The most widely read magazine for Canadian lawyers
Issue link: https://digital.canadianlawyermag.com/i/50828
TECH SUPPORT specializes in privacy, copyright, and technology law in general. Canton co- authored Legal Landmines in E-Com- merce and writes a weekly column on business law for the local daily, The Lon- don Free Press. The blog, like his column, is aimed primarily at the lay public and clients, which is probably the reason it doesn't generate the kind of reader ex- change the best of the more profession- ally focused blogs do. Canton posts at least once a week, including republica- tion of his Free Press columns. I like his clear style of writing and open-handed treatment of issues. SLAW (www.slaw.ca) Most blogs are very personal, which is part of their appeal. Slaw, a co-op ef- fort, proves that sometimes many heads are better than one. Covering legal re- search, information, and technology, it offers the best of two worlds: the many voices of a commercial periodical, and the immediacy and personality of a blog. The stellar cast of regulars in- cludes Heenan Blaikie LLP partner and veteran legal-tech champion Simon Chester; Ted Tjaden, the director of knowledge management at McMillan Binch Mendelsohn LLP; and Osgoode Hall professor emeritus Simon Fodden. A few moonlight as solo blawgers — Steve Matthews, Jordan Furlong, Con- nie Crosby. One big advantage of many heads: somebody posts at Slaw every day, usually more than one. And most draw comments and discussion. THE BIZOP NEWS (www.bizop.ca/blog2) Talk about a tight focus. Michael J. Web- ster, a young sole practitioner in Toron- to, does commercial litigation focusing primarily on franchise and distributor- ship law — and writes about it. If this obscure corner of the law concerns you, BizOp News is the place to come. Web- ster posts almost daily, commenting on material from American colleagues' sites and other sources, and throwing in his own advice and ideas. The blog doesn't garner much reader response yet, but it is very new — launched last November — and very specialized. TORONTO ESTATE LAW BLOG (estatelaw.hullandhull.com) A model for how to use a blog to pro- mote your practice. From Hull & Hull LLP, a Toronto boutique firm special- izing in estate law, the blog is part of a larger web-savvy marketing program that includes regular podcasts. It looks to be aimed at clients first — other law- yers second — by offering a mix of ge- neric legal advice, commentary on case law and other developments, and pro- motion of the podcasts. The lawyers take turns, and there's generally at least one post a day. Quality of writing varies but it's always literate, if not scintillating. I don't see many comments but that may be a function of the client focus. LAW IS COOL (www.lawiscool.com) Launched last year by a group of Cana- dian law students, this is another im- pressive example of the many heads ap- proach. Law is Cool's primary audience is other students, both current and aspir- ing (see Law21 post referenced above). The authors hope it will also help young lawyers preparing for bar exams, as well as the general public. The almost-daily posts, of varying but generally quite de- cent quality, range from the humorous ("Chimps Decry Discrimination") to the brief and informational (new Quick- CITE feature in LexisNexis) to serious legal commentary and analysis (use of CCTV cameras, striking down of the Safe Third Country Agreement). LIBRARY BOY (micheladrien.blogspot.com) Library Boy is Michel Adrien, a former journalist and researcher and now refer- ence librarian at the Supreme Court of Canada. He covers "law library news" and generally stays focused. Adrien posts prolifically — sometimes more than once a day — with more information than analysis. Notices (many of which PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE Tel.: (514) 393-1400 Fax: (514) 393-1868 1-800-349-7371 www.dexco.com www. C ANADIAN Law ye rmag.com M ARCH 2008 25