Law Times

PAGE 16 Enabling Lawyers through Technology Tel: 416.322.6111 Toll-free: 1.866.367.7648 Real Estate • Corporate • Estates www doprocess com The Confidential Inside Story PROMOTING PRO BONO The Canadian Bar Association has created a mentorship pro- gram aimed at encouraging law- yers to provide more pro bono services for the public. "Many of us have experience being a mentor or a mentee in an informal or casual way. We talk to a colleague to gain perspective on a file, or to ask for guidance. The CBA mentorship program is a more formal mentoring rela- tionship designed to support pro bono work," said Pamela Kovacs, chairwoman of the CBA's pro bono committee, during the recent an- nual meeting in Quebec City. The program will match partic- ipating lawyers for a one-year pe- riod in a one-on-one mentorship relationship. The mentor will be able to assist in setting up effective pro bono case-management strate- gies, or figuring out how to deal with particular legal situations. "Many lawyers consider pro bono to be a valuable way to give back to the community and to help further access to justice in Canada," said Kovacs. She points out that the CBA encourages lawyers to contribute 50 hours of pro bono services per year. The program will provide additional support for new lawyers trying to establish their pro bono regimen. The CBA makes it clear that while they support and encourage pro bono work, they do not see it as a substitute for adequate govern- ment funding of legal aid services. NEW BLG PARTNERSHIP TO BENEFIT CHILDREN The Montreal team of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP has com- mitted to helping children with difficulties and their families who are in need of legal services. BLG has partnered with Dr. Gilles Julien and the Foundation for the Promotion of Social Pe- diatrics to provide pro bono legal services to the beneficiaries of social pediatric centres set up by Julien. "Our team believes in the positive impact that proactive and timely legal services can have in resolving difficult situations," said Alexander De Zordo, who is in charge of BLG's pro bono commit- tee in Montreal. "The profession- als working in Dr. Julien's clinics, as well as the children and their families, spare no efforts in im- proving their well-being; the BLG team is proud to contribute with its own legal expertise." Cases will be referred to BLG when complex legal situations arise that can't be dealt with by those working in the pediatric centres. They list several situations in which they may be of assistance, including the right to health-care services, the protection of integ- rity, clean and safe housing, and a healthy environment. BLG as- sociate Emmanuelle Rolland is managing the firm's program. Hélène (Sioui) Trudel is the lawyer in charge of setting up the health-and-law-alliance com- ponent for the pediatric centres. "This partnership between the FPSP and BLG is part of a crucial component of social pediatrics, the heath and law alliance. This mod- el, which requires the creation of a true partnership between the fields of medicine and law, minimizes the negative impacts on health de- terminants by ensuring the respect of the fundamental rights of the children," said Trudel. Julien founded the FPSP in order to provide funding for the protection and development of vulnerable children in Canada. EXPECTED AREAS OF GROWTH A survey conducted on behalf of Robert Half Legal has identi- fied corporate and securities law as holding the most potential for growth over the next decade. The poll was conducted with 300 lawyers across Canada and the United States, all with over three years of experience in the le- gal field. Respondents were asked which practice areas were most likely to offer the greatest num- ber of employment opportunities over the next 10 years. Litigation followed closely behind. LT STG_05_LT_BaseBar 8/16/06 8:52 AM Page 1 For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com "Do you think that s.3 of the Canadian Human Rights Act which prohibits communication likely to expose designated potential victims to hatred and ridicule applies to... and we're completely off the record here, right? ...the cafeteria coffee?" At Stewart Title, it's how we work that sets us apart. We deal in title insurance and related products, undertaking no part of the transaction that has traditionally fallen to legal professionals. Since our inception into the Canadian market, you will find that we have consistently combined comprehensive coverage with unparalleled support for legal professionals. We are dedicated to streamlining your practice and increasing your revenue through our programs and innovative technology solutions. At Stewart Title, we know it's our relationship with our customers that determines our success. That's why service is the foundation of our business and integrity, the keystone in all our dealings. Contact us today at (888) 667-5151 or visit www.stewart.ca. www.lawtimesnews.com COPS SUE WIDOW SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Two police deputies are suing the mother of a 34-year-old schizophrenic man who killed his father before dying in a shootout involving the litigants. The lawsuit seeks $8 mil- lion from the woman and her late husband's estate "for emotional distress, medical expenses, loss of earning ca- pacity, and punitive damages," reports the Sacramento Bee. "June 5 was a tragic day for me and my family, and it was a tragic day for the deputies who were injured," the woman, Karen Mies, said. "We were all victims that day. But this lawsuit is victimizing our fam- ily again. What do they want? My husband's dead, my son's dead. Do they want my house and my 10-year-old car?" The deputies — Jon Yaws and Greg Murphy — claim that Mies and her husband should have better controlled their son, and that they "suf- fered anxiety and humiliation" on top of physical wounds during the shootout. Their attorney, Philip Mast- agni, is not worried about the "firefighters' rule," which has traditionally kept public safety officers from pursuing lawsuits over alleged negligence caus- ing emergency response. AUGUST 25 / September 1, 2008 • Law times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James WHO'S GOING TO HELL? WASHINGTON, D.C. — A lawyer who wrote letters tell- ing a judge and counsel to "go to hell" has gotten a pos- sible reprieve from an appeals court, which disagreed with a disciplinary ruling in the case. According to ABA Journal, lawyer Michael Ditton wrote a letter to counsel for the Vir- ginia bar stating, "I refuse to participate or co-operate [in] any way in your criminal and cowardly fascist racketeering conspiracy, otherwise known as the murder Ditton legally game. Go to hell." The letter to the judge read, "You leave me only my absolute moral superiority that I invoke against you and your co-conspirators," add- ing, "Go to hell." Ditton received a five-year suspension from a Virginia court after discovering that he had been charged with drunk driving and refusing to admit a deputy sheriff attempting to evict him from his apartment. The court also ruled he had a habit of filing civil actions with questionable merit. The District of Columbia Board on Professional Re- sponsibility recommended reciprocal discipline for Dit- ton, on top of a fitness re- quirement for reinstatement. But the District of Columbia Court of Appeals rejected that recommendation and has remanded the case for further consideration. JUST MIND YOUR BUSINESS TOKYO — Two people were attacked and robbed after tak- ing a few extra glances at a man dressed up as happy-go-lucky Disney character Winnie the Pooh, according to police. Masayuki Ishikawa, reports Reuters, was passing the time standing on a Tokyo street late one evening. He was joined by a pair of friends — one dressed as a mouse, the other as a panther, said police, adding the group were apparently forced to cover up in the bizarre clothes after running out of clean duds. When the 20-year-old Mas- ayuki saw two people staring at his Winnie the Pooh getup, the group attacked the perpe- trators, said police. "It's uncommon to see peo- ple dressed up like this, so the victims were watching them," said a police spokesman. "Then the perpetrator came up and said, 'What are you staring at?'" TAKE THAT! MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Police have arrested a man who said he shot his lawn mower because, try as he might, the sucker just wouldn't get going. "I got pissed because my lawn mower wouldn't start, so I got my shotgun and shot it," 56-year-old Keith Walendows- ki told police, according to AP. "I can do that," he said. "It's my lawn mower and my yard, so I can shoot it if I want." LT

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