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Archive for September, 2011

2011 FOI Audit

On the 26th, Newspapers Canada released its 2011 National Freedom of Information Audit.

Everybody fails, apparently, (and especially BC, and Ottawa) except PEI. At least, that’s what the reporting emphasizes, though the report itself is more balanced. 88% of BC requests were not filled within the required 30 business days, though all eventually were.

Newspapers Canada also followed up on its audit with further requests for department emails, some of which it has released, concerning the audit itself, and that is where the really interesting story is, as reported by the Tyee. . . . [more]

Posted in: Legal Information, Miscellaneous

Canadian Social Networking by the Numbers

In recent presentations and teaching I have been sharing some numbers about social network use compared against mobile use by Canadians. I have put those numbers together in a few slides that might be of interest–these slides are downloadable for anyone who would like to use them.

I have included a disclaimer (second slide) just to warn everyone these numbers are from a range of sources and therefore likely were compiled using different methods. So, these numbers are meant for general interest rather than to be used to make business decisions that would rely on the numbers.

I note these . . . [more]

Posted in: Technology: Internet

Closed Doors or Open?

Fenerbahçe S.K. is a football club based in Istanbul; aka the Yellow Canaries. Fenerbahçe are defending league champions in the Turkish Süper Lig. On July 21, 2011, Fenerbahçe’s fans rushed the field in a protest against perceived slights of the team by the media. As you might be aware international football has been plagued with fan violence in recent years and football’s governing bodies have taken steps to punish teams where such violence has taken place. In response to the incident on July 21, the Turkish FF (TFF- Türkiye Futbol Federasyonu) sentenced Fenerbahçe to a closed door match, . . . [more]

Posted in: Miscellaneous, Substantive Law: Foreign Law, Substantive Law: Legislation

The Friday Fillip: Stickman in Action

Ok, this is cool. Well, cooler than you think it’s going to be when the instructions say, “Draw a stickman.” How often do you get to create a hero or heroine? Here’s your chance. And lest you think some modicum of artistic talent is necessary, or even useful, let me reassure you that nothing could be further from the truth. Witness my… effort:

I sense, even from this distance, that you believe my drawing could be improved. Sure. You might attach hair — or a superhero cape — to your figure. Or do a better job than I . . . [more]

Posted in: Miscellaneous

You Might Like…

This is a post in a series to appear occasionally, setting out some articles, videos, podcasts and the like that contributors at Slaw are enjoying and that you might find interesting. The articles tend to be longer than blog posts and shorter than books, just right for that stolen half hour on the weekend. It’s also likely that most of them won’t be about law — just right for etc.

Please let us have your recommendations for what we and our readers might like.

. . . [more]
Posted in: Reading: You might like...

The Missing Link(s): Practice Group Social Media

We have been watching the ascent of social media in legal marketing for a few years now. Law blogs, once considered a frivolity suitable only for the technogeek outliers at the fringe of the law firm, are now recognized as legitimate business development vehicles at many, if not most, firms. Likewise, other social media channels including Linkedin, Twitter, YouTube and to some extent Facebook, have all been moving (at varying paces) along a recognizable continuum inside the law firm environment that looks a bit like this:

Derision >> skepticism >> grudging curiosity >> cautious adoption >> widespread use

As social . . . [more]

Posted in: Legal Marketing

Slaw Site News – 2011-09-29

Site news for those who read Slaw only via RSS or email

1. Comment Watch:

In the last week there were 29 comments. You might be particularly interested in two lengthy and detailed comments by Don Laird on Is It Possible to Secure Law Firm Data?

You can subscribe to the comments on Slaw either as a separate matter (RSS, email) or as part of a subscription combining posts and comments (RSS, email).

2. SlawTips

This week’s tips on SlawTips are:

. . . [more]
Posted in: Slaw RSS Site News

The Basics of Using PowerPoint in Court

You’ve built your evidentiary PowerPoint. It’s ready to take to court. It’s chock full of interesting and persuasive images, maps, diagrams documents etc. needed to prove your case. What’s next?

Previous columns covered the basics of creating an evidentiary PowerPoint (PPT). In this column I’ll begin to cover considerations for using a PPT in court.

The PowerPoint as an Exhibit

A crucial first step is to decide is how the PowerPoint will be filed as an exhibit.

Like any object or photo used in court the PowerPoint (PPT), once referred to by a witness or displayed in court, must be . . . [more]

Posted in: Legal Technology

Why I Was Compelled to Watch ‘Pan Am’

While I was pondering the angle to take on the new television show Pan Am, I came upon Patrick Smith’s article on Salon.com, “Why I’m not watching Pan Am”. The author (a pilot) offers (in jest, I assume) that he feels hurt that he was not invited to provide his expertise as a technical advisor, and “it’s a TV show, not a historical documentary, and I’d be liable to find myself sitting there grumbling at the screen, pointing out inaccuracies and taking the whole enterprise a little too seriously.”

In a way, the reason why I wanted to watch . . . [more]

Posted in: Miscellaneous

Who’s Insuring Your Insurance?

The possibility of losing any portion of your benefit due to your insurer’s insolvency has probably never crossed your mind. Why should it? After all, we live in a country with a carefully regulated and stable financial services industry. As a result, I think it’s unlikely that your insurer will become insolvent. However, there is a risk, albeit a very small one, and it has happened three times.

In 1992, Les Coopérants became the first Canadian insurance company to become insolvent. This was followed by Sovereign Life in 1993 and Confederation Life in 1994. This affected over 1.1 million Canadian . . . [more]

Posted in: Practice of Law

Tips for “Extreme Negotiations”

The Harvard Business Review has an interview with Jeff Weiss and Jonathan Hughes, “Implementing Strategies in Extreme Negotiations,” that contains advice that may help with any important and difficult negotiation. In essence, the advice is to:

  • “understand what’s motivating the other party;
  • “come up with a variety of possible solutions and invite critiques;
  • “use facts to persuade;
  • “demonstrate a commitment to a fair and reasonable outcome;
  • “build trust over time;
  • and focus on actively shaping the process of the negotiation.”

In preparing for a negotiation, Weiss and Hughes suggest using a “seven-elements checklist” developed by their colleagues at . . . [more]

Posted in: Miscellaneous, Practice of Law

Make Sure You Own Your Domain Name

It is important that every business or organization has their domain names (eg slaw.ca) registered in their own name, and that the administrative contact is a senior person within the business.

There are a couple of reasons for that.

Domain names are often registered by an advertising agency, web designer, or IT provider for one of their customers. They should register it in their customer’s name, but often register it in their own name because it is simpler and easier for them.

Given that domain names are valuable assets, they ought to be registered in the actual owner’s name. The . . . [more]

Posted in: Substantive Law