Practice Tips: A Recession Coping Guide for Canadian Law Firms
The legal profession is feeling the effects of the economic downturn, but there are steps you can take to lessen the impact. From renegotiating what you pay for office supplies to revaluating compensation, check out the top 10 tips for survival, including a checklist for your firm.

Also this month on CBA PracticeLink:

• Discover, and Market, Your Niche Law Practice
• Where Do You Rank? Client-Based Lawyer Rating Websites
• Ask the Coach: Increase the ROI of Your Marketing Efforts

All this and much more: www.cba.org/practicelink


Model E-Discovery Documents
The Ontario E-Discovery Implementation Committee has released eight model e-discovery precedents, as well as additional documents providing guidance on e-discovery best practices.

Model documents: oba.org/en/publicaffairs_en/e-discovery/model_precendents.aspx


Advocacy
CBA President Meets Minister of Justice
CBA President Guy Joubert met with federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson on April 29 to discuss a range of issues of mutual concern. Joining the CBA President were Jennifer Babe, Past Chair, National Business Law Section and David Fraser, Vice Chair, National Privacy and Access Law Section.

Jennifer Babe informed the Minister of continuing problems with s. 347 of the Criminal Code. Intended to fight loan-sharking, the criminal interest rate provisions are used more often to thwart legitimate business contracts. David Fraser presented the CBA’s views on the need to reform the Privacy Act, to better protect Canadians’ privacy in the electronic age.

Amendments to Access to Information Act
The CBA expressed its support for proposed changes to the Access to Information Act(ATIA) as the most important vehicle for citizens’ access to government records. The CBA urged the government to consider reinstating or even expanding a central tracking system for access requests. “There is a compelling public interest in knowing that the ATIA is as effective and efficient as possible in meeting the needs of the public,” says the CBA’s submission.

David Fraser and Priscilla Platt of the National Privacy and Access to Information Law Section presented the submission to the federal government on May 6.

Submission: www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/09-25-eng.pdf

Deterioration of Rule of Law in Fiji
The CBA has called on the government of Canada to publicly denounce and take immediate steps to address the rapid deterioration of the rule of law in Fiji, where the constitution has been suspended, members of the judiciary have been dismissed, and the military has taken control.

In a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon on April 16, the CBA expressed its support for the April 13, 2009 statement of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association that calls on the rulers of Fiji to immediately reinstate the constitution. Since that date, Fiji’s rulers have further undermined democracy and the rule of law.

Letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon: www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/09-21-eng.pdf
Statement of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association: www.cba.org/CBA/submissions/pdf/cla_statement.pdf


Continuing Legal Education
Aboriginal Law Conference
June 12 - 13, 2009 in Victoria: www.cba.org/CBA/CLE/main/Aboriginal_Law_09.aspx

Elder Law Conference
June 12-13, 2009 in Kingston, Ont: www.cba.org/CBA/CLE/main/Elder_Law_09.aspx

These articles were published in the June 2009 issue of BarTalk. © 2009 The Canadian Bar Association. All rights reserved.