Law Times

November 1, 2010

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PAGE 16 November 1, 2010 • Law Times Bizarre #1 Power House application for real estate. www.doprocess.com ntitled-2 1 The YARMUS VOWS NEW FIGHT ON FAMILY LAW Th e fi ght between paralegals and family lawyers over the scope of paralegal practice looks set to go to another round at next year's Law Society of Upper Canada annual general meeting. In an open letter to parale- gals, Marshall Yarmus, who tabled and later withdrew a motion to expand paralegal practice into family law at the law society's annual meeting in May, said he's not satisfi ed with the LSUC's promise to study the issue and will therefore rein- troduce his proposal next year. He said he wrote to new Trea- surer Laurie Pawlitza after her election in June but got no indi- cation the issue would be raised at Convocation before next year's annual general meeting. "I have no intention of with- drawing next year's motion," he wrote. He went on to suggest that paralegals have no power in the law society with only three benchers out of a total of 40 at Convocation. Even on the LSUC's paralegal standing com- mittee, he noted his colleagues are in a minority. "What is the purpose of having a paralegal chair of the committee if she cannot even set the agenda for the meetings?" Yarmus asked. NEW HIRE AT FMC Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP has hired Tyler Bond as a senior associate in the fi rm's national insolvency and restructuring group based in Calgary. Bond's practice is focused on the mortgage lending industry in relation to both lending and collection matters. He has expe- rience in real estate and litiga- tion with a particular emphasis on foreclosures. "Tyler's extensive real es- tate and litigation experience will broaden our team's bench strength, which will not only enhance our already-accom- plished group, but will also be of great value to our clients with real estate interests in Western Canada," said David 9/22/10 10:12:01 AM Inside Story Mann, national co-chairman of FMC's insolvency and re- structuring group. EVENT AT OSGOODE THIS WEEK Th e chief justice of Ontario's advisory committee on profes- sionalism is presenting a two- day program on the history of legal professionalism in the province. Th e 13th Colloquium on the Legal Profession will take place in Toronto on Nov. 1 and 2. Speakers will include people from the judiciary, the legal academic community, the Law Society of Upper Canada, and various legal organizations. Former Ontario chief justice Roy McMurtry will be a fea- tured speaker. Th e fi rst day takes place at Osgoode Hall with events showcasing legal legends, their legacies, and the lessons from their lives. Th e second day's events will take place at the University of Toronto Centre for the Legal Profession and will continue to explore the history of legal professionalism in Ontario. NEW LEADER AT HUMAN RIGHTS CENTRE Patrick Case has been appoint- ed chairman of the board of directors of Ontario's Human Rights Legal Support Centre. Currently the director of the University of Guelph's human rights and equity offi ce, Case also has four years of experi- ence as a commissioner with the Ontario Human Rights Commission. He has also chaired the Ca- nadian Race Relations Foun- dation and was co-chairman of the equality rights panel of the Court Challenges Program of Canada. Case takes over from Raj Anand, who has served as chair- man since March 2008. Anand oversaw the implementation of the legal support centre, which opened in June 2008. LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. MICHIGAN MULLS FUZZY DICE BAN DETROIT, Mich. — People like their fuzzy dice, but hang- ing one from your rear-view mirror could still land you in legal trouble despite Michigan lawmakers' move to consider repealing a ban on all dan- gling objects. Currently, the law prohib- its drivers from dangling all objects from their rearview mirrors. But according to the Detroit Free Press, State Sen. Ron Jelinek is arguing to change it because police rarely enforce it. "Th e important thing is that this law has been unfairly enforced," he said. "You see people driving with things hanging. Th ey don't get stopped, so it's kind of an ex- cuse for being stopped." Jelinek added: "I call it a 'gotcha' law. It's an excuse to pull someone over." But the proposal to change the law would still prohibit large items, possibly including those fuzzy dice. Only small objects, such as rosaries and air fresheners, would be allowed, the Free Press reported. Police would have discretion to decide whether something is too big. Police, in fact, were origi- nally against a proposed out- right repeal of the law but now support the compromise. "We don't want drivers to drive down the road with their vi- sion obstructed," said Matt Briefs By Viola James Bolger, who works in govern- ment relations for the Michi- gan State Police. "Th e bill in its current form would still pro- hibit things that obstruct the view of the driver." MAN FACES EVICTION FOR WEARING CLOTHES LUTZ, Fla. — Get naked or get out, a homeowners' associa- tion at a nudist park has told a local resident in a wheelchair. According to the St. Peters- burg Times, the Paradise Pines homeowners' association wants to evict 28-year-old Brandon Barger for causing disruptions and not being naked enough. Neighbours, in fact, complain he's not a practising nudist, something people have to be in order to live there. Jacquie Puxty, president of the association, said Barger has been disruptive and once had a prostitute on his property. "We are a small, private, nudist com- munity and he has not been a good neighbour. We want to do things right and fair, but we also want to do what's right for all of our residents." But Barger, who has health problems related to his nervous system and brittle bones and uses a wheelchair to get around, said he's naked plenty of the time. "Th ey say I'm not a nud- ist? I say, 'Well, come look.'" In response, Barger has launched a human rights com- plaint alleging discrimination based on his disability. His landlord's wife is also vowing to defend him against the as- sociation's eff orts to oust him from the park. "Where would they like him to practice?" she wrote in an e-mail. "He sits on his four-by-four-foot porch in his wheelchair in the nude, but nobody ever stops to see him, to talk to him, so how would they know?" LAW HAS PROSTITUTES WEARING YELLOW BIBS MADRID, Spain — Talk about bringing the sex trade out of the shadows. According to the Guard- ian, prostitutes working on the outskirts of Lleida, Spain, have started wearing yellow refl ective bibs similar to those worn by construction workers in order to escape fi nes by police. Th e fi nes come from rules forcing anyone walking on a rural highway to wear the bibs. As a result, police say they're not targeting prostitutes. "In the past couple of months, the prostitutes have been fi ned for two reasons: for not wearing the refl ective jacket and for creating danger on the public highway," a police spokesman said. Th e prostitutes have cho- sen to work on a roundabout just outside of Lleida, which recently banned street prosti- tution. Th e issue has surfaced as Spain engages in a broader debate over the sex trade. In the meantime, scantily clad sex workers ply their trade on roads outside many cities, the Guardian reported. LT Seen, heard, or been involved in a bizarre brief? Tell Viola James about it at viola.james@ gmail.com. "It's a simple form of transfer pricing. Last quarter's profi ts: $870,000,458. Offi ce party appearance fee for Bumpo the Investec Vermögensverwaltungs Bank AG (Zurich) Clown: $870,000,456.50. Net profi t declared to Revenue Canada: $1.50." Get more online lawtimesnews.com • canadianlawyermag.com Fresh Canadian legal news and analysis every week Canadian Lawyer | Law Times | 4Students | InHouse www.lawtimesnews.com Visit Us Online 1-8-5X.indd 1 9/27/10 3:07:58 PM

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