The Friday Brief: Managing Editor’s must-read items from this week

Matthew Grace

Here are my picks for the top stories we published this week.

LSO in good financial shape for 2021, but COVID-19 brings uncertainty: finance chair
The Law Society of Ontario (LSO) is in good financial shape as it begins 2021, but uncertainties about what the continuing COVID-19 pandemic could bring means that law society benchers and management need to remain vigilant in light of possible storm clouds on the horizon.

Perceptions of racism in Ontario’s court system rising, says new report
Perceptions of racial discrimination in Ontario’s courts have actually increased over the past 25 years, despite programs geared to stamping out systemic racism in the judicial system, says the co-author of a new report from the Canadian Association of Black Lawyers (CABL), Ryerson University and the University of Toronto.

Feds introduce legislation to bring more technology to criminal justice system
In a bid for a more modernized criminal justice system through lessons learned from the COVID-19 crisis, Ottawa is proposing changes that would increase remote appearances by accused people and offenders, allow videoconferencing in jury selections and widen law enforcement’s use of the telewarrants process.

Nova Scotia law society issues succession planning standard
Succession planning for lawyers is not optional in Nova Scotia. Now the Succession Planning Professional Standard issued by the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS) spells out exactly what is required of lawyers and law firms.

Helping your mediator help you
In his column, Stuart Rudner writes: “‘Convince me.’ When I am your mediator, that is your job. The easier you make it for me to understand your case, the easier it will be for me to put your case forward in the other room. As I often say, at mediation, you want to ‘help your mediator to help you.’”

Matthew Grace is the Managing Editor of The Lawyer’s Daily.