Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Timely
Neil Guthrie

This adjective isn’t my favourite. Perhaps it’s that weak, adverb-like —ly ending. It’s unobjectionable in a timely reminder, but in a timely manner is like fingernails down a chalkboard, somehow. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

A Possessive Puzzle
Neil Guthrie

Is it Amber and Veronica’s children or Amber’s and Veronica’s children? It could be either, depending on what is meant. The first refers to the children Amber and Veronica parent together; the second to two sets of children, separately parented. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Use Polls During Student Training
Susannah Tredwell

It’s May, which means (if you happen to be a law firm librarian) it is summer student training time. COVID-19 has meant that a significant amount of training is now offered online rather than in person. Online training has its own set of challenges, one of which includes keeping the participants involved. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Re: Re
Neil Guthrie

Someone recently made this comment on LinkedIn: I’m so excited re: the below. (The colon may or may not have been there.) Why not I’m so excited about this instead of the commenter’s mish-mash of somewhat immature enthusiasm and the lawyer jargon of re and the below? … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Esports
Neil Guthrie

This is now a thing, as they say. I’m not entirely sure what it all involves, but then I’m not that keen on the non-electronic version of sports. My interest in esports is orthographical, naturally. Why no hyphen (e-sports)? … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

‘Why Can’t We Just Use “Sponsee”?’
Neil Guthrie

This question came up in a recent discussion forum for professional development people at law firms. The subject was terminology to describe law students and recently minted lawyers in need of guidance from more senior members of the profession. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Use CanLII’s Subject Classification Terms to Narrow Your Search Results
Susannah Tredwell

CanLII recently announced the addition of AI generated subject classification to its Ontario and Saskatchewan case law which makes it much faster to see what area of the law a case falls into. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Around and Around Again
Neil Guthrie

I’ve commented on this before, but around is rapidly becoming an epidemic. And one that needs to be contained. Of late, around has been taking the place of better and clearer words like on or about. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Agreeance: Is That a Thing?
Neil Guthrie

I was on a call recently, and someone said ‘OK, now that we’re all in agreeance, …’ That made me wonder about the word, which I’ve seen and heard occasionally. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Womxn
Neil Guthrie

No, that isn’t a typo. The spelling is deliberate, an attempt to decouple woman and women from that male-sounding second syllable. See this article, for example. … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Read the Contract
Susannah Tredwell

As law librarians we should all know the value of reading a contract before we sign it. And yet… For librarians, some specific clauses in contracts to take note of are: Renewal of the contract – does the contract renew automatically? … . . . [more]

Here are excerpts from the most recent tips on SlawTips, the site that each week offers up useful advice, short and to the point, on practice, research, writing and technology.

Research & Writing

Small Things
Neil Guthrie

Small and incorrect, that is. Thank-you: This isn’t wrong when used as a noun (She sent a bottle of wine as a thank-you) or as an adjective (That thank-you bottle was much appreciated). … . . . [more]