Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia

What Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia does

The Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia (TLABC) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1980 and headquartered in Vancouver, BC. It serves over 1,500 members, primarily plaintiff-side trial lawyers and criminal defence lawyers practising in British Columbia, along with defence-side/Crown counsel lawyers (Associate tier), paralegals, law students, and articling students. Its core offering is tiered annual membership ($148–$2,000 per year, prorated July 1–June 30) bundled with continuing legal education, advocacy representation, community, and member benefits.

TLABC's product surface is built around three pillars: (1) award-winning CLE programming, including in-person seminars, Zoom-based webinars, and a Modern Lawyer series on legal tech, several of which have received ACLEA Starburst Awards (2016, 2017, 2019) and CLE Program of the Year recognition (2017, 2019); (2) community infrastructure, including the 700+ subscriber Trial Practice Listserv and practice-specific listservs in Criminal Defence, Family Law, Estate Litigation, Medical Negligence, and Personal Injury; and (3) signature events — the Annual Convention, Spring Soirée and Awards of Distinction, Women Lawyers Retreat in Whistler, Criminal Law Conference, Family Law Conference, and Estate Litigation Essentials — plus the quarterly Verdict magazine (Tabbie Award 2024). Underlying technology is standard association infrastructure (Zoom, email, members-only portal); TLABC does not develop or sell technology products.

The business model is subscription-dues driven, supplemented by CLE/webinar fees ($55 member / $145 non-member), event registration, Verdict advertising, and event sponsorship from a roster that includes Bridgepoint Financial, Law Foundation of BC, Synoptic Medical, Epiq, McKellar, Origin GRC, Fasken, and others. Distribution is direct via tlabc.org self-service and in-person events in Vancouver and Whistler. Leadership comprises CEO Don Avison KC, COO Karen St.Aubin, and a member-elected Board of Governors headed by 2026 President Rebecca McConchie. TLABC is also a notable advocacy voice, having pursued constitutional challenges to the Legal Professions Act 2024 and the BC government's disbursement cap (Shrieves v. BC).

Name

Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia

Legal name

Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia

Website

https://tlabc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia is a 1980-founded, Vancouver-based non-profit membership association serving over 1,500 plaintiff-side trial and criminal defence lawyers in BC through tiered annual dues, award-winning CLE programs, signature events, the Verdict quarterly journal, and advocacy before courts and government.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG), Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG)

Keywords

• Legal professional association
• Continuing legal education
• Trial lawyer advocacy
• Professional development programs
• Legal publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: TLABC's primary revenue is annual membership dues, structured by membership category and years of call. Regular membership ranges from $148 (under 1 year call) to $647 (10+ years call). Premium tiers include Sustaining Membership ($1,000/year) and Benefactor Membership ($2,000/year). Other tiers include Paralegal/Legal Assistant ($212), Out-of-Province ($235), Retired/Non-Practising ($110), and Non-Lawyer ($110). Student and Articling memberships are free. All dues are plus GST. Membership year runs July 1 through June 30.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia (TLABC) is a non-profit professional membership association that sells tiered annual memberships to BC trial lawyers along with award-winning continuing legal education (CLE) seminars, webinars, the Verdict quarterly magazine, practice area listservs, and signature events including the Annual Convention and Women Lawyers Retreat. Membership includes advocacy representation on legal reform issues, peer networking, member savings programs, and access to a member directory and job board.

Product overview

TLABC offers a comprehensive suite of membership-based professional development and advocacy services for trial lawyers in British Columbia. The core offering centers on membership tiers (Benefactor, Sustaining, Regular, Associate, Out-of-Province, Student, Paralegal, Retired, and Non-Lawyer) providing access to legal education programs including seminars, webinars (via Zoom), and annual conferences. Members receive the quarterly magazine 'the Verdict', access to practice-specific listservs (Trial Practice, Criminal Defence, Family Law, Estate Litigation, Medical Negligence, Personal Injury), a searchable Member Directory, and an Online Job Board. The association organizes signature events including the Annual Convention, Spring Soirée with Awards of Distinction, Women Lawyers Retreat, Family Law Conference, Criminal Law Conference, Estate Litigation Essentials, and the Modern Lawyer webinar series. Additional member benefits include savings programs, an Expert Directory, and support for advocacy through the Justice Fund. Past seminar materials are available on-demand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TLABC Membership Tiered professional association membership offering categories including Benefactor ($2,000/yr), Sustaining ($1,000/yr), Regular ($148-$647/yr based on years of call), Associate, Out-of-Province ($235/yr), Paralegal/Legal Assistant ($212/yr), Retired ($110/yr), Non-Lawyer ($110/yr), and free Student/Articling memberships. Benefits include advocacy, CLE discounts, Verdict magazine, listserv access, member savings, and voting rights for Regular members.
• Legal Education Seminars Award-winning continuing legal education (CLE) programs covering all areas of litigation, offered in-person and virtually. Members receive preferred pricing ($55/registrant) versus non-members ($145/registrant). Approved for CPD credits in British Columbia.
• Webinars Hour-long Zoom-based webinars presented by senior lawyers, judges, and experts on legal topics for CPD credit, accessible to members throughout BC. Pricing: $55 member, $20 student/paralegal member, $145 non-member.
• The Verdict Magazine TLABC's quarterly journal and magazine providing news, columns, debate, and case notes to members. The publication supports advertising sales and includes a Law Student Writing Competition. Recognized with publication industry awards including Tabbie 2024.
• Annual Convention Two-day educational event for lawyers of all practice areas featuring plenary sessions, keynote speakers, and concurrent tracks covering Technology and Media, Trial and Advocacy, and Hot Topics in Law. Approved for 12 CPD credits.
• Spring Soirée and Awards of Distinction Annual awards event celebrating outstanding individuals and their contributions to the legal profession, with Distinguished Jurist, Distinguished Advocate, and President's Award categories.
• Women Lawyers Retreat Annual three-day retreat (21st edition in 2026) offering professional development, networking, and wellness programming for women in the legal profession, providing 6 hours of CPD credit including ethics.
• Family Law Conference

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Collins PartnerscoreOthers · 23 October 2026Presenting sponsor of the 21st Annual Women Lawyers Retreat (October 2026) in Whistler. Collins Partners is a legal search/firm.
• Miller ThomsoncoreOthers · 23 October 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 Women Lawyers Retreat.
• Murphy Battista LLPcoreOthers · 23 October 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 Women Lawyers Retreat and a long-standing member/sponsor of TLABC.
• Bridgepoint FinancialcoreOthers · 7 May 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 Convention and recurring sponsor for TLABC events. Provides litigation financing/expense management services aligned with trial lawyer needs.
• Law Foundation of British ColumbiacoreOthers · 7 May 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 Convention. The Law Foundation BC is a legal charity that funds access to justice initiatives, research, and legal education.
• Synoptic MedicalcoreOthers · 7 May 2026Platinum sponsor of the 2026 Convention. Provides medical-legal expert services.
• Direct IMEminorOthers · 7 May 2026Gold sponsor of the 2026 Convention. Provides independent medical examinations services.
• McKellarminorOthers · 7 May 2026Gold sponsor of the 2026 Convention. McKellar provides structured settlement and litigation finance services.
• Origin GRCminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 May 2026Collaborates with TLABC to present the 'Modern Lawyer' thought-leadership webinar series on legal tech, digital transformation, and innovation in legal practice.
• FaskenminorOthers · 7 May 2026Gold sponsor of the 2026 Convention. Fasken is a major law firm and provided pro bono counsel to TLABC in the Legal Professions Act constitutional challenge.
• NudorraminorOthersSite sponsor displayed on tlabc.org homepage. Nudorra (litigationloans.ca) provides litigation financing services that complement the work of trial lawyers.
• TracumentminorOthersSite sponsor and presenting sponsor for the 2026 Convention. Tracument provides litigation technology/discovery services.
• CT StudiominorOthersSite sponsor displayed on tlabc.org homepage. CT Studio is a legal services firm.
• Crossroads LawminorOthersSite sponsor displayed on tlabc.org homepage.
• HertzminorOthersMember savings program partner offering preferred rental car rates to TLABC members.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alberta Civil Trial Lawyers Association: Alberta's plaintiff-bar membership association offering CLE, advocacy, and networking for civil trial lawyers. Direct peer to TLABC in structure, mandate, and product mix, scaled to a smaller provincial market.
• Defense Research Institute: International membership organization for defence-side trial lawyers. Direct functional mirror of TLABC on the defence bar, with parallel CLE programming, publications, and policy advocacy — useful as a structural benchmark.
• American Association for Justice: National U.S. trial-lawyer association (formerly ATLA). Comparable advocacy + CLE + member-publication model to TLABC, but at U.S. national scale and with broader lobbying footprint.
• International Association of Defense Counsel: Global invitation-only association of defence-side trial lawyers and corporate counsel. Peer to TLABC by virtue of running CLE conferences, advocacy, and trial-lawyer member services for the litigation bar.
• Ontario Trial Lawyers Association: Provincial trial-lawyer membership association representing plaintiff-side bar in Ontario. Direct analogue to TLABC with the same membership, CLE, advocacy, and conferences model, but operating in the larger Ontario market.

Regional players

• Atlantic Canada Trial Lawyers Association: Regional trial-lawyer association serving Atlantic Canada with a comparable plaintiff-side advocacy, CLE, and member-publication model. Comparable in structure to TLABC but operating in a different geography.
• Manitoba Bar Association: Provincial bar association offering CLE, advocacy, and member services to Manitoba lawyers. Regional peer to TLABC with a more general (non-plaintiff-side-only) membership base.

Others

• The Law Society of British Columbia: BC's legal profession regulator. Not a membership association in TLABC's sense, but the institutional counterparty in TLABC's Legal Professions Act advocacy and a key conduit for CPD credit recognition.
• British Columbia Branch of the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers: BC-focused professional association for Black lawyers offering CLE, networking, and advocacy. Smaller-scale membership association with similar CLE/community-building mission, though narrower demographic focus.

Broad incumbents

• Canadian Bar Association – BC Branch: The BC branch of the national CBA representing the entire legal profession. Broader remit than TLABC's plaintiff-side / criminal-defence focus, but offers overlapping CLE, advocacy, and member services across BC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BCTrialLawyers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/trial-lawyers-association-of-british-columbia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trial Lawyers Association of British Columbia