Pulse
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February 20, 2026
Ontario appoints 5 new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice
Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey has appointed five new judges to the Ontario Court of Justice, effective Feb. 26, 2026, according to a provincial announcement.
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February 20, 2026
WorkSafeBC names William Laird Cronk as board chair
British Columbia’s Minister of Labour Jennifer Whiteside has appointed board member William Laird Cronk as chair of WorkSafeBC’s board of directors for a three-year term beginning Feb. 26, according to a provincial news release.
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February 20, 2026
B.C. seeks public input on regulated paralegal roles
The British Columbia government is asking for public feedback on what kinds of legal work regulated paralegals should be allowed to do. The Legal Professions Act, which became law in 2024, created a new category of legal service provider — regulated paralegals — who differ from those currently known in the province as paralegals, who work under the supervision of a lawyer and are not allowed to provide legal advice.
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February 20, 2026
Visual law: Using tables, diagrams and pictures in legal work
What if the next presentation you attend is only voice without visuals? If an airplane safety card had only text with no pictures? If a furniture assembly guide was not drawn but written? If the television disappears and only books are left?
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February 20, 2026
Scope of cabinet statutory discretion: Precautionary approaches to protect public interests
Two recent decisions of the Federal Court of Appeal explore the scope of cabinet’s room to manoeuvre pursuant to statutory grants of discretion to protect public interests.
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February 19, 2026
Dentons adds senior energy partner Peter Bryan in Calgary
Dentons Canada has welcomed Peter Bryan to its Calgary office as a partner in the firm’s national energy group, according to the firm.
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February 19, 2026
Saskatchewan appoints 3 new provincial court judges
Saskatchewan has appointed three new judges to its provincial court, according to a provincial news release. Sara Knowles will sit in Saskatoon, Matthew Schmeling in Regina and Curtis Wiebe in Prince Albert.
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February 19, 2026
Supporting articling students, young counsel before they burn out
Canadian data now show that articling students and young lawyers are experiencing psychological distress, depression and burnout at rates that outstrip even their most senior colleagues. Early intervention is no longer just a “nice to have” — it is a matter of both ethics and risk management for firms and supervising counsel. Thoughtful supervision remains the most effective lever leaders have to protect both wellness and competence before promising new talent leaves the profession.
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February 19, 2026
Non-party to mortgage contract has claim against lender and lawyer struck
The Rules of Civil Procedure contain powerful rules for the pretrial disposition of actions. One of those rules is rule 21, which, among other things, permits a defendant to strike out an action on the grounds that it discloses no reasonable cause of action or on the grounds that it is frivolous, vexatious or an abuse of process. For malpractice lawyers who defend claims against lawyers, rule 21 is often relied upon to seek the early dismissal of an action in circumstances where the plaintiff and the defendant lawyer were not in a solicitor-and-client relationship.
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February 19, 2026
Legal programs cannot be treated as line items on a budget
The Paralegal Town Hall stands in proud partnership with the Ontario Association of Black Paralegals as we introduce a joint open letter addressed to Premier Doug Ford, Attorney General Doug Downey, Minister Paul Calandra, members of college boards of governors, and other key decision-makers across Ontario.