Law Times

PAGE 16 WillBuilder Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 doprocess com ntitled-7 1 The HIRING CONTINUES IN SLOW ECONOMY The economy may be flagging and layoffs a reality in the legal industry, but many lawyers have reported plans to add personnel in the year ahead. "The current recession and financial crisis have increased demand for bankruptcy services and resulted in a higher volume of litigation," said Charles Volk- ert, executive director of Robert Half Legal, in a release. "In response, law offices are hiring lawyers and other legal professionals on a full-time and project basis to augment their practice offerings." The legal staffing company recently polled 300 Canadian and U.S. lawyers on their expec- tations for staffing levels at their firm or corporation over the next 12 months. According to the results, 25 per cent expect an increase, 65 per cent think staff levels will stay the same, and 10 per cent envision a decrease. Of those polled, 51 per cent said they think bankruptcy will be the largest growth area of law, with litigation com- ing in second at 31 per cent. The survey was conducted in February by an independent research firm. ONTARIO MARKS PARALEGAL SHIFT The Law Society of Upper Canada last week tabled its two-year report on paralegal regulation, an initiative that saw Ontario become the first North American jurisdiction to regulate paralegals. "The regulatory system is self-funding and has won the support of paralegals, lawyers, judges, and the public," said law society paralegal standing com- mittee chairman Paul Dray, in a release. "We are extremely pleased with the progress made over the first two years of regulation and look forward to continuing to improve the services that licensed parale- gals provide to consumers." The law society says over 2,300 paralegals are now licensed and insured to represent clients in Small Claims Court, at ad- ministrative tribunals, and at the Ontario Court of Justice in Pro- Reinventing the Will www 1/26/09 3:38:37 PM Inside Story vincial Offences Act matters. An additional 200 to 300 new paralegal candidates are expected to enter the system each year with the accreditation of training programs at colleges and schools, said the law society. "We believe the Ontario gov- ernment's commitment to the regulation of paralegals is vision- ary," said law society Treasurer Derry Millar. "Thanks to regulation, li- censed paralegals are now held to the same high standard of professional conduct as lawyers, must pass a licensing examina- tion, and carry liability insur- ance. They are now providing a range of important legal ser- vices within a recognized, regu- lated profession." KUDOS TO DIMOCK Managing Intellectual Property recently awarded Toronto's Di- mock Stratton LLP its Canadi- an Contentious Firm of the Year 2009 honour. The award was recently handed out at the magazine's North American IP Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C. This year marks the third in a row that Dimock Stratton has been recognized by the publica- tion as one of Canada's top IP litigation firms. The firm received the same award last year, and in 2007 was named Canadian Trademark/ Copyright firm of the year. LAWYER NAMED JUSTICE OF PEACE Thunder Bay lawyer Joseph Caron has been appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice as justice of the peace. Caron is a bilingual lawyer who has offered French lan- guage services and access to jus- tice for clients in remote areas of his region of the province. Practising since 1992, Caron has experience in corporate, family, real estate, criminal law, and civil litigation. Caron currently works for the Corporation of the City of Thun- der Bay, where he is responsible for the prosecution of Provincial Of- LT For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "...and, represented by Jaffe Smith and Gillespie LLP, specializing in workplace violence and safety liability, phone 576-876-0084, Bluton the Evil Crushmaster!" WHICH DIRECTION IS BEST FOR YOU? RainMaker Group 110 Yonge Street, Suite 1101 Toronto, Ontario M5C 1T4 Untitled-7 1 Tel: 416-863-9543 Fax: 416-863-9757 www.rainmakergroup.ca www.lawtimesnews.com 5/29/08 1:05:49 PM ANOTHER REASON TO COVER YOUR MOUTH BERLIN, Germany — Lawyers have long been concerned about the CSI effect, but with authori- ties admitting they chased an innocent woman suspected of murder for 16 years after she ap- parently sneezed on some cotton swabs, police practices are com- ing under fresh scrutiny. The woman became the target for suspicion after cops found her DNA at crime scenes in Germa- ny, France, and Austria, Reuters reported. They had been looking for her since 1993 in connection with more than 40 crimes, in- cluding six murder cases. It turns out, however, that the woman worked at a fac- tory in southern Germany that makes cotton swabs used by police to collect evidence. But in the meantime, they had been offering a 300,000-euro reward for information about her. Now, they say she's innocent. "The cotton swabs were con- taminated through human con- tact in the factory where they were produced," Horst Hauk, a spokesman for the investigators, told Reuters. Police believe the woman may have sneezed on them while working. The mistake first came to light after a dead man's body turned up with female DNA last month. Now, police are reviewing their practices. "As a result, we examined the cotton swabs that we used for collecting DNA and how they were manufactured," said Bernd Meiners, a spokesman for local prosecutors. ™ April 6/13, 2009 • lAw Times In the Bizarre Briefs By Viola James D'OH NEWARK, Ohio — It sounds like something Homer Simp- son would do. An Ohio man was apparently so attached to his bar stool that he put it on a deconstructed lawn mower so he could ride around on it. But his unique form of transportation turned disastrous when he crashed it last month, The Associated Press reported. The man suffered minor injuries, but his circumstances took a turn for the worse after police charged him with drunk driving. Authorities allege the man told an officer at the hos- pital he drank 15 beers before getting on the motorized stool, which he said had a top speed of about 60 kilometres per hour. Charged in the case is 28-year-old Kile Wygle. He has pleaded not guilty and asked for a jury trial, according to The Associated Press. KISS KISS BANG BANG PORT HURON, Mich. — Rapper Nelly used to wear a Band-Aid to acknowledge a rela- tive in prison, but the case of a man who allegedly committed a crime so he could see his sibling in jail shows some people may be taking brotherly love too far. Police say Matthew Robert Kiss, 24, tried to break into a gas station in January, drank alco- hol, smoked cigarettes, and then called 911 to rat on himself. He wanted to go to jail so he could see his brother there. But the at- tempted reunion failed, accord- ing to The Associated Press. end, Kiss pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted break and enter. A judge will sentence him on April 27. CUT, SHAVE, AND NOW A NIP BATON ROUGE, La. — Who wouldn't want a pint with their haircut? That's the question Louisi- anans are asking after a state lawmaker proposed allowing barbershops to serve their cus- tomers free booze. But the idea isn't sitting well with everyone, KPLC channel 7 in Lake Charles, La., reported. "That's not good for the business and then it's not good for the bar- ber," Ricky Fontenot told the TV station. "How would you like for someone to cut your hair and he's slightly intoxicated. I don't think it would be a good thing." Under the proposed law, cosmetology businesses, such as spas, salons, and barbershops, could lighten a customer's spirits with no more than two glasses of wine, one glass of beer, or one drink containing hard liquor, KPLC reported. The lawmaker pitching the legislation, Rep. Jerry Gisclair, said the practice has been a longstanding one in some high-end businesses, but lately he has heard from con- stituents who run hair salons complaining the state's Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control was cracking down on it. "I'm not pushing or promot- ing alcohol," The Associated Press quoted Gisclair as saying. "I'm just trying to put every- body on the same playing field." Still, some barbers say they have no plans to open up mini- bars. "You don't want people to come in your shop and start drinking and start getting rowdy and they leave and start confu- sions or people leave and get into wrecks," Cody Joseph told LT

• Cover
• Family Court Warning
• The Dirt
• Focus On Class Actions