Shutting down her computer for the day, Mary noticed how anxious she was. Yet again, she had received no feedback on the legal opinion she had drafted for the partner, and she was beginning to worry if her job was in jeopardy. In law firms, far too often, “no news is good news.” You will...Read More

Preamble When students at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law (“LASL” or “the school”) sent a controversial letter (“the letter” or “the October 20th letter”) to the LASL administration, a letter which became public, about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Metropolitan Toronto University (“MTU” or “the University”) filed a complaint under TMU Senate Policy 61, the Student...Read More

Preamble When students at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law (“LASL” or “the school”) sent a controversial letter (“the letter” or “the October 20th letter”) to the LASL administration, a letter which became public, about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Metropolitan Toronto University (“MTU” or “the University”) filed a complaint under TMU Senate Policy 61, the Student...Read More

Preamble When students at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law (“LASL” or “the school”) sent a controversial letter (“the letter” or “the October 20th letter”) to the LASL administration, a letter which became public, about the Israel-Hamas conflict, Metropolitan Toronto University (“MTU” or “the University”) filed a complaint under TMU Senate Policy 61, the Student...Read More

I have almost certainly been treated differently at different times because I was a man, a Canadian, a lawyer, or an Asian. Sometimes it is impossible, and fruitless, to point at one thing or another. Nonetheless I think I can tell some stories of what it has meant to be an Asian lawyer, especially in...Read More

Most of the semi-permanent controversy concerning articling revolves around whether it should be retained as a requirement for lawyer licensure, and if so, how the profession can ensure there are enough articling opportunities for all licensure candidates. Rarely discussed, but relevant to both inquiries, is a simpler question: How long should the articling term last?...Read More

Singapore’s courts were a mess in the late 1980s. There was a five year backlog of cases, and the average commercial matter took between five and six years to resolve. Hearing dates were being set as much as two years in the future. These timelines may sound familiar, if you’re involved with Canada’s civil courts....Read More

Auditing your firm’s marketing activities allows you to examine all marketing and communication efforts to evaluate their effectiveness and alignment with the firm’s overall objectives. Below is a short guide on performing an audit, what to look for, and areas to focus on. 1. Define Objectives and Goals One of the early items in the...Read More

Today, I read two articles that, at first, appear to be entirely unrelated to one another. Technology – Another Drain on Public Resources? First, this one: Elizabeth Thompson, “Federal Government Plans to Increase its use of AI – With Some Big Exceptions” (CBC News, May 27, 2024), online. I read this article with interest. I...Read More

What happens when an intellectual property enforcement proceeding takes too long? Most IP cases in Canada take place in the Federal Court where the rules around dismissals for delay are different than in the provincial superior courts. In the Ontario Superior Court, after a pandemic hiatus, the court is resuming administrative dismissals of civil cases...Read More