Law Commons^™

Male, Pale, And Stale? Diversity In Lawyers' Regulatory Leadership, Noel Semple

Law Publications

When lawyers elect the leaders of their self-regulatory organizations, what sort of people do they vote for? How do the selection processes for elite lawyer sub-groups affect the diversity and efficacy of those groups? This article quantitatively assesses the demographic and professional diversity of leadership in the Law Society of Upper Canada.

After many years of underrepresentation, in 2015 visible minority members and women were elected in numbers proportionate to their shares of Ontario lawyers. Regression analysis suggests that being non-white was not a disadvantage in the 2015 election, and being female actually conferred an advantage in attracting lawyers’ votes. …

Personal Plight Legal Practice And Tomorrow's Lawyers, Noel Semple

Law Publications

Commentators have predicted that machine intelligence and off-shoring will steadily undermine demand for lawyers in North America and Europe. This essay argues that this prediction is not equally valid for all types of legal practice. Personal plight practice — in which lawyers help individuals and small businesses involved in legal disputes — is largely sheltered from computerization and off-shoring. The article calls for the profession and legal educators to open doors between tomorrow’s lawyers and personal plight legal practice. Doing so will not only address the economic insecurity confronting tomorrow’s lawyers, but also enhance access to justice.

Beyond Provincialism: Canadian Law Societies And The Protection Of Human Rights Abroad, Christopher Waters, Ashley Barnes

Law Publications

This paper explores Canadian law societies’ involvement in human rights protection and promotion abroad. The authors identify strategies for provincial law societies to contribute overseas, and point out the challenges with adopting such an international focus.

The rationale for law societies’ involvement in human rights comes from the expectation that they will regulate in the public interest. In today’s globally interconnected world, there are few remaining domestic legal solitudes. Clients come from diverse backgrounds, and legal transactions regularly take place across jurisdictional boundaries. To fulfill their mandate for social responsibility, Canadian provincial law societies can no longer ignore threats to …