By Julius Melnitzer | June 3, 2025
PLEDGE YOUR SUPPORT TO RULE OF LAW CANADA
Concerned about recent developments that have exposed the fragility of the Rule of Law (ROL) and “how quickly it can be eroded”, a group of lawyers has come up with the idea of having Canadian lawyers unite by collectively pledging to uphold it. The initiative, led by Sandra Barton at Gowling WLG; Sheila Block at Torys LLP; Gerald Chan at Stockwoods LLP; Jennifer Orange and Jake Okechukwu Effoduh at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Lincoln Alexander School of Law; and Lindsay Scott at Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP, began collecting signatures on May 30 and has, despite scant media publicity, garnered 496 pledges in its first five days online. The pledge affirms commitments to protecting the judicial system, engaging in legal work that supports the ROL, and recognizing that “An attack on one is an attack on all”. Barry Leon, an arbitrator and mediator at Toronto’s Arbitration Place, previously a judge of the commercial division of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, and formerly a Torys partner, has signed the pledge. He points out that the issues involved are “not just lawyers’ issues but are fundamental to all Canadians”. Lawyers, however, he adds, need to “provide explanations that will resonate with all Canadians”. It will be interesting to see how many of Canada’s 40,000 lawyers take their responsibility seriously and sign the pledge. Stay tuned: Bare Bones Briefs will provide a running tally each time the column is published.
Related Article: Paul Weiss caving to Trump isn’t the problem: the profession is
NANCY MYLES ELLIOTT PROHIBITED FROM PRACTISING REAL ESTATE LAW
A Law Society Tribunal has prohibited a lawyer whose misconduct contributed to $105M in losses incurred by lenders to syndicated mortgage funds from practising real estate law indefinitely. Nancy Elliott also lost her license for nine months and is liable for $20,000 in costs. The penalties, the product of a joint submission, followed on Elliott’s admission that she failed to guard against participating in fraudulent transactions, changed the wording on Law Society forms, and used legal documents that were contradictory as to whether she had been retained by the syndicated lenders.
RELATED ARTICLE: LST Squirms Its Way to Accepting Reprimand for Jeremy Diamond’s Misconduct
BLG PARTNERS WITH VANCOUVER WHITECAPS
In what may be the beginning of a trend to sports branding among law firms, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, which has been in Vancouver for over a century, has become the official law firm of the city’s professional soccer team, Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Team uniforms sporting a new BLG sleeve patch were unveiled in the Concacaf Champions Cup Final against Cruz Azul on June 1. Unfortunately, the patches didn’t quite do the trick as the Mexican club shut out Vancouver, 5-0.
Related Article: Law firm bet on the Leafs
PANTS-CHALLENGED LAWYER ZOOMS INTO COURT
Loud background noise streamed into Shrewsbury Crown Court when the clerk video-linked to what turned out to be an empty but messy bedroom, with no sign of the unnamed barrister who was due to appear virtually before Recorder Julian Taylor. When the lawyer popped in to view, he was no better prepared than his bedroom, bereft as he was of his trousers, and leading to what the Shropshire Star described as a “stern telling-off” from Taylor.
Related Article: Remote defendants show up bathing and half-naked
SOLICITORS MUST MORE FREQUENTLY URGE CLIENTS TO COMPLAIN: SRA
It’s not quite enough that solicitors must tell their clients how to complain about them when the lawyers are first retained, says the UK’s Solicitors Regulation Authority, which is seeking code of conduct amendments that will require solicitors to inform their clients more frequently of this right. According to The Law Society Gazette, the SRA’s proposals would require lawyers to provide complaint details at the end of a matter, upon request, and if there is a complaint during a matter.
Related Article: Alberta lawyer challenges “woke” Law Society rules
Julius Melnitzer is a Toronto-based legal affairs writer, ghostwriter, writing coach and media trainer. Readers can reach him at julius@legalwriter.net or on his website.