Law Times

PAGE 16 The Inside Story SURVEY SHOWS DIVERSITY GAP Toronto's visible minorities are trailing behind when it comes to legal sector leadership positions, says a new survey. Just 6.8 per cent of leaders in the Greater Toronto Area legal sector come from visible min- orities, despite accounting for nearly half of the region's popu- lation, according to the third annual DiverseCity Counts re- port from the Diversity Insti- tute at Ryerson University. Th e report, which tracks lead- ers across the corporate, public, elected, education, and non- profi t sectors, included a fi rst look at the legal industry this year. It examined 2,410 leaders in the fi eld, including judges, governing bodies, law schools, partners at the top 20 law fi rms, and Crown attorneys. "Lawyers and judges are in- fl uential decision-makers who shape the laws and the admin- istration of justice," said lead author Wendy Cukier. "Rep- resentation in this sector is critical to a democratic society." At 8.3 per cent, the judiciary fares better than law fi rm part- ners and Crown attorneys when it comes to visible-minority representation. Governing bod- ies and law school leaders came out on top at 10.5 per cent. As a whole, visible minorities ac- count for about 14 per cent of the profession. "Now we can see that the problem increases as we move up the chain. Greater diversity at the top of our profession is both a social imperative and a business driver," says Julia Hanigsberg, a member of the DiverseCity steering committee and general counsel at Ryerson. POLAND HONOURS TORONTO LAWYER James Klotz, a partner at Miller Th omson LLP's Toronto offi ce, has been awarded Poland's Com- memorative Medal for his work to promote justice. Poland's minister of justice, Krzysztof Kwiatkowski, pre- sented the award to four mem- bers of the International Bar Association for their outstanding achievements. Klotz has written more than 100 publications on internation- al economic and commercial law. He's president and chair- man of the Canadian branch of Transparency International, a global organization dedicated to the fi ght against corruption, and an adjunct professor of interna- tional law at Osgoode Hall Law School. JAY LEFTON JOINS BLG Jay Lefton has departed Nor- ton Rose OR LLP for Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, where he becomes a partner in the Toronto offi ce. Business lawyer Lefton has more than 25 years of experience advising public and private com- panies on mergers and acquisi- tions and corporate and securities law with a particular focus on technology and life sciences. "We are delighted to have Jay join BLG. An award-winning lawyer, Jay is recognized by his clients, his peers, and the in- dustry for his outstanding work in business law, securities, and mergers and acquisitions," said Frank Callaghan, BLG's man- aging partner in Toronto. "I'm delighted to integrate my practice with that of BLG's and to have the opportunity to work alongside a strong group of colleagues," Lefton said. LAWTECHCAMP THIS WEEK Th e intersection of law and technology will be the focus for the lawTechcamp conference on June 18. Organizers hope to bridge the gap between the technol- ogy and legal communities by bringing together new media enthusiasts, technology lawyers, developers, and bloggers. Th e event, which will take place at the University of To- ronto Faculty of Law, encour- ages interactivity between work- shop presenters and attendees. "LawTechcamp is for anyone interested in the intersection of law and technology, how law ap- plies to technology, how technol- ogy can improve access to justice, and how the legal profession deals with technology, or even for those who are simply curious about law and technology," said Toronto lawyers and organizers Monica Goyal and Mitch Kowalski. Th ere's no charge to attend lawTechcamp, but prior regis- tration is required. More infor- mation is available at lawtech camp.com. For more Inside Story, please visit www.lawtimesnews.com. "He said, 'I specialize in structured settlements. How hard can it be?'" POT SUPERSTORE OPENS PHOENIX — Some local wags are calling it the Wal-Mart of Weed or Home DePot. Seeking to capitalize on Ari- zona's newly enacted medical marijuana law, a California- based company has opened a superstore-sized garden centre in Phoenix catering to those who want to grow their own cannabis. "We sell everything but the plant itself," said Dhar Mann, founder of weGrow, the com- pany that began franchising its big-box stores with outlets in Oakland and Sacramento, Ca- lif. "We sell the products and the services for people to safely and responsibly cultivate their medicine." Th e massive store off ers some 2,000 products, including soil, grow lights, and irrigation trays, specially designed for eff ective marijuana growing, Mann told Reuters. A doctor is also on site to furnish eligible patients with the initial medical approval needed to apply to the state health de- partment for cards authorizing them to legally grow and use marijuana as treatment for a va- riety of qualifying ailments. Th e store's opening came on the same day that Arizona was to have begun accepting appli- cations from individuals seek- ing one of 125 permits the state June 13, 2011 • Law Times Bizarre Briefs By Viola James plans to grant for the operation of medical marijuana dispensa- ries. — Reuters COPS SHOOT FAKE ALLIGATOR INDEPENDENCE, Mo. — Police in a suburb in the state of Missouri recently encountered one tough alligator — or so they thought. Offi cers in Independence, a Kansas City suburb, responded to a call on a Saturday evening about a large alligator lurking on the embankment of a pond, said police spokesman Tom Gentry. An offi cer called a state con- servation agent, who advised him to shoot the alligator be- cause there was little that con- servation offi cials could do at that time, Gentry said. As instructed, an offi cer shot the alligator, not once but twice, but both times the bul- lets bounced off because the al- ligator was made of cement. Th e property owner told police later that he placed the ornamental gator by the pond to keep children away. But resi- dents had little to fear. "Th ere are no alligators around here, we are too far north, it's too cold," said Bill Graham, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Con- servation. Gentry acknowledged the BAN ON SAGGY PANTS FORT WORTH, Texas — Don't get on the bus in Fort Worth if you're not properly dressed. Th e Fort Worth Transporta- tion Authority has implement- ed a new policy that prohibits any passenger with saggy pants that expose the person's under- wear or buttocks from boarding a bus. "Riders don't want to see a person dressed like that on a public bus," said Joan Hunter, communications manager for the system. Hunter said the new saggy pants policy is simply an exten- sion of the dress code the system has had for years, which has long required shirts and shoes. "A lot of diff erent people ride the bus," she said. "And many of them told us it's not a good idea to have your pants below your buttocks." So up went signs in city bus- es reading "Pull 'em up or fi nd another ride." Th e fi rst day the policy was in place, about 50 people were removed for improper pants, Hunter said. Some passengers have com- plained the system is trying to dictate what they can and can't wear, Hunter said, but overall reaction has been positive. "Fol- lowing this rule is actually easier than following any other cloth- ing policy we have." — Reuters incident is drawing a lot of at- tention. "In hindsight, it's humor- ous," he said. "But we have to take every call seriously." — Reuters www.lawtimesnews.com

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