Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Hannah Steeves
Thoughts from the Classroom: Addressing Generative AI and Legal Research & Writing
Generative AI will disrupt legal research. Its negative impact has been highlighted in mainstream media in the UK and the US. Many legal information professionals have valid concerns about how generative AI’s application in legal research may impact the integrity of the profession. Meanwhile, social media (e.g., LinkedIn and Twitter) is flooded with legal tech companies’ commentary on how it can be harnessed to streamline legal research, improving efficiency and productivity.
Monday’s Mix - Slaw
Posted in: Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible. This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Attorney with a Life 2. Official Clio Blog 3. The Lean Law Firm 4. Family LLB 5.
Youth Voices – Raising Awareness Through Art - Slaw
For the past four years, Youth Voices [Note 1] worked with Deer Crossing the Art Farm (Gibsons BC) on an initiative to raise awareness of the need to provide meaningful participation and voice to kids experiencing parental separation. On May 25, 2023, this partnership launched “Seen and Heard” – both a physical art installation and a digital platform for children and young people to tell their stories .
Grabbing of an Employee Breached Safety Rules
Posted in: An Ontario arbitrator recently ruled that a manager breached safety rules when he grabbed an employee he believed was being insubordinate. As a result, the employer was ordered to pay the employee $3,000 in damages for the breaches. Facts of the case The employer operates a beef harvest and livestock byproduct facility in Guelph, Ontario. The employee was a skid-off operator who was hired in 2010 and worked in the skid-off area since 2015.
Introducing a dashboard for the Canadian Legal Problems Survey results
Hi batgirl & Em, Thanks for reading! I’m sorry you’re dealing with these issues. I had posted a reply to… more » I agree with Em - when it comes to predictive AI, let's worry about professional integrity and content first, and… more » Can't afford to eat out. Can't afford takeout. Can't afford gas. Can't afford insurance. Can't afford alcohol. Can't afford drugs.… more » UPDATE: The amicus curiae briefs referred to in the article have been filed with the Constitutional Court of Russia. 1.… more »
Monday’s Mix - Slaw
Posted in: Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible. This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Canadian Securities Law 2. The Every Lawyer 3. BC Provincial Court eNews 4.Official Clio Blog 5. NSRLP Canadian Securities Law Salina v.
Summaries Sunday: Supreme Advocacy
One Sunday each month we bring you a summary from Supreme Advocacy LLP of recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers a weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, to which you may subscribe. It’s a summary of all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted from May 18 – June 21, 2023 inclusive. Oral Judgment Criminal Law: Sexual Assault R. v.
Rational Flow? It Might Be Reasonable
Written by Daniel Standing LL.B., Editor, First Reference Inc. 2023 BCSC 196 (CanLII) tells the tale of an injured employee who didn’t agree with the employment outlook he received from British Columbia’s Workers’ Compensation Board (WorkSafeBC), or with its curtailment of his job search benefits. The court’s position shows how decisions like these can be reasonable, even if the employee remains unconvinced.
Ten years of writing for Slaw and filling the gaps in legal publishing
Yesterday marked the ten year anniversary of my first regular Slaw column. I don’t think I could have guessed I would still be writing it after so much time, and it’s gratifying to hear when people say that they read my pieces. Having a venue where I can write regularly has been a gift for me as I enjoy being able to work out what I think on a subject and writing provides that space. Slaw fills a gap for a communal interdisciplinary publication that is not filled by more orderly venues.
Technology is Changing, and So Should Our Approach to the Self-representation Problem: Artificial Intelligence for SRLs
By David Lundgren, University of Toronto student Researcher in partnership with the NSRLP In Canada, self-represented litigants (SRLs) are generally disadvantaged from the onset of their case and throughout the legal process. Litigants are often driven to self-representation by financial constraints or a lack of available resources. Cultural and linguistic barriers, mistrust of the justice system, and negative socioeconomic factors also influence their decision to self-represent.
The Fundamental Problem With "The Rule of Law"
Posted in: Keep your eye on a fascinating project underway in England & Wales, where the Legal Services Board (overseer of all legal regulators there) has launched a “programme of work” devoted to ethics, professionalism, and the rule of law. These are subjects overdue for a critical reconsideration, given how much the world has changed in the last 15-20 years, and other countries certainly will benefit from the LSB’s work here.
Monday’s Mix - Slaw
Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible. This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. First Reference 2. Canadian Privacy Law Blog 3. Canadian Securities Law 4. Off the Tracks Podcast 5. Condo Adviser First Reference A change to family status discrimination?
Summaries Sunday: SOQUIJ
Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.
Friday Jobs Roundup
Each Friday, we share the latest job listings from Slaw Jobs, which features employment opportunities from across the country. Find out more about these positions by following the links below, or learn how you can use Slaw Jobs to gain valuable exposure for your job ads, while supporting the great Canadian legal commentary at Slaw.ca.
Being Optimally Sized, Focused, Efficient and Effective are, perhaps, Keys to Successful Professional Information Publishing
Posted in: That v-Lex and Fastcase have merged, now called v-Lex Group, is an important and certainly interesting development for customers on both sides of the Atlantic and far beyond, continuing a process in which the two businesses have been steadily advancing through acquisition and consolidation. The deal, ironically, was announced within days of Thomson Reuters having sold, to an alternative asset management firm, a majority stake in one of its significant businesses aimed at legal markets.
The Conundrum of Conflicting Medical Evidence
Written by Daniel Standing, LL.B., Editor, First Reference Inc. In 2023 CanLII 13643 (CALA), arbitrator Graham J. Clarke examined the question of conflicting medical evidence in an accommodation matter and determined the employer was wrong to have ignored the employee’s evidence while preferring that of its own doctor.
Graphing interactions of responses to legal problems
One of the interesting things that came out of my research into the results of the Canadian Legal Problems Survey is how people pursue different courses of action to resolve their legal problems and how the different courses of action interact. Here is a graph of the frequency of course of action and and how actions co-occur. The actions are ordered from left to right in order of how helpful people found the action to be.
Wednesday: What’s Hot on CanLII? – April 2023 - Slaw
At the beginning of each month, we tell you which three English-language cases and French-language cases have been the most viewed* on CanLII in the previous month and we give you a small sense of what the cases are about. La version française suit. For this past month, the three most-consulted English-language decisions were: Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) v. Vavilov, 2019 SCC 65 (CanLII) [1] This appeal and its companion cases (see Bell Canada v.
Bringing Online Consumer Dispute Information and Resolution to Saskatchewan
Posted in: The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) recently launched a new legal guided pathway and online dispute resolution platform to resolve consumer disputes. I had the privilege of working with the FCAA Consumer Protection Division team to develop the legal guided pathway portion of the project called Consumer Rights. This includes twelve dispute areas ranging from auctions to vehicle dealers.
The Unique Value of Lawyers in the Legal Process: Why AI Will Never Replace the Human Touch
The legal profession is experiencing a transformational shift, with AI and automation changing the way legal services are delivered. However, despite the advancements in technology, there are still essential aspects of the lawyer/client relationship that only a human lawyer can provide. In this article, we will discuss the unique value provided by lawyers and how lawyers can identify and build on those dimensions of the client experience.
Tips Tuesday: Creating An "Unread" E-mail Folder
Posted in: Are you someone who uses e-mail filters to try and keep some semblance of organization in your inbox? Ever filtered too well and ended up missing an important e-mail because it skipped the inbox and got stuck in a sub-folder? This tip will help you to filter your e-mails with confidence knowing that you will never miss an unread e-mail again. Let me introduce you to the “Unread” folder.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s Public Outreach Efforts Need Better Transparency
Posted in: Supreme Court of Canada Chief Justice Richard Wagner has been clear about wanting to bolster his Court’s public outreach. Since he assumed the top role, his Court has held highly-publicized sittings in Winnipeg and Québec City and begun issuing glossy “Year in Review” recaps. Another sign of this outreach is the 56 conferences the justices attended last year – more than they authored during the same period.
Monday’s Mix - Slaw
Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible. This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. BC Injury Law Blog 2. First Reference 3. Off the Shelf 4. PierreRoy & Associés 5.
Summaries Sunday: SOQUIJ
Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.
Summaries Sunday: Supreme Advocacy
One Sunday each month we bring you a summary from Supreme Advocacy LLP of recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers a weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, to which you may subscribe. It’s a summary of all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted from Feb. 16 – April 13, 2023 inclusive. Oral Judgments Criminal Law: Sexual Assault of a Child; Confessions R. v.
Friday Jobs Roundup
Each Friday, we share the latest job listings from Slaw Jobs, which features employment opportunities from across the country. Find out more about these positions by following the links below, or learn how you can use Slaw Jobs to gain valuable exposure for your job ads, while supporting the great Canadian legal commentary at Slaw.ca.
The Arbitrator Refuses to Tinker with Minimal Punishment
Daniel Standing LL.B., Editor, First Reference Inc. In classic fashion, arbitrator Kim Bernhardt in 2023 CanLII 10437 determined the punishment met the crime after reviewing the case’s mitigating and aggravating factors. A one-day suspension for insubordinate comments seems quite minimal, yet the grievor alleged that progressive discipline should have been applied, resulting in even lesser discipline. As the arbitrator would explain, that’s not how it always works.
Book Review: Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide
Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Law Dissertations: A Step-by-Step Guide. By Laura Lammasniemi. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, 2022. x, 190 p. Includes illustrations, bibliographic references, and index.
Tips Tuesday: Use Cached Materials on Google
If you want a read a web page but it isn’t loading, you can look at the cached version on Google. Google makes a copy of each web page it indexes so that it can be used as a backup. You can access Google’s cached version in one of two ways. If you found the page through a Google search, simply click on the three dots next to the search result and then click on the button that says “cached”.
“Open Access & Legal Scholarship” Revisited: Part II
Posted in: In “Open Access & Legal Scholarship” Revisited: Part I, Hannah revisited John Bolan’s “exceptions to the exception” of the lack of open access (OA) in law. She considered the success story of CanLII, commercial repositories, increased interdisciplinarity, and the access to justice movement. In part II we would like to consider some of the factors that have contributed positively to the growth of the “exceptions to the exception” but also note the challenges they raise for the future.
Serving the Needs of the Many
The primary objective of the Mobile Rural Law Van has been to expand service in underserved rural areas, first to rural Wellington County in the summer 2019 pilot project and then, in the second three-year phase of the project from 2021 to 2024, to Wellington County and to the adjacent North Halton area as well. The mobile summer Law Van operates between May and the end of October.
Summaries Sunday: SOQUIJ
Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.
Silence is Golden In Hypothetical Group Termination
Written by Daniel Standing LL.B., Editor, First Reference Inc. Often, cases about the validity of termination provisions in employment contracts focus on whether the contract language sufficiently ousts the common law presumption of reasonable notice. Such provisions commonly refer to, or incorporate by reference, a minimum legislative standard amount of notice that must be given. What those generally familiar with the law might not think twice about is precisely which minimum standard applies.
Weeding Out Procrastination
Posted in: Sam is frustrated. Having settled her big trial, she faces a pile of small tasks she is behind on. None of it is particularly challenging, but she spends hours a day surfing the net instead of getting caught up. Chris is deadline driven. Every day runs like a fire drill of running to meet deadlines. They know they should plan to get projects started sooner but are stuck in the habit of relying on the stress of an impending deadline for motivation. What do Sam and Chris have in common?
Book Review: Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries
Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Narrative Expansions: Interpreting Decolonisation in Academic Libraries. Edited by Jess Crilly & Regina Everitt. London, U.K.: Facet, 2022. xxxii, 290 p. Includes bibliographic references and index.
Appeal Courts Say “Hands Off” Arbitration
One of the main reasons to choose arbitration is that parties want a decision that’s final and binding. Until they lose. Then they want a court to give them a do-over to fix the arbitrator’s terrible mistakes. Two recent decisions by the Courts of Appeal in British Columbia and Ontario remind us that the parties should get what they bargained for, “final” means final, and courts should not intervene except in exceptional situations. In Spirit Bay Developments Limited Partnership v.
The Significance of the New Court Challenge to the Directive Around Sperm Donation in Canada
Presently, there is a shortage of sperm donation in Canada. This is partly attributed to the altruistic model in Canada. In the altruistic model, donors cannot be paid for their services (although they can be reimbursed for expenses). The absence of a financial incentive has contributed to the shortage of donor gametes in Canada.
“Open Access & Legal Scholarship” Revisited: Part I
In 2011, the TALL Quarterly published a brief article authored by John Bolan, Public Services Librarian at the Bora Laskin Law Library (University of Toronto). The article addressed the burgeoning open access movement for scholarly literature generally, with a focus on the lack and lag of open access literature within the discipline of law and potential areas of growth in the field.
Tips Tuesday: Optimize CanLII with DarkLII and Reading Pane
For the longest time, I had no idea that there was a reading pane option in CanLII but once I discovered it, it was an absolute game changer. When you perform a search you’ll notice some options on the right hand side. There will be “Clear Filters” “By relevance” and then three icons. The second last icon when clicked on has two options “Default” and “Reading Pane”. Select reading pane and prepare to have your life changed. You’re welcome.
What’s The Point of Competition in Law School?
“Look to your left; look to your right. Only one of you will be here in a few years’ time.” I’m not the first Slaw columnist to be skeptical that that phrase was ever directed at first-year law students in this country. And based on my own experience, it’s nonsense: About 95% of my first-year class at Queen’s Law in 1990 graduated three years later. Getting out of law school isn’t the hard part; getting in is.
Tips Tuesday: SlawTips is Moving to Slaw.ca
After nearly 11 years, dozens of Tipsters, and more than 1200 tips, we’ve made the decision to transition SlawTips from its own site to being part of our content here at Slaw. Moving forward, you’ll now find new tips occasionally via our “Tips Tuesday” category. A huge thanks to all the Tipsters who have generously contributed their pearls of wisdom since 2011.
What makes a Settlement “Bad”? Harvey Weinstein, Jeremy Diamond, and the Limits of Private Resolutions
“A bad settlement is better than a good trial.” Every year, I pass along this old lawyer saying to students in my Civil Procedure and Legal Ethics classes. The idea is that pushing on to a hearing is expensive, risky, and time-consuming. Even a far-from-ideal settlement might be better overall. Thus, lawyers must “advise and encourage” clients to settle their disputes so long as there is a “reasonable basis” to do so, according to the Rules of Professional Conduct.
Monday’s Mix - Slaw
Posted in: Each Monday we present brief excerpts of recent posts from five of Canada’s award-winning legal blogs chosen at random* from more than 80 recent Clawbie winners. In this way we hope to promote their work, with their permission, to as wide an audience as possible. This week the randomly selected blogs are 1. Law School Life & Beyond 2. Canadian Class Actions Monitor 3. Global Workplace Insider 4. Double Aspect 5.
Summaries Sunday: SOQUIJ
Every week we present the summary of a decision handed down by a Québec court provided to us by SOQUIJ and considered to be of interest to our readers throughout Canada. SOQUIJ is attached to the Québec Department of Justice and collects, analyzes, enriches, and disseminates legal information in Québec.
Summaries Sunday: Supreme Advocacy
One Sunday each month we bring you a summary from Supreme Advocacy LLP of recent decisions at the Supreme Court of Canada. Supreme Advocacy LLP offers a weekly electronic newsletter, Supreme Advocacy Letter, to which you may subscribe. It’s a summary of all Appeals, Oral Judgments and Leaves to Appeal granted from Aug. 18 – Oct. 12, 2022 inclusive. Appeals Criminal Law: Hearsay R. v.
Friday Jobs Roundup
Each Friday, we share the latest job listings from Slaw Jobs, which features employment opportunities from across the country. Find out more about these positions by following the links below, or learn how you can use Slaw Jobs to gain valuable exposure for your job ads, while supporting the great Canadian legal commentary at Slaw.ca.
The Need to Act Fast in the Face of Major Change
Posted in: Written by Daniel Standing, LL.B., Editor, First Reference Inc. The law doesn’t easily tolerate those who sleep on their rights. In the world of wrongful dismissal, the adage “you snooze, you lose” rings particularly true. A recent decision of the Court of Appeal for Alberta (2022 ABCA 230) illustrates how an employee’s delayed objection to significantly changed terms of employment can leave them stuck with the changes.
The Law School Gatekeepers
Every law society in Canada places one key condition on candidates for law licensure: Unless you are an internationally trained candidate, you must hold a three-year degree from an accredited law school before you can begin the bar admission process. As a result, virtually every domestically trained lawyer in Canada has a law degree, and most of us who entered the profession this way have never questioned that.
Book Review: Performing Copyright: Law, Theatre and Authorship
Posted in: Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review (CLLR). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD), and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Performing Copyright: Law, Theatre and Authorship. By Luke McDonagh. Oxford, U.K.: Hart, 2021. xxix, 202 p. Includes bibliographic references, table of cases, table of legislation, and index.
Adding Video to Your Business Development
Posted in: Video can be an absolute game changer in your business development arsenal. It provides the same benefits of developing great written content while allowing users to feel a connection with you as a person. It’s versatile, fun, informative and shareable on so many platforms. If there is one thing that the pandemic has done, it has made people more comfortable on camera. Whether it is Zoom, Teams or Google Meet, we are more comfortable seeing each other on video now than ever before.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Hannah
Contact Hannah, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack