In almost every context, first impressions are key. I would argue that, for lawyers, communicating clear expectations during that first meeting is an essential skill. It is not a skill that comes easily. I have spoken about this topic with many lawyers over the years. There seems to be a clear divide between newly-called lawyers who have a tendency to make grand promises and seasoned lawyers who temper expectations. There is no “right” or “wrong” approach here. Everyone has to figure out their own style.

My own style has been to keep expectations low…. very low. I conduct on average . . . [more]

This submission is part of a column swap with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) bimonthly member magazine, AALL Spectrum. Published six times a year, AALL Spectrum is designed to further professional development and education within the legal information industry. Slaw and the AALL Spectrum board have agreed to hand-select several columns each year as part of this exchange. 

Maria spent three weeks searching Google for divorce forms. She reworked an old petition a relative had filed 15 years ago and later paid for updated forms online that were actually available for free elsewhere. By the time she . . . [more]

Last week, the Canadian Judicial Council (CJC) released its updated Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Canadian Courts. Credit is due to the CJC for its ongoing thoughtful engagement on this important topic. Similarly, several Quebec courts released their own guidelines on judicial AI use last month. This column looks at one feature that both sets of guidelines have in common: guidance for judges on using AI tools to summarize material filed with the court, including evidence and submissions. This is far from the only aspect of the CJC and Quebec guidelines worthy of discussion, but it is . . . [more]

Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award­-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible.

This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. The Court 2. Canadian Securities Law 3. Precedent: The New Rules of Law and Style  4. Robeside Assistance 5. Michael Geist

The Court
Delete at Your Own Risk: Spoliation in SS&C Technologies v BNY Mellon

Destroying evidence should never leave a party better off. In SS&C Technologies . . . [more]

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : Une peine totale de 8 ans d’emprisonnement, de laquelle est soustraite la détention provisoire, est imposée à l’auteur de fraudes amoureuses ayant causé des pertes de centaines de milliers de dollars ainsi que des risques de pertes et ayant entraîné des conséquences majeures pour les 4 femmes . . . [more]

As a supplement to our Sunday Summary each month, Supreme Advocacy LLP in Ottawa presents Supreme One-Liners, a super-short descriptive guide to the most recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers its more comprehensive weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, summarizing all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted.

Appeals

Torts: Causation; Medmal
Hemmings v. Padmore, 2026 SCC 34 (41350)

Factual causation analysis & remoteness analysis.

Leaves to Appeal Granted

Aboriginal Law: Status
Bocchini Estate v. Canada (Attorney General), 2026 ONCA 55 (42278)

Indian status issues.

Civil Litigation: Covid Litigation; Emergencies . . . [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.

Legal Ethics and the Attorney General: A Canadian Analysis. By Andrew Flavelle Martin. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2025. xxi, 288 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781487554736 (hardcover) $55.00; ISBN 9781487554774 (ePUB) $55.00; ISBN 9781487554767 (PDF) $55.00.

Reviewed by Emma Scott
Librarian
Legislative Library of British Columbia

Law . . . [more]

Over the past few years, I’ve delivered presentations to legal groups and member organizations focussed on “Journey Mapping”.[1] Journey Mapping is the visual representation of an individual’s journey through a process that happens over time. It is a collection of touchpoints from the beginning to the end looking at the individual’s experience, the stages in a process, the actors and emotions. It sounds like a simple concept, right? But, what is most complex is trying to explain the value of Journey Mapping in the law, because there is exceptional value, and you only have to see it to see . . . [more]

A longstanding sore spot in the world of dispute resolution is the gap between education and experience. For decades now, I have encountered mediation students eager to put their learning to work only to struggle to find the opportunity to do so. For those pursuing the ADR Institute of Canada’s Qualified Mediator (Q.Med) designation in Ontario, this real-life experience criterion is often the most elusive.

After all, who would select a mediator with no experience? I touched upon this question slightly in this column years ago when I questioned the value of mediators promoting their mediation counts. For aspiring . . . [more]

Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award­-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible.

This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Legal Feeds 2. Lash Condo Law 3. Great LEXpectations 4. Family Health Law Blog 5. ABlawg.ca

Legal Feeds
Canadian Legal Summit: Big ideas in the profession for 2026

Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.

PÉNAL (DROIT) : La Cour accueille en partie une requête de la poursuite en rejet d’appel, l’accusé ayant, après le dépôt de son appel, mais avant l’imposition de la peine, quitté le Canada pour se soustraire à la justice.

Intitulé : Malo c. R., 2026 QCCA 1266
Juridiction : Cour . . . [more]

As a supplement to our Sunday Summary each month, Supreme Advocacy LLP in Ottawa presents Supreme One-Liners, a super-short descriptive guide to the most recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers its more comprehensive weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, summarizing all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted.

Appeals

Criminal Law: Admissibility/Use Re Complainant Sexual Activity
R. v. A.M, 2026 SCC 33 (41528)

s. 276 screening regime not automatically apply re sexual services/trafficking.

Leaves to Appeal Granted

Aboriginal Law: Title
British Columbia v. Nuchatlaht, 2026 BCCA 137 (42379)

Aboriginal title to . . . [more]