Efficient, functional courts are not a luxury. Charlotte McDonald, chair of the CBA's IP Section, told the Toronto Star that court delays have real impacts on people's lives: bit.ly/3W8axMh

In case you missed it ➡️ Retired Ontario judge David Brown says access to court data means access to justice on the latest episode of Verdicts and Voices. Listen now: bit.ly/3KsLGA4

How bad are delays in Canada's courts? Retired judge David Brown says we largely don't know -- and we should. Today, on a new Verdicts & Voices, why access to data means access to justice. Listen now: http://bit.ly/3KsLGA4

"As a law professor and lawyer, I've recently crossed a threshold in my use of AI that feels like a genuine leap in productivity." Read more in this opinion piece by Robert Diab for why he says AI has made him more productive: https://bit.ly/4gDRKlb

Who was Clara Martin? Emily Murphy? Bertha Wilson? To begin Women's History Month, CBA President Bianca Kratt encourages all lawyers to remember these and other trailblazers: http://bit.ly/3Iy6tSf

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, CBA President Bianca Kratt calls on legal professionals "to examine our role in reconciliation and the responsibilities we hold in shaping a more just and equitable future." Read the full statement: http://bit.ly/46EGYql

In case you missed it: Last week on Verdicts & Voices, host Alison Crawford welcomed award-winning journalist Karin Wells for a discussion about the women behind landmark cases in Canadian law. 🎧 Listen here: https://bit.ly/4nGACO0

The latest issue of the Canadian Bar Review is out now! https://bit.ly/46NpdWW

In the new episode of Verdicts and Voices, author Karin Wells joins host Alison Crawford to discuss how the women who helped move the legal needle in Canada. Read more and tune into the podcast ➡️ https://bit.ly/46AqoId

"One day, she just had enough." Welcome to Season 2 of Verdicts and Voices. To start the new season, host Alison Crawford is joined by journalist Karin Wells for a discussion about the women behind landmark cases in Canadian law. 🎧 Listen here: https://bit.ly/4nGACO0 @secondstory.bsky.social

Many Canadians can't afford the thousands of dollars typically required to hire a lawyer. Some say legal coaches are a solution. Read more about the growing demand for coaches that support "do it yourself" clients: https://bit.ly/47W1dlM

"Violence thrives in silence, and when legal systems fail to name gender-based killings for what they are, that silence becomes state-sanctioned." Read more about why Lais Gomes says Canada must legally recognize femicide in this opinion piece: https://bit.ly/4nIFVwz

Faced with consumer-protection provisions aimed at false corporate environmental claims, some companies have stopped making them entirely. Read more about the new corporate phenomenon of "greenhushing" in CBA National: https://bit.ly/46GnBON

Canada's bail system doesn't need reverse onus legislation that will further clog our courts. Instead, we should focus on streamlining processes so courts can prioritize high-risk cases. Read the CBA's letter to the Justice Minister: http://bit.ly/4mtyCI2

"When we support each other and lead with courage and conviction, no challenge is too daunting." Kicking off her mandate earlier this month, CBA President Bianca Kratt K.C. shared why building resilience in the legal profession is a priority for the year ahead: bit.ly/3Kdct32

While changes have been made to improve clarity and transparency in the federal government's latest proposed cyber legislation, questions and criticisms remain. Learn more in CBA National: https://bit.ly/41Z2yV2

The CBA is deeply saddened by the passing of the Hon. Bryan Williams, K.C., former CBA president. He leaves behind a profound and enduring legacy in the legal profession. Read the full statement by current CBA President Bianca Kratt, K.C.: https://bit.ly/3K8EDwb

"If you want to find a way to enjoy your work again, you will have to make finding it a project you intentionally take on." In September's column, Dear Advy helps a reader who, after decades in private practice, has lost their passion for work: https://bit.ly/42perDM

With legal services financially out of reach for most, Norton Rose Fulbright lawyers worked with Pro Bono Ontario again this summer. Read more about the program that offers free advice on civil matters: https://bit.ly/4pnvdNt

"Democracy is not a thing we possess or a stage we attain, but a process we engage in." Read the full statement by CBA President Bianca Kratt marking the International Day of Democracy: http://bit.ly/3Kpcz7K

Throughout Parliament's fall sitting, which starts today, the CBA will advocate for the rule of law and an effective justice system. Our pre-budget submission proposes concrete ideas to relieve capacity pressures on our courts: http://bit.ly/3K1ViSc

New VP Loreley Chekay says her longtime involvement with the CBA has made her a better person and lawyer. Read more about Loreley in CBA National: https://bit.ly/46byQ0g

"Every lawyer — especially every woman who has ever felt unseen or underestimated — deserves a profession that supports them, values them, and lifts them up." CBA President Bianca Kratt began her mandate with a commitment to support women in the law: bit.ly/3Kdct32

Just as no legal education is complete without learning about criminal justice, no education in criminal justice is complete without learning about prison law. Read more from this opinion piece in CBA National: https://bit.ly/3V8tEVO

The new CBA President Bianca Kratt, K.C. received the Chain of Office during a ceremony in Calgary on Thursday and unveiled her priorities for 2025-2026. Read more: https://bit.ly/47p7JRI

"Learning to say "no" when you need to say "no" is a skill you'll need to learn, and re-learn, and re-re-learn over the course of your career." In last month's column, Dear Advy helped a lawyer set work boundaries at a small firm: https://bit.ly/4pcTCFE

With Canada's sovereignty and most trusted institutions facing pressure, new CBA President Bianca Kratt says the legal profession must stand firm, adapt to emerging challenges, and be equipped to safeguard the rule of law. Read more in the Q&A with CBA National: https://bit.ly/3I4jXoi

A hearty welcome to the Canadian Bar Association's Board of Directors for 2025-2026! Get to know our new and returning board members: https://bit.ly/4mDHDix

We are pleased to announce that the term of Loreley Chekay, K.C., as the CBA's Vice President for 2025-2026 starts today. She is currently Executive VP of Saskatchewan Government Insurance after a distinguished career in criminal law. Welcome aboard!

Today, Bianca Kratt, K.C., begins her year-long term as the Canadian Bar Association's 97th president. Learn more about her journey from Quebec to Calgary and her vision for a more resilient legal profession: http://bit.ly/47p7JRI

Lynne Vicars wraps up her term as CBA President with an emphasis on judicial independence. Read her parting statement: http://bit.ly/3JWDPu4

The Constitution promises independent courts, a fair trial, the right to counsel, and the rule of law — but these promises ring hollow without an independent, self-regulating bar. Read more about the CBA's recent submission challenging a new BC law. http://bit.ly/3UPfVDd

Is Canada “the least dirty shirt” of global democracy? In a special live episode of Verdicts and Voices, @davidfrum.bsky.social discusses why Canadians are less tribal – for now – than other people, and how lawyers play a key role in confronting democratic decline. Listen here: bit.ly/4oGzhYN

Do asylum rules “written with the Anne Frank family in mind” still work? In a special live episode of Verdicts and Voices, @davidfrum.bsky.social predicts a clash between courts and politicians about the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement. Listen here: bit.ly/4oGzhYN

In intervenors' submissions filed yesterday in BC, the Canadian Bar Association argues that the province's new Legal Professions Act erodes lawyers' independence: http://bit.ly/45G1PZY

We offer our deepest condolences to the friends, family, and colleagues of Beth Bilson KC. Statement by CBA Saskatchewan: http://bit.ly/45Us0gy

Saskatchewan Court of Appeal says courts are entitled to weigh in when the notwithstanding clause is pre-emptively invoked, ruling this week that nothing in the Charter suggests legislatures have the last or only word on whether legislation limits rights: https://bit.ly/4oDdAc4

A landmark advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice that clears the way for countries to sue each other over climate change could have ramifications for developed nations like Canada. Learn more in CBA National: https://bit.ly/45Q6p8Y

In case you missed it ➡️ In the season finale of Verdicts and Voices, we chat with historian Constance Backhouse about her book on the momentous 1997 RDS case, interview lawyers who do stand-up comedy, and have a newsy discussion about the Safe Third Country Agreement: https://bit.ly/4lUhhIF

If Canada pulls out of the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, its asylum system will come "crashing down," says David Frum. Read more about this and why he says lawyers are key to maintaining a belief in the democratic system south of the border: https://bit.ly/3Juph4H

New Conservative MP David McKenzie believes his responsibility to constituents ties his former law career with his new one. More in this profile from CBA National: https://bit.ly/3HtzXjt

🎤 In the latest episode of Verdicts and Voices, we welcome lawyer Anwen Hughes to discuss her experience representing clients who have been detained or deported by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency under the Trump administration: bit.ly/3HrCCKq

The revived Law Commission of Canada has just marked its second anniversary and tabled its second annual report to Parliament. Read more in CBA National: https://bit.ly/40ZD9Kh

🎧 In the latest episode of Verdicts and Voices, we welcome immigration lawyer Lorne Waldman to discuss ICE, the situation south of the border, and Canada's Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States: bit.ly/3HrCCKq

Yesterday at the Bridging Borders: Canadian and US Legal Perspectives conference in Toronto, our panel discussed the impact of the new tariff environment on cross-border business operations. ➡️ Learn more about the conference: bit.ly/4fLCPoR

🎤 Have you heard the one about the comedian lawyer? In the latest episode of Modern Law: Verdicts and Voices, host Alison Crawford talks to two lawyers about taking their courtroom skills to comedy clubs ➡️ https://bit.ly/4fl8RYh

It's the season finale of Verdicts and Voices! Tune in to learn more about the 1997 RDS case and its effect on the career of Canada's first Black female judge, lawyers who do stand-up comedy and run a fantasy court league, and the Safe Third Country Agreement: https://bit.ly/4lUhhIF

In case you missed it ➡️ In the latest Verdicts and Voices we discuss Bill C-2, the Supreme Court of Canada decision on publication bans (Dagenais v CBC), and Chief Justices incorporating Indigenous cultural and legal practices into proceedings. 🎧 bit.ly/3TdMMAU

The first baby boomers hit 65 in 2011, but there's been no mass exodus from the legal profession. What's keeping so many soldiering on — and what does it mean for their clients and colleagues? https://bit.ly/44LGqhl