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]

Firms that have multiple lawyers in the same practice who can land marquee clients are in an enviable position. However, if not managed correctly this advantage can quickly turn into a nightmare for the firm.

The McLaren Formula 1 team has this problem. They have two incredible drivers who could each be world champion but only one can stand on the top step. To maximize the team’s success without hindering either of their drivers, they have developed the “Papaya Rules.” The rules are basically race hard but clean, with a team‑first mentality and no contact between teammates.

With a few . . . [more]

On January 23, 2026, a disturbing incident unfolded in the Oshawa courthouse that forced the Canadian legal profession to confront a truth many Black lawyers have long known but too often endured in silence. Sudine Riley, a Black woman and criminal defence lawyer, had just completed a trial and was working in a private interview room when uniformed Durham Regional Police officers challenged her presence in the courthouse. What followed, according to her lawyer, was a violent assault: her head was slammed onto a desk, knees pressed into her back and neck, her headscarf ripped off, and she was handcuffed, . . . [more]

When the distinguished Canadian jurist, Kimberly Prost, began her term as a judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2017, she could not have imagined what happened on 20 August 2025. That day, the United States imposed sanctions on her, putting her on a list alongside those implicated in terrorism and organized crime.

Judge Prost is one of eight ICC judges sanctioned by the US during 2025, along with the ICC prosecutor and two deputy prosecutors. They are all being penalised – without any due process – for performing their professional duties as mandated by the Rome . . . [more]

A new year brings fresh perspective, and Canada’s legal marketing network is full of brilliant professionals who see past current obstacles and consistently move their firms forward. What we’ve always known is that the potential is enormous – law firms could accelerate their strategic evolution by embracing the perspective their marketing and business development teams have already developed.

What follows are insights from six of Canada’s sharpest legal marketing minds, covering strategic evolution, smart budget allocation, digital relationship building, IP-specific challenges, client intelligence, and the trust imperative in an AI-driven world.

I’m in my 20th year in this business, building . . . [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]

Law firms are often described as professional services businesses, knowledge businesses, or relationship businesses. All of that is true. But at their core, law firms are 100% people businesses.

Every outcome partners care about be that the client experience, quality of work, risk management, profitability, reputation, succession, these all flow through people. The results you will achieve in any of these domains depend on how motivated, focused, engaged, and well those people are. There is no separating firm performance from human performance.

And yet, many partners find themselves spending far less time than they would like on activities that are . . . [more]

Over the past two years, much of my writing in this space has focused on the accelerating risks associated with artificial intelligence and the uneven state of AI regulation in Canada. I have written about stalled federal legislation, the growing role of privacy regulators, the increased risks of AI use for regulated professionals, and the early signs of AI related litigation beginning to surface in Canadian courts. Taken together, these developments point to a growing tension. Artificial intelligence is being deployed at speed, while the institutions tasked with managing risk remain fragmented, reactive, and unevenly equipped.

This column steps back . . . [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]

Canadians with disabilities are sure to have improved access to copyrighted works with the release of Accessible Content: A Guide to the Canadian Copyright Act on Searching for Accessible Formats and Producing and Distributing Alternate Formats by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and the Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA). Written by Victoria Owen, Alexandra Kohn and Laurie Davidson, and released on September 15, 2025, this comprehensive guide marks a significant milestone in Canada’s pursuit of practical, lawful, and equitable access to copyrighted works for people with perceptual disabilities.

The Accessible Content guide provides a clear . . . [more]

Experiential learning—learning by doing—is central to competency‑based education because it bridges theory and practice. The question for instructors is not whether experiential learning matters, but how best to support learners on that journey. Should instructors be teaching, facilitating, or something else entirely?

Teaching vs. Facilitating: What’s the Difference?

To answer that question, it helps to clarify the distinction between teaching and facilitating.

Teaching focuses on the delivery of knowledge from an expert to a learner. It is most often associated with lectures or demonstrations, where the instructor’s role is to explain concepts, model skills, and ensure learners understand foundational theory. . . . [more]