Art Vertlieb, QC is the 1st Vice-President of the Law Society for 2012 and will serve as President in 2013. Vertlieb practises with Vertlieb Dosanjh in Vancouver, focusing on personal injury law, medical negligence, professional disputes and criminal law.

Elected a Bencher in 2004, Vertlieb is currently Chair of the Finance Committee, Vice-chair of the Executive Committee and Governance Review Task Force. He is a member of the Appointments Subcommittee and Litigation Subcommittee.

He has previously served as Chair of the Equity and Diversity Committee, Chair of the Delivery of Legal Services Task Force, Chair, Vice-chair and a member of the Discipline Committee, Vice-chair of the Audit Committee, Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee and as a member of the Credentials Committee, Access to Legal Services Advisory Committee, Regulatory Policy Committee, Competency Committee, Communications Committee, Independence and Self-Governance Advisory Committee, Medical-Legal Liaison Committee, the Small Firm Task Force and the Civil Justice Reform Task Force.

Vertlieb is governor of the American Association of Justice, an elected fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a member of the Yukon Law Society Discipline Committee. He is a former president and founding vice-president of the Trial Lawyers Association of BC, a former chair and founding member of the Lawyers Assistance Program of BC, a former member of the editorial advisory board for CIVJI (Civil Jury Instructions) published by the Continuing Legal Education Society of BC and a former member of the American Association of Justice - Canadian Membership Committee. He has also served as a director of the Continuing Legal Education Society, a member of the Judicial Council of BC, the BC Courthouse Library Society, the Ministry of Labour Substance Abuse Committee and the Vancouver Community College Court Reporter Advisory Committee.

In 2009, Vertlieb received the CBA's Georges A. Goyer, QC Memorial Award for his contributions to the legal profession, particularly his founding role with the Lawyers Assistance Program (LAP) and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC. He has also received the LAP Lawyer Helping Lawyer Award (2001) and the Trial Lawyers Association of BC Outstanding Achievement Award (1993).

He has served on the boards of the Canadian Memorial Community Centre and the Vancouver Academy of Music, as a leader for the Boy Scouts and Beavers programs and as coach and president for Arbutus Shaughnessy Little League Baseball.

Following his graduation from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1972, Art Vertlieb moved to Vancouver to begin his legal career. Since then, he has become one of British Columbia’s most distinguished lawyers. A renowned trial advocate, Art has also worked tirelessly to improve BC’s legal profession, helping found the Trial Lawyers Association of BC in 1980 and the Lawyers Assistance Program in 1989, among countless other efforts. For all of his work, Art was named a Queen’s Counsel member in 2001, a designation granted by the provincial Attorney General to recognize lawyers for exceptional achievement and contribution.

In 2008, Art was named Commission Counsel of the Braidwood Commission, an organization formed by the Government of BC to investigate the future role of conducted energy weapons in the province, as well as the death of Robert Dziekanski at Vancouver International Airport.

Prior to going to law school, Art attended the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor of Science and Business Administration degree while playing saxophone in the Pride of Arizona marching band. Art spends his free time with his wife, Bev, his three sons, and playing hockey with the UBC alumni.

LEGAL SERVICE

• BC’s Judicial Council, Member
• Law Society of BC, Bencher and Discipline Committee Chairman
• Continuing Legal Education Society of BC, Director
• British Columbia Courthouse Library Society, Director
• American Association for Justice, Governor
• Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia, Founding Member and Vice President (1989)

HONOURS AND AWARDS

• Elected 2nd Vice President of the Law Society of British Columbia (2011)
• Recipient of the 2009 Georges A Goyer, QC Memorial Award for Distinguished Service.
• Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia Outstanding Lawyer Award (1993)
• Lawyers Assistance Program Inaugural winner of the Lawyers Helping Lawyers Award (2001)
• Osgoode Hall Law School Alumni Gold Key Award (2002)

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

• Canadian Memorial Community Center
• Vancouver Academy of Music
• Arbutus Shaughnessy Little League
• UBC Thunderbirds Hockey

PUBLICATIONS (Click here)