I am taking advantage of the judicial posts to invite, on behalf of the Law Commission of Ontario, project proposals dealing with technology and the law.

Both Justices Turnball’s and Granger’s posts illustrate the advantages of using advanced technology in the courtroom. I am aware about how effectively technology has been used for all judges in the Court of Appeal in Calgary, as another example. I note John Gregory’s comment about the need for a more integrated electronic system as part of my inquiry.

I raise the following questions purely for consideration and by no means to suggest they exhaust . . . [more]

Wired magazine is reporting what is probably the first instance of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) used in a courtroom. The brain scan of a Chicago man accused of raping and killing a 10-year-old girl was used to demonstrate that he was a psychopath and should not be given the death penalty.

Although we don’t have the death penalty in Canada, some would also argue relevance because we barely have MRIs here as well. As Forbes Magazine was fond of stating last year,

Pittsburgh has more MRI machines than Canada.

The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) points out that . . . [more]

Kendra Ryan, Knowledge Management Coordinator at Stikeman Elliot in Calgary was kind enough to share a tip with me. Kendra and I connected through the CBA Research Lawyers South section meeting where I shared some tips on using social media sites for legal research. Slides, Handout.

www.socialmention.com

This website searches social media tools across the world for whatever topic you’d like. It’s used commonly by people performing CI reports. It’s a neat way to bring back social media hits that may be overlooked on a larger search engine like Google. This site even tries to break down

I have been a judge of the Superior Court of Justice for 4 1/2 years. In that capacity, I am asked to preside over a wide variety of cases and hearings which include criminal jury trials, criminal non jury cases, family law trials and motions, civil motions and trials, and a number of other issues.

From the outset, I decided to use my computer in all judicial proceedings where I was presiding for a number of reasons. First, I am left handed and do not write quickly. When I was a lawyer, note taking was always problematic for me because . . . [more]

Like many lawyers, I am not really a numbers person. Despite its fundamental importance, financial analysis of our growing firm is something that I have found challenging. Combined with a busy practice and demands from many places for precious time, it has been a project that has sat on the back burner for too long.

I have many articles printed out from the BC Law Society, Ontario’s practice PRO, CLE BC and Law Practice magazine – often written by Dave Bilinsky – on how to analyze and manage law firm finances effectively to maximize profit and reduce risk. . . . [more]

Everybody wants their 15 minutes of fame, and this week there was plenty of recognition to go around — both in the biotech community and in the legal community.

The FDA, famous for restrictive rules on communications, is having a hard time adjusting to current internet trends, leading to some controversial decisions about Google search ads. Trying to do better, FDA held a two-day hearing about the use of the internet and social media for online drug marketing so it can calibrate its decisions for a new era. Rule-making will follow at the old era pace, though.

Simon Fodden . . . [more]

The prospect of Tesco or the Co-op owning a law firm or offering legal services had leader writers in the English legal press in a tizzy, but the Legal Services Board today produced a complex consultation document on Alternative Business Structures which sets out eligibility tests for significant equity investments in firms providing legal services. . . . [more]

Doubtless there have been other stories like this, but multiple headlines on the same day start me wondering whether after the North American economic earthquake settles, we won’t have very different local and community outreach for legal services and legal information: . . . [more]

It’s a law student’s dream – or maybe a nightmare. Law firm recruiters scouring social media networks to find an appropriate candidate for their firm.

The current recruitment process does little to reveal the personality, collegiality, drive and habits of applicants. It does nothing to demonstrate their business connections, an important quality for “finders,” or political involvement, for firms that engage in lobbying and government relations.

The majority of law students do spend hours on social media platforms, usually behind walled gardens that they think are impermeable, so why wouldn’t law firms go where they are? We’ve already . . . [more]

Last week Leslie Ellen Harris correctly pointed out in her Slaw post Using Flickr Photos that we should not assume content available on the web is freely available without copyright. She gave photos on Flickr as the example.

One thing I love about Flickr, however, is that it allows those of us who upload photos to designate Creative Commons licensing as an alternative. When I am looking for images for blog posts or presentations, I will often use the advanced search on Flickr to look for images available under Creative Commons (especially for commercial use)–scroll down on the advanced search . . . [more]

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that the current government plans to introduce a Bill in Parliament tomorrow that will require internet service providers to report suspected child pornography on sites they host or that are linked from sites they host: Ottawa aims to strengthen Internet child porn laws.

The text is not available, but when considered along with Bill C-47, the government appears to be singling out the telecommunications industry to take on additional law enforcement duties. We’ve generally been technology neutral in our criminal laws, but there seems to be a trend emerging to focus on what’s online . . . [more]

On the 22nd of October 2002 the evidentiary phase of GasTOPS v. MxI commenced in a regular courtroom in Ottawa Ontario. On March 23, 2006 after approximately 300 days of hearing and after approximately 2800 exhibits (70,000 pages) were entered into the record I reserved my decision. Over the next 20 months counsel submitted their written submissions (3500 pages). On September 25, 2009 I released my Reasons for judgment wherein I granted the plaintiff judgment against the defendants in the amount of approximately $11.1 million dollars.

The trial was conducted in a paperless environment and the trial record consists of . . . [more]