Toronto Lawyer | Omar Ha-Redeye, J.D. » Law Society of Upper Canada

2011 CLawBies Nominations

Toronto Lawyer — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 22:51:14 +0000

The CLawBies have become an institution in the Canadian blogging community, one which recognizes established and new legal blogs in our corner of the Internet. But it also recognizes that we very much are a community, and that even though we live in the second largest country in the world many of us have gotten to know each other quite well through blogs and social media. For example, I am able to introduce myself to Nicole Garton-Jones on the west coast and David T.S. Fraser from the east, and we instantly know all kinds of things about each other and have an affinity for one another.

Community building, in any community, is an arduous process. The low barrier of entry for blogging means the community is inherently fluid, but also characteristically democratic. There cannot be any formal hierarchies or official leadership for the Canadian blogging community. But there can be leaders, and those behind the CLawBies such as Steve Matthews, Jordan Furlong, and Simon Fodden, have certainly have positioned themselves as some of those.

Group psychology and organization behaviour, some of my passions I carry over from my management background, are just as relevant when applied to social media in the legal community. One of the more memorable quotes which reflects this principle was expressed by Brian Solis,

“Social Media is about sociology and psychology more than technology.” – Brain Solis #socialmedia #quote

— Allison_1001 (@Allison_1001) December 19, 2011

Despite being spread out from coast to coast, those of us in Toronto have tried to organize gatherings and meetups to get to know each other better in person. We’ve met regularly, almost every month now, for quite some time. Our gatherings have ranged from 4-5 people all the way to over 30, and almost always of varied composition. In fact I think I can say that we have never had a blawger meetup with exactly the same people there twice, with people like Simon Fodden, Barry S. Sookman, and Dan Pinnington all making respective appearances.

One of the more permanent hallmarks of these gatherings has been Garry Wise, another clear leader whose involvement has been absolutely essential in rallying both novice and experienced blawgers around the table. People attend to share expert tips, war stories, or just talk about current events, while other arrive with a curiousity about whether they should start blawgging at all. Our newest addition is Sara Cohen’s Fertility Law Blog, with a single post to date, launched earlier this month as a result of a discussion between Garry and her at our last meetup.

For those of us who love social media, it’s the exchange of well thought-out substantive legal ideas that challenge us on a personal level in a respectful manner which keeps us coming back for more. The addition of new members to this dialogue can only be a good thing.

Supporting the cultural norms and celebrating positive additions to the blawging community are the themes of my 2011 nominations:

1. SQP jeunes avocats | virtual mentor for new lawyers by Lee Akazaki

I got to know Lee primarily through is previous role as Ontario Bar Association (OBA) President. He executed his duties in that office amazingly, and was a huge support to younger members of the bar. He has continued his mentorship with a new blog focusing on mentoring. And he’s doing it in both official languages. Although the site was just launched in mid-November, I again reference the criteria listed on the CLawBies website:

newer, unlisted blogs may be eligible if they demonstrate all the critical elements of a great blog: decent post frequency, audience engagement, topic originality, and blog-to-blog references or citations.

Lee’s posts are coming through at least weekly (sometimes daily), and is expressly intended to be interactive,

This Blog has to be interactive

This is more than a website. There is a real live senior lawyer behind this wall, who in turn has a large network of lawyers to draw on for expertise. The function of this blog is to be interactive, to provide new lawyers with help and value for your time in reading. Please consider leaving a comment to any blog post you have read. Provided they are constructive, comments will be approved for the benefit of all readers. If you have a question or situation which you wish to share with the readership, send it to me and it will be considered for a future article. If you have a question you wish to ask on a confidential basis, contact me directly. Click on the ‘about lee / contact’ tab above and get in touch with me.

This is a great idea, and one which I feel the need to support through an endorsement with a CLawBie. See also Chris Jaglowtiz’s nomination of this site.

2. Social Media for Law Firms by Samantha Collier

The vast majority of lawyers I encounter are interested in social media primarily as a business development tool. My passion for it primarily stems from the ability to connect with other, exchange ideas, and build relationships that eventually grow into communities. But there is nothing wrong with lawyers who enter our space out of an interest to make themselves more visible to the public, and people like Samantha can help them do it in a classy way. Professional marketing advice doesn’t cheapen the profession, it enhances it, especially when done properly.

Most of Samantha’s technical content is probably introductory for many online veterans, but as I note above there are a lot of lawyers who are consider entering the field. Her site provides a form of mentoring on how to use social media, in the same way that Lee uses social media to discuss mentoring. She was also listed in the Top 24 Social Media Influencers in Canada this year, a list with many familiar faces and names which includes some very important non-lawyers who have helped build this community (special mention for Connie Crosby, for example).

3. Blawg Review by Ed. (Anonymous)

A 2010 CLawBie winner for Friends of the North, Blawg Review is an example of what the Canadian law blogging community could do for ourselves on a more regular basis. Blawg Review is truly an astronomical project that rotates to different sites every week and compiles a roundup of law blogs around the world. I would love to see Canadian blawgers comment more in a constructive manner on other blawgs, and for us to have an ongoing conversation about legal issues and cases.

Crowdsourcing complex legal questions discussing legal philosophy in a respectful and open exchange is a best case scenario for me because it would foster the greatest forms of creativity and collaboration, something we already see happening in the tech, communications and business sectors. Unfortunately law schools and most legal practices don’t properly teach interpersonal skills or the importance of collaboration, which in my opinion is a lost opportunity for potential development. Those of us who have tried to work more closely with each other have developed some rather revolutionary projects, including LawTechCamp (Monica Goyal, Sapna Mahboobani and Mitch Kowalski) and our sessions at the Law Society of Upper Canada (Mitch Kowalski, Bob Tarantino, Garry Wise and myself). You can read more about our sessions on Garry’s CLawBies nomination page. The materials not only reached over 5,000 lawyers in our jurisdiction, but have travelled far beyond and are already being used by lawyers in other provinces and countries. If there was any question about how social media can bring the legal community together in a positive way, this program has demonstrated how it can happen.

We don’t necessarily have to have our own blogging carnival for lawyers out here in Canada. But we could learn a lot about the spirit and attitude that makes Blawg Review work to help develop our own community. And yes, even the anonymous editor of Blawg Review has attended our blawger meetups in Toronto. It already has that kind of international pull. How many “Friends of the North” can claim that? If blawgers in other Canadian cities start hosting their own meetups we would see this community move forward to another level, and I can promise that at some point in the future I’ll make make the effort to attend them all myself – in person.

(Back, From Left: Andrew Feldstein, Omar Ha-Redeye, Bob Tarantino, Chris Jaglowitz, Lorraine Fleck, Connie Crosby, Syed Ali Ahmed (Front, From Left): Antonin Pribetic, Dan Pinnington, Monica Goyal, Michael Carabash, Garry Wise, Joel Welch, Adam Goodman

Ethical Considerations in An Age of Technology

Toronto Lawyer — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 00:10:41 +0000

Omar Ha-Redeye spoke on two panels at the Law Society of Upper Canada (LSUC) entitled Ethical Considerations in An Age of Technology, held on October 7, 2011 and November 21, 2011.

E-mail and social networking sites are rapidly becoming the preferred method of communication. If you are a lawyer or paralegal, it is critical for you to understand how the use of these tools can trigger the duty of client confidentiality and other professional obligations. Attend this program and learn best practices for ethical use of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn for the purposes of communicating with clients, marketing your legal services, and networking with your colleagues.

Other panelists included Mitch Kowalski, Bob Tarantino, and Garry Wise.

Omar Ha-Redeye at the Law Society of Upper Canada on October 7, 2011 (Photo Credit: Phil Brown)

See media coverage at the Legal Post, Wise Law Blog, and Precedent Magazine:

Top 12 Social Media Influencers Practicing Law in Canada

Toronto Lawyer — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:38:20 +0000

Jordan Furlong and Warren Smith named Omar Ha-Redeye as one of the top 12 social media influencers practicing law in Canada in the September 23, 2011 issue of The Lawyers Weekly.

The other influential lawyers included:

John Boscariol, McCarthy Tétrault LLP, Toronto. Twitter: @tradelawyer

David Canton, Harrison Pensa LLP, London Ont. Twitter: @davidcanton

Caroline Clapham, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, Vancouver. Twitter: @carolineclapham

Michael Fitzgibbon, Watershed LLP, Oakville, Ont. Twitter: @managementlaw

David Fraser, McInnes Cooper LLP, Halifax. Twitter: @privacylawyer

Nicole Garton-Jones, Heritage Law Group, Vancouver. Twitter: @ngartonjones

Rob Hyndman, Hyndman Law, Toronto. Twitter: @rhh

Erik Magraken, MacIssac & Co., Victoria. Twitter: @erikmagraken

Stuart Rudner, Miller Thomson, Toronto. Twitter: @CanadianHRLaw

Barry Sookman, McCarthy Tétrault, Toronto. Twitter: @bsookman

Garry Wise, Wise Law Group, Toronto. Twitter: @wiselaw

Furlong and Smith also provided a list of a dozen non-practicing legal professionals who led the pack in social media influence:

David Bilinksy, Law Society of B.C., Vancouver. Twitter: @David_Bilinsky

Colin Cameron, Profits for Partners Management Consulting, Vancouver. Twitter: @colincameron

Samantha Collier, MBM Intellectual Property Law, Vancouver. Twitter: @samtaracollier

Connie Crosby, Crosby Group Consulting, Oakville, Ont. Twitter: @crosbygroup

David Eby, B.C. Civil Liberties Association, Vancouver. Twitter: @Dave_Eby

Simon Fodden, Slaw.ca, Toronto. Twitter: @fodden

Michael Geist, University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, Ottawa. Twitter: @mgeist

Dominic Jaar, KPMG, Montreal. Twitter: @dominicjaar

Steve Matthews, Stem Legal Web Enterprises, Vancouver. Twitter: @stevematthews

Shaunna Mireau, Field LLP, Edmonton. Twitter: @smireau

Dan Pinnington, LawPRO, Toronto. Twitter: @danpinnington

David Whelan, Law Society of Upper Canada, Toronto.Twitter: @davidpwhelan

Canada’s Top Social Media Influencers

Stop Car Insurance Fraud

Toronto Lawyer — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:31:39 +0000

After the revelation of a potential $1.3 billion scam in the GTA, the Law Society of Upper Canada should consider discipline of any legal professionals knowingly involved. See more on Slaw.

2011 Bencher Elections Results

Toronto Lawyer — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:48:51 +0000

Results for the 2011 Bencher Elections are now available:

Bencher Election Results 2011

Nabel Haque for Bencher

Toronto Lawyer — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 01:45:55 +0000

I am a sole practitioner in Toronto. I had inherited a successful general practice and have over the years, acted on family law matters, criminal, real estate, business law, and some litigation. I know what is was like when I was newly called and the temptation of trying to do too much and the stress that followed. Over the years I have learned the value of narrowing the scope of my practice, leveraging my staff and technology to improve office processes, and making sure to enjoy life outside the office.

I see great potential in providing high grade legal services to the public by enhancing the tools and structures available to lawyers such as mentoring programs and access to county law libraries, implementing current technology to streamline processes, and by instituting programs to assist new lawyers in operating their practices as sound businesses.

I am firm in my belief that people work best if they are well taken care of and that lawyers without worry about fiscal and administrative considerations can focus on the law and practice with passion.

I believe the profession can be rewarding and enjoyable while taking care of the public interest.

For more information on my platform visit haquelaw.com

What inspired you to decide to run for bencher this year?
Control over my destiny. Like many of you may agree the legal profession consumes a large amount of our lives. I want to make sure that lawyers do not end up working more for less. Instead of instituting more rules on members I want to offer tools that will allow lawyers reduce administrative and economic burdens to allow them to focus on the law.

Which issue facing the law profession are you most concerned about?
The debundling of legal services and encroachment into areas of practice by non professionals. We earned our status as members of a ‘profession’ through years of education. Our role in the dispensation of legal services is sacrosanct just as the doctor’s role in providing medical care. Parceling off legal services and allowing those with less training to intrude into areas of law reserved for lawyers risks commoditizing legal services, the esteem in which the profession is held, and the quality of service offered to the public. Non lawyers have an important role just as nurses do in the medical profession, but not by acting as substitutes to lawyers.

What would be your first priority upon getting (re)elected?
I want the profession to be at the forefront when it comes to implementing the latest technological advances in all areas of practice whether it be in the provision of legal services, managing the practice, and marketing themselves.

What do you hope to achieve over the next four years as a member of Convocation?
These are my priorities:
1. Expanding programs designed to assist small firms, sole practitioners, and new calls in operating their practices as sound businesses;
2. Offering a pension plan to members as well as voluntary insurance coverage to protect against work interruption;
3. Guarding against the intrusion of paralegals into areas of the law reserved for lawyers;
4. Starting a public awareness campaign to enhance the image of the profession.
5. Ensuring transparency and consistency of the Law Society.

What is the most prominent concern for the profession in your region of the province?
Access to justice. This is a complex problem that will require the profession to address a number of external issues as well as internal ones. Access to justice can be denied by the court system as people with valid claims can be scared away by the specter of paying substantial costs to the other side if they lose. Access to justice can be denied to people who cannot find lawyers who speak the same language. Access to justice can be affected by the adversarial system and the unwillingness of either counsel or client to make concessions thereby prolonging dispute and making it prohibitively expensive for less wealthy parties. High legal fees can also be a barrier to justice. However, simply reducing fees can ultimately lead to the degradation in the quality of legal services. Instead, just as the advent of the video conferencing, email, and online researching tools reduced overheads while increasing efficiency, the profession should be looking for new ways to implement current advances to ameliorate legal costs through efficiency. I also believe that lawyers do provide legal assistance pro bono every day without realizing it, we are problem solvers by nature. We would likely do more if we practiced law on our own terms.

Additional Info

LSUC Bencher Election Begins

Toronto Lawyer — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 12:29:45 +0000

Today the LSUC Bencher Election begins, with online voting for the first time ever. See here for Omar Ha-Redeye’s endorsements.

Voting closes April 29, 2011. Voter guide below.

LSUC Voter Guide

2011 Bencher Election Virtual Town Hall

Toronto Lawyer — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:47:11 +0000

A virtual town hall was held on April 4, 2011 for the 2011 Bencher Election. Omar Ha-Redeye spoke on the panel as a representative of student interests.

Bencher Election Panel - Future of Law and Articling

Moderator: Glenn Kauth from Law Times
Guest Panelist: Catherine McKenna
Monday, April 4, 2011 12:30 p.m.

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/651558622

Bencher candidates, guest panelists and callers will be asked to weigh on the following issues:

Australia, the UK and South Carolina are moving forward with alternative business structures. Do you support alternative business structures in Ontario? Why or why not?

What are your thoughts on the unbundling legal services?

Is the Law Society adequately dealing with innovative ways to deliver legal services? Is the Law Society itself, being innovative enough? Richard Susskind’s The End of Lawyers has generated enormous interest amongst public policy-makers and strategic planners in law firms around the world. What is your view?

Should the Law Society be regulating paralegals or should paralegals be self-governing? Isn’t it a conflict for the law society to regulate paralegals since they compete for business with lawyers?

Should older, established lawyers be expected to do more to ease the costs for younger lawyers? E.g. CBA charges younger lawyers lower membership rates to encourage them to join and has one-year membership fee exemptions for unemployed lawyers who are facing financial hardship

Hundreds of talented young law students are finding it difficult to find suitable articles each year. What should the Law Society do? Should the Law Society do away with the articling requirement, adopt an Australian model, or should we have a pooled fund among potential employers?

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.4.11 (Tiger®) or newer