LAWPRO Magazine Article Type
Defending lawyers in court in 2020
Despite any attempts to resolve claims without litigation, sometimes court is inevitable. Every year, LAWPRO steps in to defend licensees from unwarranted lawsuits and accusations.Here are a few examples of defences successfully advanced by LAWPRO in 2020 on behalf of insureds. Contract law – Claims against alleged partners of debtors Partners in a legal firm… Read More »
Categories: 2021 April – 2020 Year in Review, Articles, CasebookA place for every email and every email in its place: Improving your inbox organization
In a modern law firm, it is not uncommon for the bulk of a file to be located in the lawyer’s inbox. This includes records of client instructions, agreements between counsel, strategy discussions, and scheduling confirmations. This can also include attachments and documents circulated between lawyers and clients that are sometimes never stored in a… Read More »
Categories: Articles, Legal Technology, New Lawyer Issue, Tech TipsPhishing scams: Be the one that got away
Phishing involves the use of an email, text message or phone call that appears to come from a trusted source or institution, vendor or company, but is actually from a third-party impostor. Phishing messages are intended to trick you into giving fraudsters your information by asking you to update or confirm personal or online account… Read More »
Categories: Articles, Cyber dangers, New Lawyer Issue, Tech TipsCommunicating like its 1876: The continuing importance of telephone skills for lawyers
When the Western Union Telegraph Co. famously declined to purchase the telephone patent from Alexander Graham Bell, it was allegedly because they wondered why anyone would want to use such a frivolous and impractical device when a clear and concise written message could just as easily be sent by telegraph. This assessment seems less absurd… Read More »
Categories: Articles, Communications Errors, Content Type, Features, Law students/new lawyers, New Lawyer IssuePlanning to do real estate work? A primer on title insurance and the TitlePLUS program
If you’re planning to do any real estate work when you go into practice, you’ll soon hear about a resource used by many real estate practitioners – title insurance. It’s a type of insurance coverage that lawyers across Canada are telling their clients about to help protect them against some typical problems that might crop… Read More »
Categories: Articles, New Lawyer Issue, Title insurance, TitlePLUSEditorial: Help is available
At one time or another, most lawyers and paralegals will have seen a family member, a friend, or a colleague struggling with health or addiction issues. Undoubtedly, a good number of those reading this column will have themselves struggled with health issues at some point during the course of their career. Historically, the profession has… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, EditorialsUnderstanding mental health in the legal profession
Herman Melville wrote that the legal profession is one where “misery hides aloof, so we deem that misery there is none.” In Melville’s story of Bartleby, the Scrivenor, a solicitor watches this silent misery slowly consume and destroy his copyist, Bartleby. Although Melville wrote his tragedy about depression in the legal profession in 1853, it… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessUsing the MAP to find a healthier way
Although compromised mental health within the legal profession has historically been a widespread and deeply rooted problem, increasing awareness and new resources are building a healthier, more resilient, and stronger profession. That’s where myassistplan.com from the Member Assistance Program (MAP) comes in. The MAP provides Ontario lawyers, paralegals, law students, judges, and family members, with… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessWarning signs: Why it’s important for lawyers and firms to be proactive about mental health
When lawyers ignore their mental health and fail to act on warning signs, they not only harm their quality-of-life and job satisfaction, they leave themselves open to a claim, or even a cluster of malpractice claims. It’s 10:00 p.m. Do you know where your associates are? A lawyer’s life can be a lonely one. Long… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, WellnessPuttıng the fire out: Dealing with the stress of a malpractice claim
There is simply no doubt about it: making an error or having an action commenced against you is stressful, even for the most successful lawyers. And because almost half of Ontario lawyers in private practice will face a malpractice claim at least once in their career, at some point this stress will be a reality… Read More »
Categories: 2020 January - Finding Your Way, Articles, Wellness, Wellness