Immigration Issues in Depth 2017

Course Chairs 
Laura A. Best — Embarkation Law Corporation, Vancouver
R. Keith Reimer — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver

About the Course Chairs

Laura Best is a founding Director of Embarkation Law Corporation, where she practices Canadian immigration and refugee law. She assists clients who want to come to or remain in Canada: to reunite with family, to find safe haven, to pursue economic and academic opportunities. She represents clients with their applications to Citizenship and Immigration Canada and in proceedings with Canada Border Services Agency. She regularly appears before all levels of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada and at the Federal Court of Canada. She has also represented clients at the BC Supreme Court and Court of Appeal.

Laura regularly presents on issues of immigration and refugee law at continuing legal education conferences. 

Keith Reimer has been with the federal Department of Justice for more than twenty years. During that time, he has practiced in various areas of law, including immigration and citizenship law, criminal law and tax law. He has appeared in the Federal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal on numerous occasions as well as the Supreme Court of British Columbia, the British Columbia Court of Appeal, the Queen’s Bench of Alberta and the Alberta Court of Appeal. Keith is currently a Deputy Regional Director and Senior Counsel in the BC Regional Office of the Department of Justice.


Faculty
The Honourable Michael D. Manson — Federal Court, Ottawa
Professor Efrat Arbel — Peter A. Allard School of Law, Allard Hall, University of BC, Vancouver
David P. Ball — Journalist, Metro News, Vancouver
Laura A. Best — Embarkation Law Corporation, Vancouver
Lynne Cunningham — Acting Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Douglas Fortney — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Calvin Kuah — Constituency Assistant, Jenny Kwan’s Office, Vancouver
Richard Kurland — Kurland, Tobe, Vancouver
Professor Mary Liston — Peter A. Allard School of Law, Allard Hall, University of BC, Vancouver
Michael Lucas — Manager, Policy and Legal Services, Law Society of BC, Vancouver
Brett C. Marleau — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Meghan McDermott — BC Civil Liberties Association, Vancouver
Karin Michnick — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Erica Olmstead — Edelmann & Co. Law Offices, Vancouver
R. Keith Reimer — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Banafsheh Sokhansanj — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver
Alice Tang — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver

Course Materials Contributor
Fadi Yachoua — Embarkation Law Corporation, Vancouver

Click here for full faculty bios »

Welcome and Introduction

Laura A. Best — Embarkation Law Corporation, Vancouver
R. Keith Reimer —  Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver

Jurisprudence Update: Administrative and Immigration Law

• review of key Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada immigration, refugee and citizenship decisions in 2017
• discussion of recent developments in administrative law that may impact immigration, refugee and citizenship law practice
• trends, highlights and lowlights in recent jurisprudence, and what is expected in 2018

Professor Mary Liston — Peter A. Allard School of Law, Allard Hall, University of BC, Vancouver 
Banafsheh Sokhansanj — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver 
Laura A. Best — Embarkation Law Corporation, Vancouver 

Networking Break 

Vignettes from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

• updates and practice tips from the ID, IAD, RPD, and RAD
  

Lynne Cunningham — Acting Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver
Douglas Fortney — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver 
Karin Michnick — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Protection Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver 
Alice Tang — Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Immigration Division, Western Region, IRB, Vancouver

Networking Lunch 

Different Perspectives on Immigration Issues

• international law perspective
• aboriginal law perspective
• prison law perspectives
• incorporating different perspectives into immigration arguments

Professor Efrat Arbel — Peter A. Allard School of Law, Allard Hall, University of BC, Vancouver
Brett C. Marleau — Department of Justice Canada, Vancouver 
Erica Olmstead — Edelmann & Co. Law Offices, Vancouver 

Crossing the Border 

• privacy, confidentiality, and privilege issues at the border
• preclearance and the impact of Bill C-23
• practice tips

Michael Lucas — Manager, Policy and Legal Services, Law Society of BC, Vancouver 
Meghan McDermott —  BC Civil Liberties Association, Vancouver 

Networking Break 

Thinking Outside the Courtroom — Media and other Non-Legal Approaches

• working with your MP and the media
• practice tips and tools

David P. Ball — Journalist, Metro News, Vancouver
Calvin Kuah — Constituency Assistant, Jenny Kwan’s Office, Vancouver
Richard Kurland — Kurland, Tobe, Vancouver 

View From the Bench 

• immigration workload and scheduling
• certified questions
• recent and ongoing cases of note

The Honourable Michael D. Manson — Federal Court, Ottawa