Nor is it a Gold Mine I recently had one of those experiences that always gets me lathered up for a fight: someone told a lawyer joke. Lawyer jokes really piss me off, especially the ones about killing lawyers or comparing them to slugs and slime. I take them personally. After all, I left the law after only nine years of practice because it was physically exhausting, emotionally gruelling, and...
Québec’s Bill 62 discriminates against a minority of a minority In 2016, the Québec government introduced Bill 62, An Act to foster adherence to State religious neutrality and, in particular, to provide a framework for religious accommodation requests in certain bodies. If passed, it will require personnel of public bodies to perform their jobs with their faces uncovered. Those receiving...
When I got pregnant the first time around, I was inundated with information. Mostly it was information intended to provide “expert help” on how to cope and how to incubate and raise the perfect human. I worked in a culturally diverse environment, but there was a lot of talk about expert advice. I followed the websites and a couple of books for a while but quickly realized that mostly they were...
Why Osgoode Should Change Summer Clinical Employment Acceptance Deadlines It goes without saying that the 1L recruit process is incredibly competitive and stressful for applicants. While most of the issues students have with the process are due to the low availability of interview offers and even fewer employment offers, there’s one frustrating situation that the Osgoode administration...
1. Introduction One of the main contributions that technology can make to law is providing innovative ways of promoting access to justice. In this article, I will analyze one particular kind of technological solution to this problem: gamification of educative software. First, access to justice will be defined as a broad concept, including the idea of “law as a life skill.” Second, I...
A Trail-Blazer in Alternatives to Conventional Lawyering We are surrounded by messages in law school about preparing for our future careers in law firms or government offices. Have you ever wondered if there is another possible path to take with your law degree? If so, you are not alone. Alternative Careers Week is happening at Osgoode from February 27 to March 3 to give students...
Compiled by Ian Mason When you received your acceptance to law school, you were elated. The positive energy continued right through O-Week, when you met your new friends and colleagues, and began the path to becoming a lawyer. Your first semester was a grind, but you made it. Then grades came out, and maybe you feel like you didn’t make it at all. You might be feeling discouraged. You...
Lessons from a Student at Parkdale Community Legal Services Amidst the student selection process for clinical and intensive programs at Osgoode last week, many of you have asked me about the Poverty Law Intensive at Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS). Being at Parkdale has been the best part of my law school experience. I started by completing a semester in the winter term, stayed on...
From autonomous vehicles to blockchain currency, technological development is not only changing workplaces but even industries. How fast will technology have a significant impact on the legal industry remains a very open question. These are the top three trends all law students should be aware of. Artificial Intelligence On a very basic level, artificial intelligence (AI) is the ability of...
“I Dare You to Drink That” After the inauguration of a President, who basically looked at 1984 and said “challenge accepted,” I figure it’s time for some relatively comedic filler material. Things are only going to get weirder, and we’re going to need to adapt to a changing world, lest we get left behind. In light of that observation, I suspect a good place to start would be adapting in a...
In the spirit of going with what works, I’ve decided to write a second edition of “horror stories of men without shame.” While I had planned on writing this follow-up in March (when an increased workload made tricking – er, “convincing” – others to write most of my article for me more appealing), the upcoming inauguration of Donald Trump warrants earlier publication. What better way to celebrate...
What Economic Analyses of Law Have to say About Legalizing Drugs Introduction Psychology, medicine, law, and philosophy are usually in the spotlight when it comes to discussions regarding the legalization of drugs. These knowledge fields are indeed capable of contributing to the discussion in many ways. To psychologists and doctors, this is, above all else, a matter of public health (Passos...
or, Rome wasn’t built in a day The first rush of excitement has passed, the people who complimented you on wearing it so well have gone back to their daily lives. You’re ten weeks in and you don’t remember whether you’ve showered this week, when the last time was you had a decent meal and it seems like sleep has never been more than a distant memory. Every day is a new test, with new...
To say that 2016 was an eventful year for the world of global affairs would be an understatement. The US election and the Brexit vote gave serious shivers to the world. ISIS continued to terrorise the globe from Istanbul to Orlando. Europe struggled with its migrant crisis and countries from France to Hungary saw the rise of the far-right. With the visit of the US President and death of its...
The Worst is Over or Lynchpin for the Endtimes? I should open with something resembling full disclosure. As a wannabe lawyer and journalist, human misery is basically my bread and butter. Without it, I’d have little potential beyond being an office monkey who’d be lucky to get a salaried job in this economy. You don’t hire a lawyer unless you have a problem that warrants shelling out hundreds of...
Sorting out the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of 2016 T’was a mood-souring year, dubbed the worst here and there. It’s arguable as to when things in 2016 really got bad. As a music aficionado/child of the 80’s, 2016 started to sink with the death of David Bowie. It was sad to see a musical artist disappear from the world of song and dance. His look, his rhythm and beauty are exquisitely...
Who knows what makes Melania Trump tick? She’s hard to figure out unless you want to make “judgey,” slut-shaming assessments based on her appearance and her past choices. I don’t know that much about her, but what I’ve seen doesn’t exactly impress me. I’ve seen a photograph of her with a gold-plated baby carriage in a gold-plated nursery. I’ve heard an interview with her and Donald Trump on...
Thoughts after the First Week Following Trump’s Election The initial shock is mostly over. Yes, the American people elected a joke. A really, truly awful joke. However, in the midst of the hissing and groaning and jeering and other angrily vocal reactions, to my surprise, I noticed one particular person who isn’t laughing. Donald J. Trump. Recent images show a deflated, exhausted...
The Similarities Between Nursing and the Law: What Can Law Learn From Nurses? Many people are surprised when they hear that we are nurses in law school, frequently commenting on how different the nursing profession is from the legal profession and wondering why we made the switch. In fact, nursing spans beyond stereotypical hospital positions and touches on aspects in every area of...
Thus Dies the Lingering Remnants of my Faith in Humanity The unthinkable has happened: Trump won the 2016 election. I woke up the morning after election night hoping the disastrous outcome that had appeared increasingly inevitable would be miraculously averted. That was foolish: even if you believe in miracles, you can’t count on them. Trump won decisively, taking swing state after...
An Atheist’s Argument for Why Most of Us Should be Able to Get Along A Christian, a Muslim, and an atheist walk into a bar, and they all get along because none of them are jerks who need to argue about religion. I know, it’s a bad joke. Fine, it’s a terrible joke. A stale premise, the dull thud of a punchline, and I can only use the classic “X, Y, and Z walk into a...
Reflecting on the Paris Agreement “If we don’t start taking additional action now … we will grieve over the avoidable human tragedy. The growing numbers of climate refugees hit by hunger, poverty, illness and conflict will be a constant reminder of our failure to deliver. The science shows that we need to move much faster.” United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Chief Erik Solheim...
Legal Technology is often reported as being intrinsically linked to access to justice. Apps, AI, and digital access suggest an Uber-like ability to receive legal services at the push of a button. A recently published Globe and Mail article by University of Ottawa law professor Jena McGill, for example, bore the headline “Better access to justice in Canada? There’s an app for that.” However, while...
Imagining ways to make Canada a better home for refugees The Mindshare speaker series, hosted by universities across Canada in 2016 to promote action-oriented policy dialogue, came to York this month. The sizeable crowd attending the York Glendon campus event was invited to “Re-Imagine Refuge”: to examine the status quo and find ways to make life better for the many forced migrants...
Real Men Don’t Commit Sexual Assault, Let Alone Brag About It In case you missed it, Donald Trump was recently caught admitting to being a sexual predator. I won’t repeat his comments because they’re disgusting, degrading, and have already reached memetic proportions. While I was surprised by the sheer vulgarity of what he said, I can’t say I found the admission especially surprising...