Back in the day, when I was starting my mediation practice, I received the worst advice ever. It came from someone who, I believe, meant well. The advice was that I should let the world know I was a mediator by modelling neutrality. In everything I did. Why was this bad advice? Because that is...Read More

On 6 May 2026, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) announced that it had eliminated 91 positions, including 45 layoffs, in response to a $15 million deficit. The deficit followed a $9.4 million reduction to NSCC’s operating grant by the Province of Nova Scotia earlier in the year and reduced international tuition revenue, due to previous...Read More

In recent years we have made significant strides in recognizing the prevalence of mental health issues amongst lawyers and attempting to defeat the stigma that discourages lawyers from disclosing their challenges and seeking support. It is now well-known and accepted that “legal professionals are almost twice as likely to experience mental health issues like anxiety,...Read More

I learned what a “third place” was long before I knew the term. At the time, it didn’t feel like a lesson. It felt like a demotion. When I was practising law at the City of Toronto, space was at a premium. New hires were placed wherever a desk could be found As a junior...Read More

Early in my career in education, I was introduced to a learning scale that offered both my students and me a different way of thinking about competency. The scale looks like this: Understanding the Competency Continuum Let’s consider this through a real-world example: learning to drive a car. Before you begin learning to drive, you...Read More

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a bold experiment being conducted on our institutions, with very few guardrails. When we do experiments with chemicals and biological materials to develop new drugs, pesticides, or even cleaning products, we set up controlled environments with protections for the humans involved in the testing. AI is mostly being developed without external...Read More

“Progressions can’t be made if we’re separate forever.” – Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest) Whether your path to addressing a dispute is collaborative or adversarial, some degree of interaction with others engaged in the conflict is typically required. The frequency of such interactions can heighten their strain, particularly in circumstances where disputing parties co-exist in...Read More

For years I’ve been buying the same turkey bites from the grocery store (Canadian made, of course). They’re a high protein, grab-and-go snack. And, for years, I’ve paid about $7.00 for them. During my last visit to the grocery store, those same turkey bites were a whopping $12.99. Reading the sticker price led to an...Read More

It has been clear for a long time that self-represented litigants struggle to understand the system they are often thrown into. By contrast, lawyers study for years, and have the benefit of ever-mounting daily experience, topped off with the privilege and deference associated with belonging to the legal profession. It’s no wonder then that SRLs...Read More

Sole practitioners in Ontario are required by the Law Society to maintain a contingency plan for their practice in case they unexpectedly become unable to practice law or meet their professional obligations. Although this has been the case since January 1, 2025, the first time we need to confirm with the LSO that we have...Read More