Law Times

PAGE 20 June 21, 2010 • Law Times Bizarre Intuitive software for wills and powers of attorney. www.doprocess.com ntitled-4 1 The PAIR HONOURED FOR LEGAL WRITING The Ontario government has named Brenda Cossman and William Kaplan as the win- ners of 2009 David W. Mun- dell Medal. The honour pays tribute to those who have made a significant contribution in legal writing. Cossman, a professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, has garnered interna- tional acclaim for her work on a variety of subjects ranging from law and sexuality to in- ternational human rights. Kaplan is a lawyer, me- diator, and arbitrator who has published articles and books on civil liberties, immigration and citizenship, labour law, and legal history. N.Y. FIRM BUYS COLE & PARTNERS Duff & Phelps Corp., a finan- cial advisory and investment- banking firm based in New York, has established a presence in Canada with the purchase of Cole & Partners, the Toronto financial advisory practice. Since 1975, Cole & Partners has provided financial litiga- tion support and investigative accounting services to clients that include law firms and publicly traded companies. Its 20 client-service professionals will begin operating under the Duff & Phleps banner after a transition period. "Through Cole & Partners, we have established a platform to enter the Canadian market, where we see meaningful ex- pansion opportunities," said Noah Gottdiener, chairman and CEO of Duff & Phelps. LEGAL CHALLENGE OVER G20 CANNONS The Canadian Civil Liberties Association and Canadian Labour Congress have initiat- ed legal proceedings against the planned use of controversial sonic cannons at the upcom- ing G20 meeting in downtown Toronto. The cannons, also known as long-range acoustic devices, 6/16/10 12:56:36 PM Inside Story can emit painfully loud sounds that can cause hearing damage. The two organizations are seek- ing an injunction that would prevent the Toronto Police Service and Ontario Provin- cial Police from using them. "Our laws require that new weapons be tested and ap- proved by the solicitor general before they are used on the public — the [sonic cannon] has not gone through this pro- cess," said Nathalie des Ros- iers, CCLA's general counsel. "These laws and procedures exist for our protection; they cannot be put aside simply because foreign dignitaries are coming to town." LSUC PRESENTS HONORARY DEGREES The Law Society of Upper Canada presented a doctor of laws degree last week to On- tario Chief Justice Warren Winkler at a ceremony at Roy Thomson Hall. Winkler received the hon- orary degree during the call to the bar ceremony. Law society Treasurer Der- ry Millar, who presented the award, paid tribute to Win- kler's career as a labour lawyer. "As a nationally recognized mediator, he was instrumental in the settlement of some of the seemingly most intractable major lawsuits in Ontario and other parts of Canada. As chief justice, he continues to distin- guish himself, particularly in the areas of access to justice and professionalism." The law society called 329 of the province's 1,262 new law- yers to the bar at the ceremony. As well, Abdulrahim Ali Chahbar will receive an hon- orary doctorate at the LSUC ceremony in London, Ont., today. The award honours Chahbar's service to the legal profession as a lay bencher with the law society. Chahbar will also give the key- note address to 91 new lawyers at the ceremony. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "Remember! No texting while driving! It could be distracting." THERE IS A DIFFERENCE RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-5 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 3/23/10 11:35:15 AM LAWYER CAUGHT IN BRA-HA-HA MIAMI, Fla. — Prisons may have strict security regulations, but this is ridiculous. A Miami attorney was re- cently put into an awkward situation when she came to visit her client at the Miami Federal Detention Centre. Brittney Horstman went to step through the metal detec- tor when the machine was set off by her underwire bra. Even though this is a common oc- currence and a memo had been passed around the prison in- forming guards to overlook it, they refused to let Horstman inside. Instead of getting angry, Horstman went into the bath- room and removed her bra, which would have been hardly noticeable underneath her blouse and jacket. She walked through the metal detector with no issue only to be told she couldn't enter because she wasn't wearing a bra, which is against the prison dress code. "So, simply because I was a woman who wore a specific bra, my client was denied access to his attorney today," Horst- man said in an e-mail message to colleagues that was obtained by the Miami Herald. This has been an issue in the past, which is why the federal public defender's office came to an agreement with prison officials a few years back that Briefs By Viola James allowed female lawyers to enter the jail if guards determined, with a detection wand, that it was their bras setting off the metal detectors. On the prison's website, the dress code states that bras are required, but underwire bras aren't specifically prohibited. ONE WAY TO CURE DEPRESSION BAVARIA, Germany — If you're on anti-depressants, you'll probably never forget to take them again after reading this story. A 26-year-old man who re- portedly forgot to take his med- ication for depression recently accosted a group of Hell's An- gels bikers in a town just north of Munich, The Local reported. On the afternoon of June 13, the man, who is a student in Munich, drove into the gang's clubhouse grounds and exited his vehicle. After getting the bikers' attention, he turned around, dropped his shorts, and mooned them. He then hurled a puppy at them and took off on foot before stop- ping by a construction site to steal a front-loader. The man attempted to navi- gate the large machine back towards Munich, but the slow- moving vehicle caused a five- kilometre-long traffic jam. He eventually got out and hitched a ride with a truck driver, who dropped him off in the nearby HERO ARRESTED FOR SAVING GIRL'S LIFE IDAHO SPRINGS, Colo. — In Colorado, saving a young girl's life will apparently cause the local deputies to arrest you. Ryan Daniel Snodgrass, a 28-year-old rafting guide with Arkansas Valley Adventures, was recently out on the water with two young girls in Clear Creek when the raft capsized. Snodgrass and one of the pas- sengers were able to make it to shore safely, but the other girl, 13-year-old Victoria Hernan- dez, swam off. She was miss- ing for approximately 30 to 45 minutes, according to the Den- ver Post. In that time, a search- and-rescue team had been assembled, and the girl was lo- cated while the group tried to figure out a way to save her. Finally, Snodgrass, against orders from Clear Creek Sher- iff Don Krueger, jumped into the river and swam to the girl. He stayed with her while res- cuers assembled a rope and raft to bring them to shore. When they arrived at shore, Snodgrass was arrested and charged with "obstructing government operations." "He was told not to go in the water and he jumped in and swam over to the victim and jeopardized the rescue op- eration," said Krueger, whose department is apparently also deciding whether or not they want to file similar charges against another guide who was at the scene. LT town of Eching. Police, who had been tracking the man the whole time, eventually caught up with him. They determined his failure to take his medica- tion led to his behaviour.

• Cover
• Charter Rights
• Dodging A Bullet
• Focus On Family Law