BARE BONES BRIEFS: OCA hammers experts again | Federal Court: duty to consult is double-edged sword | DLA Piper teams with Women+Power | Social impact law firm NOVAlex expands | Can’t-miss: law firm webinars & bulletins
By Julius Melnitzer | May 4, 2021 Another expert breaches duty of impartiality The Ontario Court of Appeal (OCA) has ruled that a doctor called as an expert defence witness in a malpractice case breached his duty to be independent by opining on the credibility and reliability of lay and expert witnesses. “It is clear […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Who invented Bitcoin? Court will decide | OCA upholds Diamond & Diamond partner sanction | Are self-driving cars racist? | LAWPRO’s new title insurance platform | Best law firm articles & webinars
By Julius Melnitzer | April 23, 2021 UK courts tackle Bitcoin inventor’s identity A British high court has facilitated a path forward for a case that could decide who invented bitcoin. It did so by allowing Craig Wright, an Australian computer scientist resident in the UK, to serve a copyright infringement claim against the publisher […]
Ten key tips: pivoting to a mediation practice
April 7, 2021 | By Rafeena Bacchus, guest contributor In Part I of this series, I provided 10 tips by way of a general roadmap to pivoting a legal career. Here, I will expand on those tips in the context of embarking on a mediation practice. Know your skill set and determine your area of […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Lawyers’ rights & dating sites; No consent, no videoconference, says OCA; Alexander Holburn joins Legalign; Best law firm webinars & bulletins
By Julius Melnitzer | March 31, 2021 Lawyers’ dating sites Can’t find love because practising law takes too much out of you? Try Lawyr, the UK-based international dating site “For lawyers and the people who want to date them”. The Times says the site “is perfect for those seeking a brief encounter”. Lawyers, says Jonathan […]
Homegrown data-driven advice is the new normal at Lenczner Slaght
By Julius Melnitzer | March 22, 2021 Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin LLP is incorporating homegrown data-driven decision-making as a key part of the firm’s litigation strategy. The prominent litigation boutique is certainly not the first firm in the country to use machine-learning predictive outcomes – but they appear to be the first to have […]
The interplay of profit & relevance: post-COVID opportunities for law firms
By Julius Melnitzer | February 23, 2021 The economic and social upheaval wrought by the pandemic has driven home the notion that good corporate citizenship and profitability go hand in hand. “There’s a gathering consensus that the economy should be ‘better’ than before,” says Tony Williams, who leads Jomati Consultants LLP, a U.K.-based international management consultancy […]
Ten key tips: how to pivot your legal career
February 10, 2021 | By Rafeena Bacchus, guest contributor I’ve been a Toronto-based insurance defence and human rights counsel for more than 15 years. I’m now transitioning to a focus on mediation. The first installment of this two-part series will provide a general roadmap to pivoting a legal career; the second will specifically apply the […]
Writing & practice tips for paralegals
January 23, 2021 | By Julius Melnitzer Recently, I appeared as a guest presenter on an episode of Justice in Pieces, presented by triOS College’s Paralegal Program, and hosted by its coordinator, award-winning lead legal instructor, John-Paul Rodrigues. The discussion included writing , formatting, marketing, practice and practical tips for paralegals who intend to strike […]
COVID-19 puts courts, integrity of Ontario’s civil jury system on trial
December 15, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Citing the uncertainty as to when civil jury trials might resume during the pandemic, motions to strike juries have proliferated. Critics pointed to the extra effort, co-ordination, length and expense jury trials required, as well as the strain on jurors and demanded their elimination. “Since COVID began, judges […]
Lawyers insecure about data security: study
Talk about lawyers’ hubris: although 49 percent of legal businesses believe they will experience a data breach in the next five years, almost as many – 46 percent – report they have left confidential documents out in the open. The hubris, disclosed in Shred-it’s 2020 Data Protection Report, has practical consequences: 24 percent of clients […]