This submission is part of a column swap with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) bimonthly member magazine, AALL Spectrum. Published six times a year, AALL Spectrum is designed to further professional development and education within the legal information industry. Slaw and the AALL Spectrum board have agreed to hand-select several columns each year as part of this exchange. 

The Rule of Law is a system of laws, institutions, norms, and commitments that further four key principles: accountability, just law, open government, and accessible and impartial justice. Rule of Law initiatives have been promoted by the American Bar . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Detachable Penis: A Queer Legal Saga. By Sam Elkin. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2024. 200 p. ISBN 9781771126656 (softcover) $29.99; ISBN 9781771126663 (ePUB); ISBN 9781771126670 (PDF).

Reviewed by Brianna Calomino
Digital Projects Librarian
University of Calgary

With a distinctive book cover featuring a crocheted penis that elicits a . . . [more]

Courthouse libraries play a quiet but essential role in supporting the justice system. As legal research practices evolve and user needs change, the physical layout and design of these libraries matter more than ever. Across Ontario, courthouse libraries are embracing both long recognized design principles and practical, user driven improvements to create spaces that are welcoming, efficient, and adaptable.

The Theory of Library Design*

Library design theory has long emphasized the importance of aligning space with purpose. Approaches such as functional relationship analysis encourage planners to consider how users move through the environment, where different activities naturally occur, and how . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Democracy, Protest and the Law: Defending a Democratic Right. By Michael Head. London, U.K.: Routledge, 2024. vii, 198 p. Includes index. ISBN 9780367608323 (hardcover) US$190.00; ISBN 9781003100652 (eBook) US$56.99.

Reviewed by Haley O’Halloran
Research Librarian
Toronto Lawyers Association

While reading this book, Toronto, the city where I live, passed a . . . [more]

Part of being a law librarian and professor on Foreign, Comparative and International Legal Research involves assuaging people’s interest in current events around the world. Personally, I call it the curse of current events. Instead of running away from it, I now take it as an opportunity to leverage that, at times, sudden interest in other parts of the world and further educate into the intricacies of this highly complex and ever changing research puzzle.

These days, Venezuela, Russia, Ukraine, Iran and Greenland are perfect examples of this sudden interest. However, Greenland differs from the others on this list . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Decoding Canadian Legal Research, Writing, and Conventions: A Guide for Internationally Trained Lawyers. By Kellinde Wrightson. Toronto, ON: Emond Montgomery, 2024. xviii, 259 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781774624296 (softcover) $56.00; ISBN 9781774624319 (ePub) $50.00.

Reviewed by Dominique Garingan
Manager, Legal Learning & Development
Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP . . . [more]

Given the high value placed on research excellence by legal professionals and consultants, I am surprised that stories continue to be reported about the lack of rigour exercised in the creation of work product by these professional groups. In addition to the ongoing stories of professional sanctions placed on lawyers for including incorrect citations and other issues associated with the use of generative AI, there have been regular stories about the high values for government report contracts and the use of AI to create them. Here are some articles on a report prepared by Deloitte for the Province of Newfoundland . . . [more]

While I’ve written about this issue efore, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out the excellent summary that the Globe and Mail has put together of How to access Canadian court records by jurisdiction. The list includes all provincial and territorial jurisdictions, links where appropriate and contact information for those jurisdictions that don’t make their court records easily available online. 

— Susannah Tredwell . . . [more]

Generative AI is nearly impossible to avoid as a law student. Over the past few years, it has been embedded into many of the products commonly used for legal work (See e.g., proprietary research platforms, Google, Microsoft products, etc). Whether welcomed or resisted, generative AI is now part of the legal information environment.

There are many questions remaining about how to prepare students for the use of generative AI during their legal education for their future practice. While technological competence ≠ generative AI, we know that use of generative AI systems is a technical skill . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Cultural Humility in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success. Edited by Shannon D. Jones & Beverly Murphy. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2024. xv, 179 p. Includes bibliographic references, figures, and index. Medical Library Association Books Series. ISBN 9781538162149 (hardcover) $138.95; ISBN 9781538162156 (softcover) $56.95.

Reviewed by . . . [more]

Two recent events in my professional life have me thinking (and worrying as is my nature) about the push and pull we lawyers experience when communicating with clients. In an increasingly connected world, how do we balance our obligation to respond in a reasonable timeframe with the client’s expectation to receive frequent and immediate responses via text or instant messaging?

The first event is the launch of the Public Concerns Pathway (PCP) from the Law Society of Saskatchewan. I was the Knowledge Engineer on this project that provides the public with clear information about common concerns with legal professionals and . . . [more]

Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law.

Addressing the Jury: Achieving Fair Verdicts in Personal Injury Cases. By Roger Oatley & Troy Lehman. 3rd ed. Toronto: LexisNexis, 2025. xix, 438 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9780433531654 (softcover) $145.00.

Reviewed by Lorissa Kinna
Reference Librarian
Great Library, Law Society of Ontario

The third iteration of Addressing . . . [more]