- Missouri jail moves to video-only visits; fee will be charged to visitors
- Next Fight for Gay Rights: Bias in Jobs and Housing
- Ken Paxton, Texas official, says state clerks can deny gay marriage licenses - World - CBC News
- Ontario Judge signals it’s time to offer relief from ‘backbreaking’ fines
- ‘Deadbeat’ N.S. developer who owes $1.7 million in child support flees to the Middle East
- LSUC webcasts to continue despite few viewers
- It's Saskatchewan's turn to send a judge to Supreme Court - The Globe and Mail
- EU Court Rules That Website Is Liable For Anonymous Comments
- Gay marriage is a constitutional right, Supreme Court rules
- Toronto lawyer suing Peel Police for $1.5 million
- Opponents slam same-sex marriage ruling as ‘judicial tyranny’ while others rejoice
- Same-sex marriage legal anywhere in the United States, Supreme Court rules
- Trump hotel profits overstated to woo buyers, court told
- Judge rules for openness in custody case involving conflict over son’s gender identity
- Facebook ordered by Dutch court to identify revenge porn publisher
- Laura Liscio, criminal lawyer arrested in court, has all charges withdrawn
Monday, June 29, 2015
140Law - Legal Headlines for the Week of June 29, 2015
Posted by Rachel, Law Clerk and Office Manager on Monday, June 29, 2015 0 comments
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
140Law - Legal Headlines for the week of June 22, 2015
- Lester Holt Reflects on His Rise to NBC’s Anchor Chair
- Ontario man exonerated 45 years after being wrongly convicted of killing his wife
- Woman accused of streaming live sex shows from Windsor library pleads guilty
- Murphy & Singer: "Divorced from Reality: Rethinking Family Dispute Resolution"
- NYC bans criminal record questions before job offer
- Loblaws overpayment blunder: 3 lessons learned
- Lawyers need to look gift horse in the mouth
- Watchdog cautions doctors in Sunnybrook end-of-life case - Toronto Star
- Loblaws demands workers pay back thousands after payment error - British Columbia - CBC News
- State prison escapees still on the loose in the U.S. number at least 130 - World - CBC News
- Hulk Hogan sex tape trial could destroy Gawker
- Quebec sign law would add touch of French to global chains like Walmart
- New York bar mulls proposed social media rules for lawyers
- Fired for Refusing 24-hour Electronic Monitoring?
- World’s Biggest Law Firm Wants To Blow Up The Whole Am Law 100 Rankings
- Firing an employee in June could mean larger damage awards in Ontario
- Access to Justice: Limited Scope Representation
- Peter MacKay says government needs more time to draft assisted-suicide law
- Conservatives spend almost $7M defending unconstitutional legislation
- Chicago Frozen Embryo Case
- Removal of Justice Déziel not warranted: report
- Cardinals Face F.B.I. Inquiry in Hacking of Astros’ Database
- Judges slam police for unnecessary jailing of non-Ontario residents
- Workers can be fired for smoking pot off the job, Colorado court says
- Communications Breakdown: When a Lawyer Doesn’t Listen
- Mexico’s Supreme Court quietly legalizes same-sex marriage
- 'This scandal couldn't be any more Canadian': John Oliver pokes fun at Senate scandal
- Zero-tolerance in domestic assault - a conundrum
Posted by Rachel, Law Clerk and Office Manager on Tuesday, June 23, 2015 0 comments
Monday, June 22, 2015
Mindfulness for Lawyers Goes Mainstream
In Lawyers Go Zen, With Few Objections, writer Jacob Gershman delivers more than just a clever headline. He focusses on the enhanced listening skills that can be developed through mindfulness techniques.
I don’t have much personal expertise in this area, but I do have the luxury of deferring on this topic to my significant other, Toronto marketing consultant Sandra Bekhor, who has completed mindfulness training.
Of course, mindfulness is far more than just another tool to be utilized to gain tactical advantage, Bekhor notes.“Sharper listening skills will make you a better lawyer, presumably, whether you are listening to your client, opposing counsel or a judge. What you do with that information is up to you.“Mindfulness training puts you into the present moment, so your observation skills are sharpened. You’re not distracted by preconceptions about the person you’re dealing with or the situation you are in. Being present helps you pick up on subtle messages like body language or emotional responses that you might otherwise miss.Picking up on it can be a gold mine. It helps you see past the game face.
Mindfulness training reduces anxiety, allows us to decompress and sharpens our ability to enjoy life, as humans and professionals.
Those interested in learning more can access the Ontario Bar Association’s Mindful Lawyer CPD series.
Archived video of the OBA’s six-module programme is available free online to OBA members.
Cross posted at Slaw Tips
Posted by Rachel, Law Clerk and Office Manager on Monday, June 22, 2015 0 comments
Labels: lawyers, Mindfulness, SlawTips
Monday, June 15, 2015
140 Law - Legal Headlines for the week of June 15, 2015
- Via @bsookman: The year in review: developments in computer, internet and e-commerce Law (2014-2015)
- Brazil's top court strikes down restrictive biography law -Times Union
- Law student challenges the constitutionality of 'carding' by police - The Globe and Mail
- First U.K. law firm IPO raises $50 million
- Lockdowns, staff shortages plague Toronto South superjail
- Reporter’s defamation case against John Furlong to begin in B.C. court
- Hamilton, Ont prosecutor who compared accused murderer to an ‘animal’ in opening address blamed for causing mistrial
- All the Ways Your Legal Skills Can Be Used via Omar Ha-Redeye
- Dominique Strauss-Kahn Acquitted in France
- Why it’s so hard to keep bad forensics out of the courtroom
- Let child discover his own gender, Ontario judge tells parents in custody order
- Chicago Court Gives Woman Frozen Embryos Despite Ex-Boyfriend’s Objections
- Broken Boys, Thieves, Killers, and Now Escapees
- Loblaw vows to ‘act quickly’ if supplier lied about organic poultry
- Omar Khadr war crime convictions questioned after U.S. court decision
- Senate lawyer arguing against admitting secret audit in Duffy trial
- Michigan Governor Signs Adoption Ban For Same Sex Couples
- Sun-Owning Lady Sues eBay Because They Wouldn’t Let Her Sell ‘Plots’ Of ‘Land’ On ‘Her’ Sun
- Supreme Court of Canada Decision on Cannabis Extracts
- Five things to know about the Supreme Court of Canada's medical marijuana ruling
- Ontario Superior Court upholds Canada Post’s “legal authority” to install community mailboxes
- Gordon Stuckless doesn't need psych assessment, his lawyer says - Toronto Sun
- Glendale council votes to kill Coyotes arena deal
- Georgia woman charged with murder after taking abortion pill
- Contractor loses appeal after fraudulent reno of elderly woman’s home
- The U.S. Supreme Court’s Jerusalem Passport Case
Posted by Rachel, Law Clerk and Office Manager on Monday, June 15, 2015 0 comments
Sunday, June 14, 2015
@wiselaw on "Top 20 Ontario Law Twitter Accounts" Listing
Thanks to the good folks at Lawsome for including us in their list of Top 20 Ontario Law Twitter Accounts, reproduced below:
There are some very good accounts in this listing, so do check them out.
- Law Times: @LawTimes (Ontario legal news online publication)
- Obiter Dicta: @obiterdictaoz (Osgoode Hall student newspaper)
- Precedent Magazine: @PrecedentMag (Toronto lifestyle magazine for lawyers)
- Ultra Vires: @UltraVires (Student newspaper for @UTLaw)
- Ontario Bar Association: @OBAToday
- Toronto Lawyers Association: @TLAVoice
- Law Society Upper Canada: @LawsocietyLSUC
- Brenda Hollingsworth: @OttawaLawyers (Ottawa personal injury lawyer)
- Mr. Toronto Lawyer: @selwynpieters (Human rights and civil litigator)
- Chantal Desloges: @Twimmigration (Toronto Immigration Lawyer)
- Omar HaRedeye: @OmarHaRedeye (Toronto Lawyer and legal academic)
- Daniel Brown: @DanielBrownLaw (Toronto Criminal Defense Lawyer)
- Sean Robichaud: @SeanRobichaud (Toronto criminal defense lawyer)
- Anjli Patel: @bluechipfashion (Toronto Fashion Lawyer)
- Melissa Kluger: @MelissaKluger (Lawyer and publisher of Precedent Magazine and Precedent A-List)
- Jeff Gray: @jeffreybgray (Law Reporter, Globe and Mail)
- Lisa Feldstein: @lisaFeldstein (Ontario health Lawyer with focus on family health law)
- Garry J. Wise: @wiselaw (Toronto lawyer- employment and family law)
- Andrew Mercer: @AndrewLMercer (Toronto insurance lawyer and author)
- Kathryn Marshall: @KVMarshall (Lawyer and Columnist – creator of Lawsome.ca)
And of course, we invite you to follow @wiselaw on Twitter.
Posted by @wiselaw on Sunday, June 14, 2015 0 comments
Labels: @wiselaw, Legally Tweeting, social media, twitter, Wise Law in the Media
More on 'Mobilegeddon'
BY GARRY J. WISE
Law Times picked up on our April 30 post about Google's new mobile compliance requirements with an excellent article last week by writer Michael McKiernan, Focus: Law firms slow to respond to ‘Mobilegeddon’ .
I'm quoted in the article quite extensively:
For Garry Wise, founder of Toronto-based Wise Law Office, Mobilegeddon came in the middle of an update of the firm’s web site.
“Neither the old site nor the new version was going to be mobile compliant,” he says, noting the coming changes led to a redesign on short notice.
According to Wise, somewhere between 30 and 50 per cent of the firm’s web site traffic comes from users of mobile technology.
Although the precise consequences of a failure to become mobile friendly remain unclear thanks to the secrecy that surrounds the exact composition of Google’s algorithms, he says he’d rather not take any chances.
“If you’ve traditionally done really well on Google searches, then failing to be mobile friendly could have serious consequences as to where you fall on a mobile search,” he says.
“It’s going to have a direct impact on how many clicks you’re getting and how many people are finding your web site. We’ve made a number of adjustments on the fly and we’re still adjusting.”
Wise says law firms should treat the new rules as a spur to adjust to the new realities of Internet use and think more about mobile users at the earliest stages of web site design.
“I think for anyone who is building a new web site or updating an old one, they should probably think about mobile-first technology. A lot of things that work well in a desktop universe just do not translate well to mobile. This is going to affect creative design as well as content,” he says.
“Lawyers need to build their web sites with mobile in mind and the first question of designers should be: How will this look on an iPhone or similar device? If the answer is you can’t read it, then get back to work because you haven’t got it right.”
Posted by @wiselaw on Sunday, June 14, 2015 0 comments
Labels: legal technology, Wise Law in the Media
Friday, June 12, 2015
Use Siri Dictation Commands to Punctuate Your Life (Or at Very Least, Your Email)
I’ve previously blogged at Slaw Tips on the virtues of using Siri’s dictation functions to draft letters, emails and other documents typically created in day-to-day legal practice.
In short, dictation with Siri has increased my productivity, precision and the overall quality of my work product.
For those who are similarly inclined, I wanted to share a great list of Siri commands that can be used for punctuating as you dictate. With kudos and credit to iPhone Tricks, here is a partial excerpt:
Period (Full stop). .
Comma. ,
Exclamation point. !
Question mark. ?
Colon. :
Semi-colon. ;
Dash (Hyphen) –
Forward slash. /
Equal sign =
Dollar sign $
Euro sign €
Percent sign %
Registered sign ®
Copyright sign ©
Trademark sign ™
Ampersand &;
Smiley
Open quote “
Close quote “
Open / Close paranthesis. ( / )
Open / Close brackets [ / ]
Open / Close curly bracket. { / }
New line new line
New paragraph new pgh
Another good list of Siri Dictation Commands is here via CrushApps.
Sorry if the iPhone-centricity of this post has left anyone feeling bored or left out. Android and Blackberry users, feel free to entertain yourselves here.
(Cross posted at Slaw Tips)
Posted by Rachel, Law Clerk and Office Manager on Friday, June 12, 2015 0 comments
Labels: Dictation, iPhone, Punctuation, Siri, SlawTips
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Ontario First Time Home Buyers' Programs: A Primer
Those purchasing real estate for the first time will quickly realize that the costs can add up quite fast !
Flooding of Dollars at Muskoka Waterfronts
After a long and difficult winter and with warmer days ahead, spending time in a picturesque and well-maintained property right on the water's edge sounds ideal to many Canadians.
Canadian Real Estate Trends 2015
With the spring real estate season in full bloom, we track trends within the real estate industry. The Globe and Mail has recently reported that despite reaching a new peak last month, growth in the Canadian real estate market appears to be slowingin comparison to the year before.
Points to Consider When Buying Into an Existing Company
Lawyers often get inquiries from potential clients related to a proposed arrangement where an individual is offered a chance to tie up with an existing company. Often, the idea involves an exchange of shares for either some consideration and / or services to be provided. This may involve a shareholder agreement to be prepared on the person's behalf.