Japan: a black hole for legal advice?
November 17, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer “Bizarre” is how Steven Maddex, a Canadian lawyer, describes his five years in the legal department at a jewellery company in Kyoto. “Most Japanese business people view lawyers’ roles as perfunctory at best,” says Maddex. “Many of the lawyers are unlicensed, have only a basic understanding of the […]
Jones Day & Trump: Thank God for the lawyers
November 13, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Full disclosure: I hate Donald Trump. Further full disclosure: Democracy is lucky to have lawyers who will represent the jerk. I was among many who couldn’t believe what I was seeing and hearing in the last four years: disruption, disregard, disrespect, dishonesty, denigration, deflection and denial, all in […]
Is SCC looking like SCOTUS?: The language in Fraser v. Canada
November 5, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer There’s something afoot in the Supreme Court of Canada. And it adds heavy fuel to the debate about the extent to which the court is becoming politicized. In their recent judgment in Fraser v. Canada (Attorney General) 2020 SCC 28, both the majority and the minority accuse each other of departing […]
Nunavut considering full mobility for Quebec lawyers
November 2, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer The Law Society of Nunavut (LSN) may grant full mobility to Barreau du Québec members. The LSN will consider the matter at a virtual special meeting to be held on Thursday, November 26 @ 6 PM ET. Nunavut is not currently a signatory to the National Mobility Agreement. […]
Practising law with your children: tips for survival
October 27, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Many are the parents, lawyers certainly among them, who wished their kids would follow in their footsteps. Just as many are the parents – and children – who regretted that they did. The difficulties of inter-generational co-operation in the workplace are legend. They need not be repeated here. […]
The Case Doctor: a new legal species
October 19, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Richard Shekter of Shekter Legal, a Toronto mediator and arbitrator, has put an interesting twist on the notion of a “second opinion”. After 44 years as an all-purpose counsel with a reputation for taking on anything with merit that came through the door, he set up shop as […]
What to do about sharp rise in self-represented litigants
October 12, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Increased funding for legal aid to help with the dilemma of self-represented litigants (SRLs) isn’t in the cards — at least not anytime soon. “I and many others who have advocated more funding for legal aid just have to be realistic,” said professor Nicholas Bala of Queen’s University […]
McMillan bulks up competition group with Joshua Krane
Tuesday, October 6, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer Competition lawyer Joshua Krane has joined McMillan LLP as a partner in the Toronto office. Recognized as a future leader by Who’s Who Legal, Krane advices on pricing, marketing and contracting practices. He counsels clients on relationship management with customers, suppliers and other market participants. Krane has […]
When law firms need lawyers, whom do they call?
September 21, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer This is the second of a three-part LegalWriter.net series on lawyers who represent lawyers When lawyers get into trouble, the reputation of an entire firm may be at stake. But the concerns of the individual lawyer and the firm can diverge. They may have different views of the […]
COVID-19 forces changes on majority of law practices: Survey
September 16, 2020 | By Julius Melnitzer A new survey of 400 legal professionals across Canada reveals that 67 per cent of those surveyed expect to see, or are currently experiencing, practice-related changes due to COVID-19. “The report tells us that COVID-19 will see core businesses decline, with many lawyers looking to expand into new […]