PROF HONOURED FOR LEGAL WRITINGThe attorney general has awarded the David Walter Mundell medal to University of Ottawa Faculty of Law Prof. Elizabeth Sheehy for excellence in legal writing.
Sheehy’s “extensive body of work” includes a recent book titled Defending Battered Women on Trial: Lessons from the Transcripts, according to the Ministry of the Attorney General.
“The book addresses issues of gender equality and the challenges of the criminal justice response to violence against women,” the ministry said in an announcement last week.
“Exceptional legal writing has the power to move and inspire us to take action,” said Attorney General Madeleine Meilleur.
“Professor Sheehy’s work has made an outstanding contribution to our knowledge of the broader social and legal implications of violence against women.”
LAW SLAM SET FOR JUNE 7Lawyers can battle it out on a different kind of court this summer as two law firms announce this year’s Law Slam tennis challenge this June.
Howie Sacks & Henry LLP and Paliare Roland Rosenberg Rothstein LLP say the event will take place at the Timberlane Athletic Club in Aurora, Ont., on June 7. The firms say the event has raised more than $30,000 for various organizations over the past three years, including Pro Bono Law Ontario, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, and Tennis Canada’s Tennis Matters program.
All of this year’s proceeds will go to PBLO. The event is limited to 40 participants of 20 doubles teams and participants don’t have to be lawyers. This year, each team will compete in doubles and singles matches.
Those interested in participating can register by e-mailing
[email protected]. NEW LAO REFUGEE STANDARDSImmigration and refugee lawyers have until July 17 to show they meet new panel standards to represent legal aid clients, Legal Aid Ontario has announced.
“LAO is strengthening the panel standards to ensure clients are able to access high quality legal aid providers. Lawyers will need to meet a new general standard for refugee protection division and other tribunal matters and an appellate standard for practice before the courts and the refugee appeal division,” LAO said in an announcement last week.
“To demonstrate that they meet the new panel standards, all existing panel members must submit a panel standards form and associated documentation,” LAO noted.
POLL RESULTSThe results for the latest
Law Times online poll are in.
According to the poll, more than half of respondents say the latest improvements to the legal tariff in Ontario are enough to make it viable and attractive for criminal lawyers to take on legal aid cases.
Legal Aid Ontario implemented the last of a series of tariff hikes for certificate work on April 1. The increases were a result of a 2010 memorandum of understanding signed by LAO, the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, and the Ministry of the Attorney General.
Sixty per cent of poll respondents said taking legal aid work is more viable as a result of the tariff hikes. The Criminal Lawyers’ Association recently told Law Times the next push for the private bar will be to convince LAO to invest more in certificate services as opposed to expanding staff lawyer duties.
