A Legal Profession for Everyone

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan

Approved by the Board of Directors, our EDI Action Plan guides our advocacy, programming and member services from 2026 to 2029 and complements our Reconciliation Action Plan. Progress highlights will be included in CBABC Annual Reports.

Read the Plan

Questions? We welcome the opportunity to discuss the Plan further. Contact us at advocacy@cbabc.org to start the conversation.

The “why” behind the Plan

Led by the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, CBABC conducted an EDI-lens review of existing programs and policies in 2025 and ran a survey with select identity-based Sections, including the Sexual and Gender Diversity Alliance, Aboriginal Lawyers Forum, Women Lawyers Forum, Senior Counsel, Young Lawyers, Internationally Trained Lawyers, and other volunteer groups.

This survey asked participants about their experience with discrimination, harassment and equity-related barriers within legal workplaces to identify what has worked, what hasn’t and what remains overlooked.

From nearly 200 participant responses, the EDI Committee compiled the Plan to set out CBABC’s commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion within the association and across the legal profession.

What we heard

“The first women of colour I met who practiced law made me believe that I could be a lawyer too. Before that, I had only met one lawyer who was not white.”

“EDI initiatives made me proud to be a lawyer and it shaped my practice in giving all a fair and equal chance.”

“Firms need to be adaptable - if you hire someone with diverse perspectives and needs, you will need to change to help them succeed.”

“I don't think we can really understand or appreciate other perspectives if they don't have a seat at the table.”

“There are lots of wonderful people in the profession, and many who are empathetic, caring, and looking to do good. Good intentions though aren’t often enough to actually get the job done.”

Support to foster inclusivity

Interested in doing your own part to practice inclusivity in your organization? CBABC has a collection of equity, diversity and inclusion resources including toolkits, professional thought-leadership articles, webinars and more to explore.

Browse resources

“We should all be treated the same. It should not matter the gender, the colour, the race, the personal preference or the dollar value a parent may pay to get the kid in law school. What should matter is the dedication to law and justice, fair dealings and the skills we have learnt in law school, articles and PLTC to assist our clients and advocate for their best interests through all the many facets of need.”

“Inclusion in the profession has to start with law school. It also has to start with learning that we can disagree without being disagreeable and that curiosity is a value to cultivate in ourselves and in our profession. I think what will make our profession more inclusive will also make it healthier because it will allow all of us - regardless of how we identify - to feel pride in our work and our capabilities. We have to remember that in times of extreme polarization and uncertainty, we have a great power and responsibility.”

“My experience with EDI helped me to understand how my transgender coworker was being discriminated against in both unsubtle and subtle ways. I realized that many of the jokes being made deliberately implied offensive comments about transgender people so that the perpetrators could not be accused of deliberately saying discriminatory things."