Law Times

Page 16 March 20, 2017 • Law TiMes www.lawtimesnews.com LSUC ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS Thora Espinet was the only black woman in her class at the University of Windsor Fac- ulty of Law and one of the first black women lawyers in Ontario after being called to the bar in 1984. But that didn't stop her from pursuing a career, first in criminal law and then family law. "Sometimes, what holds peo- ple back is self-doubt," Espinet told Law Times in an interview. "But I'm very confident. I don't let other people define me." That confidence has led Ja- maican-born Espinet to become a leader in "promoting social change as well as addressing issues of discrimination and equality," according to the Law Society of Upper Canada. Espinet is the recipi- ent of the Lincoln Alexander Award. The award is one of several Law Society Awards that will be handed out May 24 at Osgoode Hall. Law Society Medal winners include Patrick Case, a leader in establishing policies on addressing racism; Larry Chartrand, who works to advance aboriginal and Métis rights; Sally Colquhoun, who has helped increase social justice for low-income people and First Nation communities in Ontario's Northwest; Michael Eizenga, a leader in the class action bar; Marie Henein, for her achievements as a criminal defence lawyer; Joanna Radbord, for her contributions to LGBTQ rights, family law, constitutional and human rights; and Gary Yee, for his activism and advocacy for racialized communities. The Laura Legge Award goes to Breese Davies. Edwarda De Oliveira Castro will receive the William J. Simpson Distin- guished Paralegal Award, and the J. Shirley Denison Award recipient is Grace Alcaide Janicas. LAW PROFS CALL FOR MINING OMBUDSPERSON Law professors from universi- ties across Canada have sent a letter to Prime Minister Jus- tin Trudeau calling for an in- dependent ombudsperson to investigate complaints about Canadian mining companies operating abroad. "It is time for Canada to step up to the plate and take legisla- tive action to prevent Canadian extractive companies from prof- iting from human rights abuses and other harm," said Penelope Simons, a professor of law at the University of Ottawa. LOGAN JOINS BAKER MCKENZIE Daniel Logan has joined Bak- er McKenzie as a partner in To- ronto. With more than 20 years experience in complex commer- cial technology and outsourc- ing transactions, Logan brings a particular expertise working with clients in the financial ser- vices sector, said the firm. 17 % NO, I DO NOT AGREE YES, I AGREE 83 % LAW TIMES POLL Law Times reported that a judge had issued a strong rebuke of the processes lawyers have to follow to retrieve unpaid fees from cli- ents and backlogs at the provin- cial assessment office. Readers were asked if they felt an overhaul of the process was long overdue. About 83 per cent said yes, the time has come for much- needed amendments to the So- licitors Act. Another 17 per cent said no, while the process was not per- fect, it is a good development that lawyers will now be able to sue clients for unpaid accounts in some situations. LT u Bizarre Briefs By Viola James u The InsIde story OREGON TOWN GOING CHEAP TILLER, Ore. — Now you can buy an entire town for the price of a house in Toronto. The town of Tiller in Oregon is for sale for just US$3.5 million. The price of the mostly uninhabited, unin- corporated town about 362 kilometres south of Portland includes six houses, an apartment and industrial and commercial lots, as well as a building that once housed a gas station and general store, according to Reuters. About 250 people live in the surrounding area. But aside from the family that owns and is now selling the town, only two residents re- main in Tiller itself, a former teacher and the pastor of the local church. Neither of their par- cels is for sale, says Reuters. The emptying out of the town came as tim- ber harvesting declined in the region and the town's mill closed, says Reuters. The family that owns Tiller now accumu- lated the town lot by lot as other families left. Would-be buyers range from Chinese inves- tors to people interested in starting medical fa- cilities and hemp-growing operations, reports Reuters. FORMER PRESIDENT HOUNDED OVER ABANDONED DOGS SEOUL — A South Korean animal rights group has filed a complaint with police against former president Park Geun-hye for aban- doning nine pet dogs in the presidential Blue House after being dismissed from office, re- ports Reuters. Park left the Blue House presidential com- plex on March 12, two days after the Consti- tutional Court removed her from office over a corruption scandal involving big business and financial favours, according to Reuters. She returned to her private home in the up- market Gangnam district of Seoul. The Busan Korea Alliance for the Preven- tion of Cruelty to Animals said on its Twitter account it had filed a complaint against Park on a charge of animal abandonment, reports Reuters. "She told Blue House staff to take good care of the dogs and to find good foster homes for the puppies if necessary," said a Blue House spokesman, Kim Dong-jo, according to Re- uters. CAR TWERKERS STORM MIAMI MIAMI — Florida is apparently dealing with a rash of car twerking. Last week, a woman was filmed twerking on top of a car travelling westbound on the Mac- Arthur Causeway. The filmmaker shared the post with friends, one of whom was documentary filmmaker Billy Corben, who posted it on Twitter, reports The Huffington Post. "For anyone who thought that twerking had its moment and now it's gone, that is clearly not the case," Corben told Miami New Times. "As social media has taught us, twerking is forever; it is a timeless tradition." The newspaper reached out to local police to see if the woman was arrested or at least stopped by police, but there were no car twerk- ers reported from the area. A different woman was filmed twerking, this time on top of a police ATV at South Beach. The officer pushed her off his vehicle, but the woman was not arrested, and the situ- ation remained peaceful, according to Miami Beach Police Ernesto Rodriguez, reports The Huffington Post. "The beachgoer made a poor choice when she mounted one of our vehicles as the officer was retreating from a large crowd," Rodriguez told Local10.com. "We strongly urge people visiting our beach- es to have a good time not only safely but also responsibly." LT Thora Espinet says she is honoured to be the newest recipient of the Lincoln Alexander Award from the Law Society of Upper Canada. "No matter how that case resolves itself, a structured settlement, of some sort, might be in order." Understand © 2017 Stewart. All rights reserved. See policies for full terms and conditions. Working closely with our legal clients has given us insight into your processes, your needs and the challenges you face in your practice. It's this understanding that led us to work with TELUS to offer the Assyst Real Estate application, which enables you to exchange data with lenders securely, seamlessly and accurately. Interested? Request a demo. Call (888) 667-5151 or visit stewart.ca. Untitled-6 1 2017-03-15 8:49 AM

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