LAPBC is an independent organization of members of the BC legal community (lawyers, articling and law students, judges, families and support staff). We provide confidential counselling, peer support and referral services to help people deal with personal problems – including alcohol and drug dependence, stress and anxiety, depression and other issues. These are all treatable illnesses, not moral issues.
As legal professionals ourselves, we understand the unique problems and challenges that all legal professionals face. Our committed volunteers and staff provide confidential, compassionate, and knowledgeable help, including outreach, support and education. We are non-judgmental. We do not prejudge or pre-assess the person. We are concerned with observations of behaviours, conduct, and consequences and we work with individuals to help them come up with solutions that work for that individual. We seek to foster collegiality among our peers and to promote health and well-being in our communities.
Whether you are seeking information for yourself or someone else, the LAPBC website aims to help. We're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
LAPBC is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and run by dedicated staff with the assistance of committed peer volunteers. The BC Law Society collects a levy from Law Society members to fund our services, but otherwise we are entirely independent. All inquiries and interactions with us are strictly confidential.
LAPBC could not exist without the support of hundreds of volunteers from the BC legal community. These committed individuals allow LAPBC to continue its lifesaving mission – they're located throughout the province, participate in training sessions and share a deep conviction that the volunteer work they do makes a positive impact on both individuals and communities.
John Arnesen was a founding partner of Lindsay LLP. He was a civil litigator and practiced law in the area of general insurance litigation since 1989 on retainers by professional liability, general liability and property insurers. John has long volunteered as a judge for the Professional Legal Training Course and has presented to the Continuing Legal Education Society of B.C. on the topic of insurance law. Downhill skiing, kayaking and travel are pursuits John enjoys when he is not practicing law.
Ian is a solicitor at the law firm of Kerfoot Burroughs LLP. Ian has been a client, volunteer, Director/Officer and general supporter of the Lawyer’s Assistance Program since 2008. Ian is also an active member of the recovery community and is passionate about supporting the legal community’s mental health initiatives.
Jaime is an experienced lawyer and a partner practising in the solicitors’ group at North Shore Law. She treasures her children, the outdoors, work-life balance, and the little things in life. Jaime has been a volunteer for many years.
Dawn has been a family law lawyer and sole practitioner in Kelowna, B.C. since 2008. She graduated from the University of Victoria in 2003 and was called to the bar of British Columba in 2005. Dawn has been a member of LAPBC since 2003 and joined the Board as a Director in 2018.
Merle is a member and hereditary chief of Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation on the mid-coast of British Columbia. He practices Indigenous Resource Law empowering Nations through Title and Rights affirmation, sustainable economic development and environmental conservation. Merle adapts his solicitor experience and skill set to the infinitely emerging and developing needs of Indigenous clients.
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Hardeep received his Law Degree at the University of Victoria in 2003 and a Masters of Law in Business from York University in 2021. He has been practicing in Kamloops since 2003. Hardeep is also a University Instructor the School of Business and Economics at Thompson Rivers University. He is currently a Treasurer for People in Motion, a member of the Indigenization Working Group within the School of Business and Economics at TRU, and a volunteer for Kamloops Classics Swimming.
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Sandy is a leading personal injury lawyer in British Columbia. Alongside her colleague Marc Kazimirski, she is also an adjunct professor teaching Law 433C: Special Topics in Tort Law (Personal Injury) at UBC Allard. She is a past president of the Vancouver Bar Association and a past president of the Lawyers’ Inn Society (Law Courts Inn). Most recently, she has joined the Board of Directors for LAPBC and has also presented on topics about Lawyer Well-Being as part of a workshop series. Prior to joining the plaintiffs’ bar in 2016, she worked for more than a decade as insurance defence counsel, mostly in aviation, occupier’s liability, and medical malpractice matters. For the past five years, she has worked exclusively for plaintiffs with complex personal injury claims for losses arising from historical sexual abuse, traumatic brain injuries, orthopedic injuries, and chronic pain. In addition to her injury practice, drawing on her previous experience in insurance defence, she also takes occasional retainers as independent counsel for insured policyholders in significant above-policy limits exposure matters.
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Geoff is a Crown Counsel practicing in northern British Columbia and has been involved with LAPBC since 2005. Geoff has a long history of volunteer service to the bar through LAPBC and three terms as a Law Society Bencher. He is the creator and organizer of the “Law Talks” conference held annually in Prince George. Geoff is passionate about access to justice, healthy law practices, and adventuring in the spectacular wilderness regions where he has the privilege of working and living. He joined the LAPBC Board of Directors in 2024.
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Richard loves the law and the people he works with. He is passionate about workplace issues and has a very active workplace law practice. He aims to provide legal solutions that are practical and make situations better; not worse or more contentious. Richard's years-long legal practice and trial work have made him an effective advisor and representative. He is also a frequent writer, presenter and media contributor. Richard's personal experiences drew him into LAPBC several years ago as a client. He then quickly also became a member of the LAPBC volunteer community and, more recently, a Director. Richard is passionate about living family life to the fullest and when not in the office, he can be found with his wife, Shellee, and their two sons!
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