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 Legal Brain: A Lawyer’s Guide to Well-Being and Better Job Performance. By Debra S. Austin. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2024. x, 257 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781009484602 (hardcover) $102.95; ISBN 9781009484565 (softcover) $33.95; ISBN 9781009484558 (eBook) US$29.99.

Reviewed by Leslie Taylor
Research and Instruction Librarian
Lederman . . . [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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

It’s December first and that of course means it’s time to open up Clawbies nominations! And because we are getting set to issue our 20th edition of the awards, we called in for reinforcements!

The 2011 Friends of the North Winners, Three Geeks and a Law Blog were kind enough to use their Geek in Review podcast to host Sarah, Jordan and myself to kick off this year’s awards. The conversation gave us a chance to reflect on twenty years of open legal web publishing, and the role of legal authors as beacons for truthful online conversation. . . . [more]

There has been much chatter on LinkedIn about a new academic article about the Verification-Value Paradox (of GenAI use by lawyers).

The article claims that it is doubtful that GenAI delivers value to lawyers because any efficiency gains are erased by the time spent verifying its output; a framing that the author calls the “verification-value paradox.”

The “paradox” is:

More AI = more verification = less value.

The author admits that this paper is not based on fresh, robust empirical evidence, as he waffles back and forth in much of his discussion of the paradox; essentially stating that GenAI . . . [more]

AI Generated Government?

It’s interesting that both of these articles came through on my feed in the same day:

Ahmed Otmani Amaouim, “Canada’s new Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation: What it means for Canadian innovators” (MNP, last accessed September 12, 2025), online: https://www.mnp.ca/en/insights/directory/what-it-means-for-canadian-innovators.

and then

Patrick Butler, “N.L.’s 10-year education action plan cites sources that don’t exist” (CBC, September 12, 2025), online: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/education-accord-nl-sources-dont-exist-1.7631364.

Falsified Education Policy?

Let’s just call it – it was Newfoundland and Labrador’s **Education Accord** (10 year policy document) (that cost $755,000 dollars, no less) which contained falsified sources:

Yumna Iftikhar, “PCs ‘not . . . [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 Right to Oblivion: Privacy and the Good Life. By Lowry Pressly. Cambridge, M.A.: Harvard University Press, 2024. ix, 228 p. Includes illustrations, notes, and index. ISBN 9780674260528 (hardcover) $47.00; ISBN 9780674298262 (eBook) $44.65.

Reviewed by Laura Reid
Student Learning & Engagement Librarian
University of Calgary

Many of us are . . . [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.

How to Use Digital Learning with Confidence and Creativity: A Practical Introduction. Edited by Gearóid Ó Súilleabháin, Donna Lanclos & Tom Farrelly. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, 2024. 362 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781035311286 (hardcover) US$180.00; ISBN 9781035360543 (softcover) US$53.95; ISBN 9781035311293 (eBook) US$43.16.

Reviewed by Brianna Calomino . . . [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.

Emond’s Basics of Tort Law. By Alex Colangelo. Toronto: Emond, 2024. viii, 157 p. Includes table of cases, glossary, and index. ISBN 9781774626702 (softcover) $79.00; ISBN 9781774626719 (digital) $59.00.

Reviewed by Melanie Bueckert
Legal Research Counsel
Manitoba Court of Appeal

Emond’s Basics of Tort Law is a very short book—each . . . [more]