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in the legal marketplace. Lawyers who have been with the firm for seven years altogether, four of them as a partner, can apply to take a two-month sabbat- ical, which they can combine with vaca- tion time for a total of three months. They can do this every seven years. But it takes almost a year of prepara- tion. They must come up with a plan for ensuring members of their team can handle their files and deal with any matters that come under their purview while they are away. Once their plan is approved, says Boniferro, "They must start almost immediately informing cli- ents, getting the team ready, and ensur- ing that certain files are properly tran- sitioned." When the partners go, they are act- ively encouraged not to take their cell- phones. Some lawyers are nervous that they will lose clients, but the opposite is usually the case, according to Boniferro, because clients' respect for the lawyer increases as they appreciate the strength of his or her team. The program, he says, "has allowed many people to recharge and come back reinvigorated, re-enthused about their practice and the practice of law and the firm." In small firms, pre-vacation planning is perhaps even more critical, according to Daigneault. You need to inform coun- sel and clients about when you'll be away and set up protocols for staff on how to handle e-mail and other correspond- ence — what requires immediate atten- tion and must be forwarded and how to categorize messages so that the lawyer can easily review and respond to the most important items when returning from vacation. Also important in a per- sonal injury litigation practice is ensur- ing that staff keep track of each client's limitation period and ensure that filing deadlines are met. This kind of effective management is essential, Daigneault says, "for you to take a holiday and not come back in worse shape than when you left." Freelance journalist and business writer Kevin Marron can be reached at kevin@ kevinmarron.com. ACCESS THE LEGISLATION THAT PUTS FOREWORD BY: The Honourable Mr. Justice Ian Binnie, Supreme Court of Canada PREFACE BY: Mr. Richard W. Pound, O.C., O.Q., Q.C., Ad. E., FCA, partner with Stikeman Elliott (Montréal) Get the only published section-by-section annotation of the National Defence Act and the Queen's Regulations and Orders. Military Justice in Action: Annotated National Defence Legislation provides you with a greater understanding of Canadian military law, whether you are involved in the judiciary, the military or civilian arm, or the military police. Military attachés, diplomats and government officials at the provincial and federal levels, defence procurement specialists and law scholars will also benefit from the valuable annotations in this portable resource. Commanders and commanding officers will find this new resource a reliable tool when dealing with MILITARY JUSTICE INTO ACTION MILITARY JUSTICE IN ACTION: ANNOTATED NATIONAL DEFENCE LEGISLATION THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE GILLES LÉTOURNEAU AND PROFESSOR MICHEL W. DRAPEAU (COLONEL RETIRED) discipline, claims and grievances as well as administrative law matters. This resource is written by two authorities – a senior justice of the Court Martial Appeal Court and the Federal Court of Appeal, and a professor of military law with prior command experience and service in the higher echelons of the Canadian Forces. GET QUICK ACCESS TO MILITARY, ADMINISTRATIVE, DISCIPLINARY AND PENAL LEGISLATION • The National Defence Act • The Queen's Regulations and Orders • The Rules of Court Martial Appeal Court • The Rules of Military Evidence and their relation to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms • Relevant case law and commentaries throughout ORDER # 983632-63119 $108 Softcover September 2011 978-0-7798-3632-1 PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY Supreme Court of Canada Counsel and Agency Services Henry S. Brown, QC Brian A. Crane, QC Guy Régimbald Graham Ragan Matthew Estabrooks Eduard J. Van Bemmel, Law Clerk montréal ottawa toronto hamilton waterloo region 160 Elgin StreetSuite 2600OttawaOntarioK1P 1C3T 613-233-1781 calgary vancouver moscow london www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com OCTO BER 2011 23 ormit_CL_Aug_11.indd 1 7/13/11 3:44:20 PM ntitled-6 1 7/20/11 11:40:58 AM