIRA Orders in 2025
  Featuring:
  1. Samantha Bondoux, Daniel Brown Law (Toronto)
  2. Anthony Moustacalis, CLA Past President (Toronto)
  
  1:15 to 1:25 p.m.: CLA members meeting – bylaw update
• Special presentation to CLA members on proposed by-law updates. Preview the proposed updated by-laws here. Changes (5J only) have been highlighted in yellow. If you are a current CLA Senior active or Junior active member and not able to attend this special meeting, please submit your proxy by clicking here.
  
  
• 1:25 p.m.: Closing Remarks by George Joseph, Co-Chair, Spring Conference, CLA Director, Thunder Bay

REGISTRATION

The price for in-person and virtual is the same enabling registrants to switch preference up to 48 hours in advance with no penalty. There are no refunds. Recordings, pending quality, will be made available for viewing to registrants only up to September 30, 2025. We will not be selling access to the recordings separately. There are no refunds.

• $60 plus HST: CLA Junior Active & Junior Observer Members
• $80 plus HST: CLA Senior Active, Senior Observer & Affiliate Members
• $35 plus HST: Articling student members
• $30 plus HST: CLA Student Members
• $150 plus HST: Non-members – open to all legal professionals*
• $100 plus HST: Non-member students*

To register online, please go to https://members.criminallawyers.ca/event-6155945
To register over the phone, with credit card payment, please call 416-214-9875, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

* Not a member?
Join online by going to https://members.criminallawyers.ca/joinus or call the CLA office during business hours to renew your membership (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., ED, 416-214-9875)

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CONFERENCE VIRTUAL OPTION:

• All presentations will be LIVE broadcast and recorded.
• When there is time, all registrants will have the opportunity to ask speakers questions.
• It is up to each registrant to ensure they have a strong internet connection prior to the event.
• Access information to the Virtual Hub will be emailed to all registrants at least 48 hours before the start date and will be sent to the email address entered when registering.
• It is up to each registrant to ensure they have the Virtual Hub link and test access before the conference start date. Be sure to check your spam and junk boxes. The CLA is not responsible if you cannot locate the access link or if you have access issues. If you are not able to locate the access information by 9 a.m., June 13, please email support@criminallawyers.ca. It is the responsibility of each registrant to ensure they have the access information.

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THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS

Visionary Sponsor

Platinum Sponsors

Gold Sponsor

Silver Sponsor

Bronze Sponsor

Mor Fisher LLP

We are now accepting sponsorships for the following our annual CLA Spring Conference

Sponsorship levels:

• Visionary: $3,000 each (1 left)

• Platinum: $2,000 each (2 left)

• Gold: $1,500 each (4 left)

• Silver: $1,000 each

• Bronze $500 each

When going to purchase your sponsorship online, the option to select sponsorship level will be provided.

BREAKDOWN OF SPONSOR BENEFITS NOTED BELOW:

VISIONARY

1. EXHIBITOR SPACE: six-foot table and two chairs to be provided.
2. COMPANY BANNER/LOGO/NAME EVENT WEB PAGES: banner to include logo, sentence about sponsor & web/social media specs
3. COMPANY LOGO/NAME INCLUDED IN EMAIL PROMOTIONS: linked to sponsor website and sent to more than 5,200 legal professionals
4. VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT during opening remarks
5. 60 SECOND COMMERCIAL – played twice at the Spring Conference. Can be a video or a slide presentation to be played during intermissions.
6. THREE COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATIONS
7. LEAD SPONSOR OF ONE PANEL
8. PDF ADVERTISEMENT SHARDED WITH REGISTRANTS
9. OPTION TO PROVIDE SWAG AT EVENT.
10. TWITTER (6,700+ followers) AND INSTAGRAM (900+ followers) MESSAGE ANNOUNCING SPONSOR SUPPORT OF EVENT
    

PLATINUM

1. COMPANY BANNER/LOGO/NAME EVENT WEB PAGES: banner to include logo, sentence about sponsor & web/social media specs
2. COMPANY LOGO/NAME INCLUDED IN EMAIL PROMOTIONS: linked to sponsor website and sent to more than 5,200 legal professionals
3. VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT during opening remarks
4. 45 SECOND COMMERCIAL – played twice at the Spring Conference. Can be a video or a slide presentation to be played during intermissions.
5. TWO COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATIONS
6. TWITTER (6,700+ followers) AND INSTAGRAM (900+ followers) MESSAGE ANNOUNCING SPONSOR SUPPORT OF EVENT

GOLD

1. COMPANY BANNER/LOGO/NAME EVENT WEB PAGES: banner to include logo, sentence about sponsor & web/social media specs
2. COMPANY LOGO/NAME INCLUDED IN EMAIL PROMOTIONS: linked to sponsor website and sent to more than 5,200 legal professionals
3. VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT during opening remarks
4. 30 SECOND COMMERCIAL – played twice at the Spring Conference. Can be a video or a slide presentation to be played during intermissions.
5. ONE COMPLIMENTARY REGISTRATION

SILVER

1. COMPANY NAME ON EVENT WEB PAGES
2. COMPANY NAME INCLUDED IN EMAIL PROMOTIONS: linked to sponsor website and sent to more than 5,200 legal professionals
3. VERBAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT during opening remarks

BRONZE

1. COMPANY NAME ON EVENT WEB PAGES
2. COMPANY NAME INCLUDED IN EMAIL PROMOTIONS: sent to more than 5,200 legal professionals