One of the really important aspects of lawyering is to have the right information at the right time for your clients.  Sometimes this means watching a resource that has a regular publication schedule like the Canada Gazette Part II (the source of new federal regulations and proclamations).  Canada Gazette Part II is published every second Wednesday. My Recurrence  dialogue box for a “Check Gazette Part II” Outlook appointment looks like this:

A one minute appointment every two weeks scheduled to not block a time when others may wish to schedule meetings with me. The body of the appointment has a …

All of us should check our credit report on an annual basis. Not only is this a good idea to cheto to  make sure there are no mistakes on your credit record,   it can also protect you against identity theft. If someone has stolen your identity, the transactions they have completed can tip you off that your identity has been compromised.
You can check your credit report once a year for free.…

♫ Will remind, will remind, will remind me…♫

Lyrics, music and recorded by Röyksopp.

I admit that I have more than a typical fascination with technology.  But this tip is about as low-tech as you can get. I have used this system for all the time that I have been in practice, when practising in  firms as well as at the Law Society and I have found that it works exceedingly well.

In the image you can see a dry-eraseable 4 month calendar.  By placing this calendar in a prominent location in your office and assigning someone with …

I have had the benefit of working on a writing project with others from my firm recently.  One of the key things that I have learned from this is that writers, especially if the work is intended to convince others to act, must put themselves in the shoes of the reader.

The next time you are reviewing a research memo, opinion letter, brief, or argument (or even an email), try to review your work as if you were a member of the intended audience.

This type of review is harder to practice than it sounds. It is especially hard to …

Hat Tip to David Whelan via a tweet that led me to  LawAtlas:

LawAtlas^SM is a gateway to key laws aimed at improving our health or access to health care. Visitors can use the Interactive Law Maps pages to generate maps and tables highlighting selected features of the law as it exists today or has changed over time.

Though the interactive law maps are only for the USA, the principle of looking a law in a visual way is worthy of a research tip.…

Unfortunately, most new computers come preloaded with a tons of junk software you don’t really want or need. These can be trial versions of various programs, including widely used programs, toolbars, utilities, games and other programs you have never heard of (and will probably never use).
And if you have an older computer, odds are there are programs on it that you also don’t want, need or use.
Nice to have a chance to try some of these programs out on a newer computer, but in the long run you just don’t want these extra programs on your machine. Why? …

♫ Hey Jude, don’t make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you’ll begin to make it better…♫

Lyrics and music by Lennon & McCartney.

This column was written shortly after attending a wine tasting session.  One of the themes of that session was how adding different types of grapes to a wine increases the complexities and the structure of a wine and, done right, this blending makes the wine more enjoyable and interesting. During that session (I have to admit that part of my mind was still thinking …

I don’t know about you, but I have a zillion (only a slight exaggeration) passwords.  There have been some great tips on the technology side of this blog and at Slaw.ca for using password generators and technology assisted password management.

Today’s Tip: use the same userid and password formula for both Westlaw and Quicklaw. It is not your banking information [don’t use your banking password for anything else], you aren’t going to change it frequently, and if you do change one, change both. Keep it simple

As a side, I keep a private Outlook contact with my research and social …

Most of us have lost a phone at some point, even if only temporarily at home (between the couch cushions or in another room). Always frustrating when that happens, especially if you are rushing out the door or have absolutely no clue where your phone is.
Finally (as of just yesterday) Android users now have what iPhone (Find My iPhone) and Blackberry users (Blackberry Protect) have had for years: an app that will help you find your lost phone, and wipe the data remotely if necessary.
If you lost your phone in the couch cushions or …

As coincidences go, it’s probably not such a big deal.

It turns out that both my PracticeTips partner, David Bilinsky, and I happen to be immersed in home reno projects of some note this August.

Convergence or not, I enjoy the coast to (almost) coast symmetry.

Now when it comes to home renovations, well, that’s often one of the things summer is for.  Relaxing, catching a few rays, and spending every other waking moment addressing a cacophony of questions about materials, labour, colours, patterns, high-ends and low-ends, creative decisions, intra-home negotiations, extras, costings, and the occasional legal document or two, …