Rare is the case when a 13-year-old has a crystalline vision of their future goals and professional pursuits.
For Beth Kibur, however, the path to her eventual career started during her Grade 8 year back in 1995.
“It was already in my personality type, and I always knew that I would one day go into law,” Kibur recalls.
The journey towards her law degree began when Kibur attended University of Western Ontario for her undergraduate degree, before completing law school at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto. In both settings, Kibur was awarded with significant scholarships for academic excellence.
She then cut her teeth at small and mid size firms in Toronto and across rural Ontario, along with school exchange programs that took her through Italy and Australia.
“That’s probably why I work in the people-oriented side of law, because I encountered so many different folks and cultures,” Kibur says. “It was kind of like an immersion in human behaviour and human relations.”
It was within those formative years that shaped the well-rounded and deep-seeded knowledge base Kibur now utilizes as principal of Laughlin & Company Law Corporation, one of the preeminent law firms in the Tri-Cities. The Port Coquitlam-based law firm offers a full suite of services across immigration, family and estate law needs, including preparing wills, personal planning documents, probate, estate administration and litigation.
Since arriving in B.C. in 2017, Kibur has been twice appointed by the Attorney General of British Columbia as legal member in an adjudicator role, with the Mental Health Review Board of British Columbia. She is also a panellist of Children's Lawyers in British Columbia.
But beyond the day-to-day rigours of her professional life, Kibur is passionate about and committed to giving back to her community. To that end, she volunteers with various children's organizations and makes a point of aiding new Canadians, young aspiring lawyers, women's groups, nursing homes and various community organizations.
“I come from a family of very involved community servants and it’s what we do,” Kibur says. “I’m able to do a lot and rise to most challenges as best as I can.”
The nose-to-the-grindstone type of mentality has been with Kibur since infancy. Her family comes from humble beginnings, having immigrated from famine-stricken Ethiopia 40-plus years ago. Kibur and her family are now quite literally the embodiment of the Canadian dream, relying on hard work and academic excellence to plow through barriers and reach new heights.
In fact, Kibur relocated to British Columbia from Ontario to be closer to her brother Joseph Kibur, who held the Canadian Title in men's cross country running and established a number of successful businesses in Vancouver and abroad.
Now 15 years into her career, Kibur’s skillset is rounded to the point that her clients need not worry about surprises – at least the bad ones.
“There is very seldom now a scenario that I haven’t seen hundreds of times,” Kibur says. “When I have people with very complex property issues, I’ve been there from start to finish. And when my clients leave my office, they say ‘Ah, this makes sense now.’ And I do love that.”
For more information, visit www.laughlinlaw.ca
