A few weeks ago, I wrote about the need for firms to take a stronger look at risk management – in other words, to see risk management as much more than simply compliance with law society and other regulations. I suspect that many firms do not have a formal risk management role within the firm because they don’t believe there is much risk beyond compliance issues or that the role is not robust enough to warrant a special position within the firm.

Both of these viewpoints are incorrect, so let me bulk-up the risk manager’s role to include innovation to . . . [more]

Toronto will have the first court in Canada which will have a formal policy for the kirpan, a ceremonial dagger worn by observant Sikhs. Other courts in Canada may allow the kirpan, including the Supreme Court of Canada, but do not yet have formal procedures in place.

The arrangement came about through cooperation between The World Sikh Organization of Canada, the Ontario Human Rights Commission, Toronto Police, the Toronto Police Services Board and the Ministry of the Attorney General.

Curtis Rush of the Toronto Star explains,

The policy was developed as a settlement of two separate human rights cases.

♫ I know you’re waiting and you’re so damn nervous
I know you’re hoping that I could explain this
Look in my eyes
I will try and show you…♫

Lyrics, Music and recorded by Rains.

Two different articles hit my desk this morning and I thought they provided a sharp contrast into the divisions within the legal profession and ultimately, the future of the legal profession.

The first was from Kirk Makin writing for the Globe and Mail. His article, “Courts turn to Wired Justice in Push to Cut Costs” contained some interesting quotes. The article is . . . [more]

On Friday online legal services provider LegalZoom filed for a $120m Initial Public Offering. For those unfamiliar with LegalZoom (likely only our Canadian readers, shielded from the ubiquitous LegalZoom advertising in the US), Richard Granat has authored an excellent series of posts on his eLawyering Redux blog.

As with Facebook’s S-1 filing from a few months ago, LegalZoom’s S-1 filing offers up a wealth of information on the company’s progress to date:

• LegalZoom has served approximately two million customers over the last 10 years;
• In 2011 consumers placed 490,000 orders on the site;
• 2011 revenues were $156m, up

At yesterday’s lawTechCamp, Garry Wise, Bob Tarantino, Mitch Kowalski and I hosted a panel session on law, ethics and technology, where we facilitated a discussion on issues ranging from the cloud and confidentiality to the ethics of purchasing Twitter followers. One of the most enthusiastic discussions centered around whether we should have cameras in the courtroom.

Given that the audience was comprised of both lawyers and members of the public, including several media members, the conflicting principles at play over the issue of cameras in the courtroom were carefully teased out.

The call for the cameras emerge from the . . . [more]

An Oakville lawyer advised us of a new scam that appears to be a brazen attempt to gain access to a law firm’s computers.

Someone identifying himself as Mason Saunders called the firm this morning and asked to speak directly to the lawyer by name. He indicated to the lawyer that he was calling further to a discussion with a clerk at the firm 3 weeks ago. The caller referenced the clerk by name and indicated he had been authorized to create a website for the firm. The caller then asked if the clerk had spoken to the lawyer. “No” . . . [more]

A Ministry of Justice press release dated this Monday announced that British Columbia will become the first province to institute a system of online dispute resolution. Bill 44 — 2012, the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act, creates a tribunal with jurisdiction and powers very much the same as those of the small claims court but mandated to:

2 (1) . . . provide dispute resolution services in relation to matters that are within its authority, in a manner that
(a) is accessible, speedy, economical, informal and flexible,
(b) applies principles of law and fairness, and recognizes any relationships between parties

If a lawyer is caught in a Canadian forest, and their phone battery dies leaving them without e-mail and phone access, are they still a lawyer? We don’t need to contemplate this technologically-modified philosophical question any further, because soon you can power your cell phone with a camp fire.

You can now charge your phone by burning simple wood from said fire using a new product called the BioLite CampStove. You’re also being environmental by using this product, because it only takes excess heat from the stove to convert into electricity.

The worst part is that clients will no . . . [more]

An extraordinary warning today from the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority that fraudsters in Britain have set up phony law firm websites, sufficiently genuine looking that there’s a real risk of fraud.

Bogus firms: Are you at risk of being cloned? . . . [more]

We all like self-improvement tips, even when it isn’t New Years. My good friends Merrilyn Tarlton and Joan Feldman over at Attorney@Work have posted an amazing collection of 101 tips for improving your law practice and being a better you. And as a bonus, many of the tips link to more detailed info.

This post is a must read. It is packed full of great bite-sized tips you can implement immediately. Read it today! . . . [more]

There is a certain foreboding in this David Bowie lyric. The song warns those in power of an emerging class that will replace them.

There are parallels in the modern world of the administration of civil justice.

The need for civil justice is as strong as ever. But although the core qualities of our civil justice system are beyond reproach, some of our machinery for delivering it is rusty and inefficient. This drives up the cost for the individuals and businesses that need it and hurts the image of the bench and bar.

The irony is that we are more . . . [more]

Chief Judge Looks to Pro Bono to Address Access to Justice Concerns

The Chief Judge of New York State announced that henceforth (did I really use that word?) all applicants for the New York state bar must complete 50 hours of pro bono work. Can he do this? Yes he can. In New York, as in many states, lawyers are licensed and regulated by the courts. Many state courts have delegated this power to state bar associations, but not New York state. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said that the new requirement was intended to provide badly-needed legal services in urgent . . . [more]