Editorial: A different world

It is amazing how significant the election of a new United States president has been north of the border.

This week, there are three stories in Law Times that highlight how the election of a new United States president will affect life in Canada. In one, the significance of a judge wearing a hat bearing the president’s campaign slogan has come under dispute.

In another, boutique immigration firms discuss how the election could boost Canada’s ability to attract top talent. In a third, columnist Doron Gold shares profoundly wise advice on handling election-related anxiety.

On a recent vacation to the United States in the days before the election, I happened to meet a Republican judge running for re-election in her state.

She was thoughtful and clearly devoted to her work, beaming and expressing pride about her graduates from drug court.

She loved her job and had handled tricky, high-profile cases, subject to extensive media scrutiny.

She had been beaten before, in running for a position on the bench. Campaigning for the judge’s job was tough, she told me.

I was lucky to meet her, as she reminded me that the stability of Canada’s judiciary is an asset.

In uncertain times, I was so delighted to hear that regardless of the electoral fight ahead of her to keep her job, she radiated everything that made her proud to be a judge.

Good people doing good work — that’s the part each professional can take to heart.