Pulse
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June 24, 2025
Passion and the practice of family law
This week I had the pleasure of attending a Toronto Lawyers Association event. It was a lovely evening. I had to leave early for another social event but while there I certainly noticed that I was clearly the oldest attendee. That fact must have been noticed by others as, a number of times that evening, I was approached and asked to comment on what qualities I believed are necessary to make one a good family lawyer. Happily, this is an issue that consumed a fair bit of my time during my tenure (now over, thank G-d) as managing partner of our firm.
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June 24, 2025
Australian law encompasses best interests for all concerned in pet custody cases
We live in multi-species families with humans and non-human animals co-existing. Companion animals are considered family members by most people, and fortunately legislation in various parts of the world is starting to recognize this fact.
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June 23, 2025
Journalism and AI: A cautionary tale
Generative AI, or genAI — arguably one of the fastest-growing technologies at the moment — is everywhere: in the workplace and in one’s private life. And one need not look too far to find it. Run a quick Internet search, for example, and notice the AI-generated summary at the top of the page. Watch a video online, for example, and notice an ad midstream featuring an AI-generated persona trying to sell something.
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June 23, 2025
OBA announces new board of directors
Katy Commisso will be the next president of the Ontario Bar Association (OBA), with her term starting in September.
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June 23, 2025
Two new judges appointed to the Court of Quebec
Quebec Minister of Justice Simon Jolin-Barrette has announced the appointment of Isabelle Charles and Mathieu Locas as judges of the Court of Quebec. According to the announcement, Charles and Locas will serve in the Criminal and Penal Division in Montreal.
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June 23, 2025
Only 24 hours to live
There was a time, altogether not too long ago, when I lived and practised law in Nunavut. Living in the Arctic was a wonderful experience. Learning from Inuit and sharing in Inuit culture was a privilege. I have many fond memories and could speak at length about them. One of the most serious challenges that nearly every person who has visited or lived in Iqaluit knows about, however, is the city’s loose dog problem.
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June 23, 2025
The smart/stupid dichotomy in law firms
“You don’t get to insult my intelligence and depend on it at the same time.” — Rachel Wasserman
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June 20, 2025
François Paradis named managing partner at Osler Montreal
Osler has appointed François Paradis as the new managing partner of its Montreal office.
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June 20, 2025
Selling faux antiques to Versailles? A case of caveat emperor
“Things are seldom as they seem. Skim milk masquerades as cream.” — Buttercup, in Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore. Which gets me to Bill Pallot. Vanity Fair called him “the world’s leading expert on the works of 18th-century France.” However, Paris Match recently branded him as “the Bernie Madoff of art.”
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June 19, 2025
FCA sets aside decision that declared Ottawa must fill judicial vacancies ‘within a reasonable time’
A novel Federal Court action that tried to compel Ottawa to fix its chronic tardiness in filling superior court vacancies has been dismissed for lack of jurisdiction by the Federal Court of Appeal; however, the law firm that launched the case to help its clients and other litigants says its efforts were not in vain.