By Julius Melnitzer | August 5, 2025
OTTAWA LAWYER’S VANDALISM RAISES FEARS IN JEWISH COMMUNITY
CBC News reports that Iain Aspenlieder, a 46-year-old lawyer fired by the City of Ottawa after being accused of vandalism, has pleaded guilty to mischief to a war memorial after defacing the Holocaust National Monument in June by painting the words “FEED ME” on the structure in protest against the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. He was denied bail and had been in jail since June 27 until his release pending sentencing on July 25. Crown attorney Moiz Karimjee told the court that the vandalism had caused some members of the Jewish community to fear for their safety “as they were being targeted for accusations against Israel”.
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LAWYER FINED FOR DRINKING DURING TRIAL BREAK
Counsel inclined to have a relaxing drink during a trial’s lunch break may wish to reconsider after the UK’s Bar Tribunals & Adjudication Service fined barrister Dominic Charles D’Souza, who had been practising criminal law for over three decades,￡3,000 for consuming alcohol in his car in the court parking lot during a break in a criminal trial. D’Souza withdrew as counsel, and the judge discharged the jury after hearing of counsel’s conduct.
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AI BOOSTS LAWYERS’ INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
UK law firm Kingsley Napley is building a unique AI-driven ‘Knowledge Exchange’ that combines behavioural science and GenAI visualization methodologies to decode thought processes and drive strategic insights and decision-making by storing institutional knowledge in a central database that lawyers can access easily. The firm is working with a legal tech start-up called Let’s Think.
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Can AI assess ‘confusion’ in TM litigation?
Comet ML Inc. is trying to win a trademark infringement lawsuit by arguing that the defendant Perplexity’s own AI technology confuses the companies’ products. The submission comes as part of Comet ML’s challenge to a US federal court order allowing Perplexity to launch its AI-powered browser using the name “Comet” while the litigation proceeds.
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LAWYER SWIMS ENGLISH CHANNEL
Alex David, a family lawyer who is the managing partner at Awdry Law in Wiltshire, UK, raised more than ￡9,000 for charity by swimming the 21-mile width of the English Channel. While there were no encounters with what some cynics would call “fellow” sharks, a jellyfish did sting David, and it was dark before he reached the end of his 15-minute, four-hour swim.
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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.