The Law School Show

218. Veritas: The Honourable Andromache Karakatsanis on Her Journey to the Supreme Court of Canada

Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Andromache Karakatsanis, puisne justice of the Supreme Court of Canada!

As the first Greek-Canadian to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis is an outstanding force to be reckoned with.  From working at her family’s pancake and steak restaurant to mastering the literary arts in her undergraduate years to becoming a justice with over 11 years (and counting) of experience at the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Karakatsanis shares the lessons she’s learned over the decades and the memorable moments that she’s enjoyed over her career. You do not want to miss this episode!

You can also watch this episode on our YouTube channel!

217. Sh*t No One Tells You About Law School” (with Professor Tanya J. Monestier)

We sat down with Professor Tanya J. Monestier, Professor of Law at the University of Buffalo and author of "Sh*t No One Tells You About Law School", a funny, insightful, and easy to read book that offers law students a compilation of advice culled from the author's fifteen years of teaching experience. We speak with Professor Monestier about topics covered in her book and even get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the writing process.

 

You can find her book here:

• https://www.amazon.com/One-Tells-You-About-School/dp/1531024750
• https://cap-press.com/books/isbn/9781531024758/Sht-No-One-Tells-You-About-Law-School

216. Exploring Family Mediation (with Christopher Deeble)

In this episode, Host Nick Kruiper sits down with lawyer Christopher Deeble. Mr. Deeble is a lawyer at Nelligan's, where he specializes in family law and mediation. Nick asks Christopher about his early history at the University of Ottawa, and how his education lured him toward alternative dispute resolutions mechanisms in family law. They then discuss Christopher's career, and how he has applied this knowledge to his practice. Finally, the two discuss Christopher's involvement in The Ontario Association for Family Mediation.

For more information on The Ontario Association for Family Mediation, please check out the Association's website: https://familymediationottawa.com/. Christopher's bio can also be found here: https://nelliganlaw.ca/team/christopher-deeble/.

215. Sullivan, Chan, and Brown: Striking Down Section 33.1 of the Criminal Code and What Comes Next

Hosts Hailey Berge and Kelley Humber are joined by uOttawa Law Professor, Carissima Mathen, to discuss the implications of the recent May 13, 2022 Supreme Court of Canada decisions which struck down section 33.1 of the Criminal Code, declaring it to be unconstitutional. As Professor Mathen explains, even though Parliament had good intention to protect victims of crime with this provision, it ultimately resulted in violations of section 7 and 11(d) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that could not be justified. Even so, this unanimous 9-0 ruling resulted in a lot of public scrutiny and has left many of us wondering what it means and how the public will be affected.  

We also discuss different ways that the intention of section 33.1 to protect vulnerable groups from violence can still be met in the future, specifically through new constitutionally compliant legislation. Ultimately, the ball is in Parliament’s court now. 

Note: since recording, Federal Justice Minister David Lametti has proposed a single-provision bill, Bill C-28, to address the gap that was left by section 33.1 being struck down. This amendment to the Criminal Code would mean that “an individual would be held responsible for the violence they commit while in a state of extreme intoxication if they ended up in that state through their own criminal negligence.” (Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap’, Cristin Schmitz, 

Ottawa proposes narrower self-induced extreme intoxication defence to violence to ‘fill legal gap’ - The Lawyer's Daily (thelawyersdaily.ca)). 

If you reach the end of the episode and still want to know more, check out the below resources: 

• Supreme Court of Canada full decisions: R. v. Sullivan - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca), R. v. Brown - SCC Cases (scc-csc.ca)
• Cases in Brief: R v Sullivan and R v Chan SCC Case Brief and R v Brown SCC Case Brief 
• Leaf’s Intervener Factum LEAF Intervenes in the Appeal of R v Sullivan and R v Chan - LEAF; R. v. Brown - LEAF

Plaxton, Michael, and Carissima Mathen. “What’s Right With Section 33.1” (2021), 25 Can. Crim. L.R. 255

214. Technology and Labour: Algorithmic Management, Platform Economy and the Law (with Prof. Valerio De Stefano)

In this episode, Host Ali Mesbahian talks to Professor Valerio De Stefano from Osgoode Hall Law School about the intrusions of modern information technology on our work and personal lives. What is algorithmic management and how pervasive is it? What are some of the technologies that are used for surveillance in the workplace and how do we combat them? How do companies in the “platform economy” like Uber and Lyft escape employment and labour regulation? Concerns are fleshed out, myths are debunked and solutions are explored — stay tuned for this fascinating discussion!

213. Collaborative Law and Early Family Dispute Resolution (with Charmaine Panko)

On this episode of The Law School Show, host Abbey Shields sits down with Charmaine Panko, collaborative lawyer, mediator, and founder of Panko Collaborative Law & Mediation. They discuss Charmaine’s path to practicing family law, her approach to collaborative law, and recent legislative changes in Saskatchewan mandating early family dispute resolution in certain family law proceedings.

212. From the Courtroom to the Commons (with Professor Allan Rock)

Lawyers help create, interpret, and apply the laws that govern our societies and daily lives. That is why, it is no surprise that so many lawyers find a calling to public service at some point in their careers. In this edition of the Law School show, our host Faaris Hussain sits down with Allan Rock, former Attorney General of Canada and current Professor/President Emeritus at the University of Ottawa - to speak about setting aside the life of traditional practice to pursue the responsibilities of public office. Professor Rock explains this career choice that lawyers make, its cost and benefits, the opportunities it provides, and how lawyers/law students can help inform a decision about whether this career choice is for them.

211. Justice: The Honourable Marshall Rothstein on His Journey from the Dining Car to the Supreme Court of Canada

Join Amos Vang on this special episode as he interviews The Honourable Marshall Rothstein, former Puisne Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada!

            It is commonly known that being a Supreme Court justice is difficult.  However, what is not commonly known is one’s life and path towards becoming a Supreme Court justice.  Justice Rothstein reminisces about his journey from working extremely long hours as a waiter and a pantryman on a dining car, to law school, to his early legal practice, and to his experiences as a Supreme Court justice.  Justice Rothstein also discusses the importance of civility and the art of civil disagreement, which are important skills in judging, in the legal practice, and in daily life.

            This episode is also available to view on our YouTube channel.  You do not want to miss this episode.

Intro and Outro music by: Scott Buckley – Race the Sun

https://www.scottbuckley.com.au

210. Looking Back on Our Very Interesting 2L Year (with Laurie St-Pierre and Véronique Mortimer)

In this episode hosted by Bianca Morello, we speak with two second-year law students. We touch on OCIs, as all three of us had very different paths and OCI outcomes. We also talk about our study habits, the importance of grades, the importance of friendships, and the difficulties of online school.

209. Law, Tech and Virtual Practice (with Dustin Moores)

In this episode, Nick Kruiper sits down with Dustin Moores, a lawyer at Nnovation LLP. Nnovation is an Ontario law firm that is completely virtual. Nick and Dustin discuss Nnovation’s unique business model, as well as Canada’s shift toward a virtual legal world. They also discuss the Law and Technology Option for uOttawa students. As a graduate of the law program, Dustin completed the Law and Tech Option at uOttawa. Dustin shares his experience with the Option, and his advice for future students that are considering it.

To learn more, check out Nnovation's website: https://nnovation.com/