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www.canadianlawyermag.com Canadian Lawyer is published 10 times a year by HAB Press Limited. KEY MEDIA and the KEY MEDIA logo are trademarks of Key Media IP Limited, and used under license by HAB Press Limited. CANADIAN LAWYER is a trademark of HAB Press Limited. All rights reserved. Contents may not be reprinted without written permission. The opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the publisher. Information presented is compiled from sources believed to be accurate, however, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Canadian Lawyer disclaims any warranty as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the contents of this publication and disclaims all liability in respect of the results of any action taken or not taken in reliance upon information in this publication. Publications Mail Agreement #41261516 ISSN 0703-2129 ©2019 GST/HST Registration #703184911RT001 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESS TO: CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5H 3G8 RETOURNER TOUTE CORRESPONDANCE NE POUVANT ÉTRE LIVREÉ AU CANADA AU SERVICE DES PUBLICATIONS 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor, Toronto, ON, M5H 3G8 HAB Press Limited 20 Duncan St., 3rd Floor Toronto, Ontario M5H 3G8 tel: +1 416 644 8740 www.keymedia.com www.canadianlawyermag.com 3 EDITOR'S DESK UPFRONT www.canadianlawyermag.com What most lawyers can agree on is that it should be in no political party's interest to ignore the problem. O ur October issue is coming out just as the federal election is ending. While Canadian Lawyer doesn't endorse political parties or candidates, we do feel it is important to analyze political issues from the perspective of the legal profession. One of the issues that should be front and centre in this election is legal aid. Major cuts in Ontario have galvanized the legal community, and the Trudeau government stepped into the fray most recently by promising a one-time contribu- tion to legal aid in Ontario, British Columbia and Manitoba. While a cynical observer may view the prime minster's announcement as a polit- ical stunt, it did give the issue the national attention it deserves. In fact, the Canadian Bar Association has also been pushing to bring this issue into federal election debates. As the CBA points out, cost-benefit research suggests that $1 spent on legal aid saves about $6 on other social services, everyday legal problems cost the state at least $800 million a year in increased demands on other areas of social spending and self-represented litigants put additional burdens on an already-strained judicial system. One of the biggest problems with legal aid, though, is that it makes bad politics. Health care and education are issues that affect every Canadian, and the value of these social services is not difficult to explain. Legal services, on the other hand, are not an ongoing need for many Canadians. Part of the solution to that problem is better public relations, which means seeing issues from the perspective of voters instead of the legal profession. For example, legal aid is not synonymous with the availability of a lawyer. Many "non-lawyers" need to be part of the solution, and the value of better legal aid needs to be measured by outcomes, not inputs. What most lawyers can agree on, though, is that it should be in no political party's interest to ignore the problem. So, we call on you, our readers, to make this an issue in the election. Make our national leaders, whoever they are, understand that access to legal services is a key right for all Canadians and that ignoring its importance means ignoring a key issue for voters of all stripes. Tim Wilbur, Editor-in-Chief Make legal aid an election issue EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Tim Wilbur Senior Editor Elizabeth Raymer Associate Editor Aidan Macnab Copy Editor Patricia Cancilla Writers Anita Balakrishnan, Libby Macdonald CONTRIBUTORS Neill May, Jim Middlemiss, Kate Simpson ART & PRODUCTION Designer Marla Morelos Lead, Media Production Coordinator Catherine Giles Global Production Manager Alicia Chin Cover design Brianna Freitag SALES & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Head of Sales Paul Burton Consultant, Strategy and Business Development Ivan Ivanovitch Account Executive Steffanie Munroe Senior Advertising Consultant Ritu Harjai CORPORATE President Tim Duce Events and Conference Manager Chris Davis Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil Global CEO Mike Shipley Global COO George Walmsley ISSUE 43.09 EDITORIAL INQUIRIES tim.wilbur@keymedia.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Keith Fulford tel: 416 649-9585 • fax: 416 649-7870 keith.fulford@keymedia.com ADVERTISING INQUIRIES legaladvertise@keymedia.com