Throughout the pandemic, the OBA has dedicated itself to providing information, answers, advocacy and clarity that would propel our members through the chaos and equip them to serve their clients capably and confidently amidst often confusing and ever-changing circumstances.
While I’m pleased to say that our pandemic response with respect to virtual justice and wellness support has garnered awards for member-service excellence and that our COVID-19 Response & Recovery Hub has become the go-to source for court updates, vaccine resources, connectivity services and real-time solutions, the expertise and guidance the Association offers members on an ongoing basis extends far beyond those, admittedly essential, offerings.
The pursuit of concrete info and expert insight that will equip lawyers to improve their practices and perform at their very best is endless and all-encompassing – and the fruits of this labour are yours for the taking.
A prime example of that shared intelligence: Our Innovator in Residence, Friedrich Blase, has just released the first of three reports designed to help lawyers and firms make decisions about the best legal technology for their practices. Our Innovator has done the legwork – the testing and trialing– to save our members the time and expense of researching these tools on their own.
In the first instalment, in collaboration with Norton Rose Fulbright, Friedrich conducted an in-depth examination of CiteRight – a tool that assists litigators – and detailed the findings in a comprehensive, user-friendly report that includes technology requirements, use case scenarios, features and functions, integration, cost recovery and data security. Future reports will look at tools to support solicitors and a cross-over tool that supports all practices. Keep an eye on our Practice Tools Library for those.
Couple that with the tailored guidance found in our “Ask Me Anything” sessions – free and exclusive to members and Lawyers Link subscribers – with OBA’s in-house tech guru, Jon Clancy, and our ongoing hands-on CaseLines Training sessions, and I think it’s fair to say we’ve got you covered on the innovation front.
It doesn’t end there, of course. For law students, we’ve compiled so many resources, including videos on everything from exam and interview prep to strategies for articling and job-seeking success – not to mention programs that promote wellness and provide real-world expertise to complement the curriculum being taught in each year of law school – that we’ve re-designed our Student Edge page to house them all.
Looking for the latest legal news and court updates? Tap into our app. Entertaining a new career step? Check out our judicial or adjudicative tribunal competencies certificate series on-demand. Seeking expert vaccine policy and enforcement guidance? Our hub is here for you.
Through the OBA, you are linked to an ever-accumulating wealth of information. I can attest to the fact that your Association Board and Council and staff are working together tirelessly to surface issues or impediments or areas of uncertainty or in need of improvement and sharing solutions across regions, across practice areas, across professional settings – and arriving at the authoritative answers that our members province wide can access as needed.
You already spend enough of your day on research. When you’ve got questions about legal practice, save time; start here.