Law Times

PAGE 4 NEWS augusT 9, 2010 • Law Times When it comes to IP in Canada, We're Well Read Ridout & Maybee LLP: Editors of the Canadian Patent Reporter it all starts somewhere www.ridoutmaybee.com Toronto family lawyer minimizes time alone Continued from page 1 attorneys and judges hard to access and going to extreme lengths to ensure security in court. But Brown says members of the private bar have fewer op- tions and less support. Th e Ontario Bar Association has a personal safety handbook, fi rst produced in 2005, that it distributes to lawyers through- out the province. "What we try to explain to our members is that you don't have to just suck it up and take this. You're not expected to go out and get yourself killed," says Ian Kirby, who was the OBA's president when the handbook came out. Th e book off ers lawyers tips for assessing the credibility of a threat and on how to defuse po- tentially violent situations. Kir- by himself has worked under a bomb threat from the ex-spouse of a client and recently warned his family about an unstable woman currently opposing him unrepresented in court. "Most of us used to shrug it Ridout_LT_Feb9-16_09.indd 1 2/5/09 10:52:55 AM off and carry on," he says. "You wouldn't talk to anyone about it but once you start, you fi nd this common experience. Th e mes- sage has to be it's not acceptable to threaten violence or exact violence on lawyers and, if you do, don't think you'll get away with it." But Victoria Starr, who owns a family law practice in Toron- to, suggests many lawyers still don't share their stories. "It's not something we talk about, and maybe that's the fi rst step," she says. "We would learn that lots of us have been under that type of threat and be able to support each other." Starr's practice focuses on do- mestic violence cases that "no- body else wants." Th at means she frequently encounters men with violent histories. "Some of them are pretty psychotic, and when you read what they have done to their wives and chil- dren, it's pretty scary," she says. According to Starr, low-lev- el physical intimidation is rou- tine from her clients' spouses. Actual threats of violence are rarer. She once received a middle-of-the-night call from court staff to warn her that the angry spouse of a client had threatened to kill her and oth- ers involved in his case. But even then, Starr didn't report the incident to police because she feared it could prevent her from representing a client des- perately in need of her help. In the meantime, Starr has developed her own safety plan by minimizing her time alone and requesting a police escort from court when she suspects a situation could turn nasty. She tries to remember the words of a mentor, who told her, "It's not you they're after." "If I thought diff erently, I'd be too afraid," Starr says. "Part of being a lawyer is being fear- less. We might feel the fear but we push ahead, and it can put us at risk." At the same time, Brown says a lack of awareness about the problem means young practitioners fresh out of law school aren't fully aware of what they're about to face. She also says law societies may have been able to ignore the root causes of the problem because many lawyers who haven't en- countered threats fail to un- derstand the impact they can have. "Th ere's a division be- tween lawyers that concerns me," she says. "Until everyone's on the same page, they won't do anything about it. You can't just continue to lay the blame on people with mental-health issues. Th ere has to be more to it, but nobody seems to be fo- cusing on this." LT See you August 23 Law Times will not publish in print next week. We will return on August 23, 2010. Meanwhile, enjoy fresh content on our web site at: www.lawtimesnews.com At Kent Legal we know not just anybody can do the job. That's why we've taken extensive measures, like using the latest technology, tools and top recruiters to ensure we not only match the right applicant for your position, but that we do it in the best response time. We provide seamless placement services for legal secretaries, law clerks, office clerks, administrative management as well as e-discovery experts. We also understand the internal culture and hiring needs of every client we serve – whether it's for one expert, a team, direct hire, temporary or contract. Kent Legal – the most trusted name in legal recruiting. Call us today. (416) 363-7227 • Fax: (416) 363-6125 • kentlegal.com Kent legal monkey (LT 1-3x3).indd 1 www.lawtimesnews.com 2/17/10 1:45:10 PM

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