WHO WE ARE

Founding President of Legal Coaches Association

Jo-Anne has been a lawyer since 1993 and a strong advocate for access to justice, having worked as a legal coach in the Province of Saskatchewan.  As a member of both the British Columbia and Saskatchewan Bar, Jo-Anne has been invited to make numerous presentations on the topic of legal coaching and the use of technology to create efficiencies in the delivery of legal services, for both lawyers and law students.  Having spent many years as an arbitrator hearing thousands of cases, she is keenly aware of the challenges faced by self-represented litigants who are unable to afford lawyers and who do not qualify for legal aid services. Her development of a unique and affordable business model has transformed the way legal services can be provided virtually to self-represented clients.  Jo-Anne has created a training program to certify legal coaches and has written a book on legal coaching, Mastering the Art of Legal Coaching: The Legal Professional’s Guide to Empowering Clients.  She also served as the Director of Advocacy for the Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch) and operates Stark Solutions Legal Coaching & Consulting, the first all-virtual law firm dedicated to legal coaching and consulting.

Jane has been in the legal profession since 1999.  First starting out as a filing agent, then progressed to legal secretary (as it was known then).  Jane further elevated her role after attending Capilano College (as it was known then) to obtain a Paralegal Certificate.  Jane has worked in various areas of law including personal injury, general litigation, wills & estates, and corporate law.  Jane finally found her strength in family law, and she has been in this area since 2013.  Jane is also part of the Law Society of British Columbia’s Innovation Sandbox initiative, which utilizes the legal coaching training.  She is also a director of the BC Paralegal Association. In order to further hone her skills as a family law paraprofessional, she is also obtaining her family law mediation credentials.  In Jane’s free time, she loves spending time with her family, taking piano lessons, reading, and staying active by taking long walks.

Anne is a collaborative family law lawyer in Ontario, Canada. She has been practicing law since 2003, focused primarily on family law and wills. For eight years Anne was the managing partner in a general practice firm. For the past decade she has also been a law instructor at the university and college level. In her very limited free time, Anne enjoys curling up with her dog and a good science fiction or fantasy novel.

Learn more about Anne at http://www.vespry.ca/