As it does every year, December 1st has snuck up us. The date arrives just as the holiday busy season is heating up, and folks are packing their days and evenings with holiday shopping, parties, card-writing and travel plans. In the midst of all this, we ask the Canadian legal community to add one more thing to their plate: participating in the Canadian Law Blog Awards, fondly known as the Clawbies, now in its 14th year.

Thankfully, no one ever complains about this “one more thing”. In fact, many folks say they are grateful for the opportunity to reflect on . . . [more]

As the President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries, I was privileged to spend a few days with my fellow volunteer board members recently. Part of our time was devoted to planning around the strategic direction of our association. Though our board includes a diverse cross-section of legal information professionals when measured by geography, institution type, and role, we all self identify as “law librarians”. Even me and I am semi-retired and work in legal research technology sales.

Our strategy discussion asked what is going well or poorly, who are we today and is that different from how we . . . [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.

Non-Conventional Copyright: Do New and Atypical Works Deserve Protection? Edited by Enrico Bonadio & Nicola Lucchi. Cheltenham, UK: Edgar Elgar, 2018. xiii, 500 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 978-1-78643-406-7 (hardcover) $200.00 plus eBook.

Reviewed by Laura Lemmens, BA BEd MLIS
Information Literacy Librarian, Library and Open Information
Alberta Government . . . [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.

Abortion: History, Politics, and Reproductive Justice after Morgentaler. Edited by Shannon Stettner, Kristin Burnett & Travis Hay. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2017. vi, 372 p. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-7748-3574-9 (paper) $34.95.

Reviewed by Megan Siu
Community Development & Educational Specialist
Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta (CPLEA)
In . . . [more]

Can you give one day to your writing? If so, there is a treat coming to Toronto just for you.

Each year, at law schools all across the United States, the Legal Writing Institute sponsors a One-Day Workshop, which establishes 10-12 satellite forums to discuss the study, teaching, and practice of professional legal writing.

This year, for the very first time outside the US, Osgoode Hall Law School and the U of T Faculty of Law will jointly host a One-Day Legal Writing Institute Workshop entitled “Research and Writing in the Experiential Learning Context.”

The Osgoode and U of T

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.

The Fundamentals of Statutory Interpretation. By Cameron Hutchison (with Contributors Eric M. Adams & Matthew Lewans). Toronto: LexisNexis Canada, 2018. xxii, 152 p. Includes index. ISBN 978-0-433-49492-8 (softcover) $95.00.

Reviewed by Erica Anderson
Manager, Digital and Web Content
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
In CLLR 44:3

Law librarians are experts at . . . [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.

Social Media and Morality: Losing Our Self Control. By Lisa S. Nelson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. 225 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781107164932 (hardcover) $114.95. ISBN 9781316616574 (softcover) $39.95.

Reviewed by Sally Sax
Collections Librarian (Business, Public Affairs, Legal Studies)
Carleton University
In CLLR 44:2

Social Media . . . [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.

Wigmore on Cannabis: The Forensic Toxicology of Marijuana for Lawyers and Other Medicolegal Professionals. By James G. Wigmore. Toronto: Irwin Law, 2018. xxxviii, 554 p. With a foreword by Robert M. Langville. 9781552214848 (paperback) $110.00.

Reviewed by Margo Jeske
University of Ottawa Library
In CLLR 44:1

Author James G. Wigmore . . . [more]

Some of the law librarian Slaw readership will be deep in budget planning for next year. I am thinking of colleagues in private law firms and particularly those new to budget creation or those who have been caught by surprise when there are substantial and unexpected increases for print or electronic material.
The Canadian Association of Law Libraries webinar team is coming to the rescue with a one hour webinar on Effective Budgeting for Libraries on Wednesday, September 25 from noon to 1 Eastern.

Creating a budget document that helps decision-makers understand the true cost of information is important. It . . . [more]

Some of you may have noticed that after over 25 years of being hosted exclusively under the Lexum domain at https://scc-csc.lexum.com, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) judgments are now also available under the Court’s own domain at https://decisions.scc-csc.ca. On top of the new URL, the database has been graphically integrated with the SCC institutional website, making it easier to navigate between judgments and the rest of the information published online by the court.

Renée Thériault, the Court’s Executive Legal Officer, says “This initiative is part of the Court’s continued efforts to make case-related information more accessible . . . [more]

1. Review your multi-year accessibility plans by January 1, 2020

On January 1, 2014, section 4(1) of the Integrated Accessibility Standards, Ontario Regulation 191/11 under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) required the Government of Ontario, Legislative Assembly, designated public sector organizations and large organizations (50 plus employees) to have multi-year accessibility plans in place and posted on their websites (if any), and to provide the plan in an accessible format upon request.

The multi-year accessibility plan must inform and outline the organization’s strategy for preventing and removing barriers faced by persons with disabilities and also for meeting . . . [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.

The Challenge of Children’s Rights for Canada. By Katherine Covell, R. Brian Howe & J.C. Blockhuis. 2nd ed. Waterloo, ON: Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2018. x, 246 p. Includes index and bibliography. ISBN 978-1-7712-355-6 (softcover) $44.99.

Reviewed by Jennifer Walker
Head Librarian
County of Carleton Law Association
In CLLR 44:3 . . . [more]