Ill Winds That Blow No Good
Photo by Mike Bird at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | October 25, 2026 It is an ill wind that blows no good. – John Heywood I recently wrote what I thought was a rather nifty article about the ills in the legal profession, and concluded, as I often do, that many of them can be traced to […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: AI confesses — six ways I get the law wrong | Lawyer defames law firm, jury awards $50,000 | Scotiabank lists growth areas for lawyers | Borderless AI’s Alberni: multi-jurisdictional compliance without law firms | Court clears class action for $30 billion in illegal tariffs
By Julius Melnitzer | October 22, 2026 AI CONFESSES— SIX WAYS I GET THE LAW WRONG Roshi Sharma of LawBEAM ran output from Harvey, a generative AI platform, through LawBEAM’s own legal AI engine and, Sharma says, found fatal errors of law and fact. Asked to explain, Harvey admitted six failings. In its own words: […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Canizares disbarred, again | Abuse survivors sue Ottawa over Jordan inaction | Litigant hides AI prompts in court filing | Treatable pedophile dodges dangerous offender label | Epiq picks Bertrand for Canadian class action administration
By Julius Melnitzer | October 12, 2026 CANIZARES DISBARRED, AGAIN Nicholas Canizares has been disbarred for the second time. The Toronto lawyer lost his licence in 1989 and won it back in 2009, on his undertaking to stay out of real estate and criminal law. On October 5, the Law Society Tribunal revoked his licence […]
Jewish lawyers’ group decries LSO inaction on antisemitism at TMU
Joseph Neuberger | Faisal Kutty LSO rejected motion seeking withdrawal of TMU’s accreditation, Muslim lawyer supports ‘measured response’ By Julius Melnitzer | September 15, 2026 The Canadian Jewish Law Association (CJLA) has criticized the Law Society of Ontario (LSO) for its response to the Benotto report on antisemitism at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) and called […]
Licensees may obtain disclosure in interlocutory suspension proceedings
LSO tribunal accepts LSO reading of disclosure rule but refuses its ‘exceptional circumstances’ test By Julius Melnitzer | September 10, 2026 The Law Society Tribunal has ruled that licensees may be entitled to disclosure in support of their responses to interlocutory suspension proceedings. The Tribunal accepted the Law Society of Ontario’s submission that it had […]
Hate Everything or Risk the Consequences
Photo by Bastian Riccard at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | April 10, 2026 I would have to guess that some of the people at the law firm where I toiled for 34 years like what I write on LinkedIn and some don’t. The reason that I have to guess is that, with the very occasional […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: A classic case of hubris: lawyers protecting misbehaving lawyers | Regulator says lawyers naughtier than accountants | Environmentalists: at least lawyers don’t make bombs or help sell cigars | Should AI-generated docs attract privilege? | DLA Piper appoints Regional Managing Partners
RECORD FINE FOR AI MISUSE IS NO DETERRENT TO LAWYERS In what is said to be the highest fine imposed so far in Canada on lawyers who misuse AI, the Alberta Court of Appeal has imposed personal costs of $17,500 + GST on an Alberta lawyer who filed a factum drafted by a contractor that […]
Law Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry
By Murray Gottheil | February 20, 2026 The old timers among us will remember the 1970 movie Love Story, which featured what may be the stupidest line of dialogue ever. I refer to the statement that “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” It would take a lawyer to build upon that bit of nonsense […]
BARE BONES BRIEFS: Lawyer disbarred for failing to ID known Client | PE law firm takeovers on the Rise | Farting is a Crime in NB | Trump would have deported Beatles | IACA launches Global Passport for arbitration Community
By Julius Melnitzer | January 30, 2026 CERTIFYING COPIES OF ID DOCUMENTS LEADS TO DISBARMENT Andrew Jackson, a UK solicitor for more than two decades who led the commercial property at Chester firm Cullimore Dutton Solicitors, lost his license to practise when he admitted certifying copies of of a client’s passport and driving license without […]
Bare Bones Briefs: Bennett Jones’ national partner raids bolster energy, mining and M&A groups | LSO stalls on new allegations against disbarred, jailed, and readmitted lawyer | Mathews Dinsdale booming, adds 10 lawyers | Russel Drew is DLA Piper’s new Canada managing partner | BorderPass transforms immigration law practice
By Julius Melnitzer | January 16, 2026 BENNETT JONES ADDS THREE CORE PARTNERS Seeking to align both with the priorities of the firm and the Canadian economy, Bennett Jones has scooped three high-profile lawyers from other national firms to join its energy, mining, and M&A groups. They are: DELAY STILL THE NORM AT LSO Just […]