By Julius Melnitzer | July 21, 2026
CLIO ADDS RETAINER FINANCING CAPACITY
Legal technology firm Clio has partnered with point-of-sale installment lender Affirm to incorporate a pay-over-time option for law firm clients who do not have the ability or desire to fund the full amount of a retainer. Pay Later is now automatically available in Clio Pay∙ments. The firm gets the full amount upfront, while Affirm handles billing and collects payments directly from clients. Because the software is build into Clio Manage, all transactions comply with trust account rules in accordance with a firm’s workflow.
CHICAGO LAW SCHOOL BANS CELLPHONES
University of Chicago Law School will ban phones, laptop and other electronic devices in the classroom for first-year students as part of a new strategy to curb AI use. ABC7 reports the ban is intended to ensure students learn to think critically, strategically, and independently without relying on artificial intelligence. The faculty will still teach AI, but only in upper level courses.
ASHLEY AINSLEY JOINS COZEN
Ashley Ainsley has left her position as senior listings manager at the TSX Venture Exchange to join international law firm Cozen O’Connor’s corporate practice in Vancouver as counsel. She will provide strategic advise to clients on exchange filings and policies as well as public offerings from a regulatory perspective. Internally, Ainsley will serve as a technical resource to help streamline compliance and filing strategies for the broader client base.
ARBITRATION PLACE KEEPS GROWING
Toronto-headquartered Arbitration Place (AP) has announced a partnership with AT·COURT THIRTEEN (ATC13), Vienna’s dedicated arbitration and hearing centre. AP will provide its full suite of dispute resolution support services to ATC13, creating a fully integrated offering for arbitration users in the region and beyond. AP has previously established operations in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, New York, Miami, Brazil, and the Cayman Islands, as well as alliances with key arbitration centres in London, Paris, Singapore, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Astana, and Mauritius.
YUKON LAW SCHOOL CLOSER TO REALITY
Yukon University, in partnership with the University of Calgary, is looking to launch its first law degree in 2027. The program is intended to train lawyers in the territory’s distinct legal landscape, including indigenous governance and modern treaty implementation. It’s also responding to a territorial shortage of lawyers in areas such as family law, will and estates, and criminal defence.