In September 2021, I said that after my presidential year, “If I manage to give a little something back to an association that has given so much to me, I’ll happy.” When that time came, as fate would have it, I was asked to give a little something extra: six more months. With firsthand experience of the many ways OBA members step up to serve the greater good, I readily followed their example of sacrifice and community service.

When contacted by a potential client who feels they have been defamed online or who has been served notice of a defamation claim, your first steps may be critical to a satisfactory resolution or successful case.

On March 1, 2022, the federal government tabled Bill C-13 to modernize the Official Languages Act (the “OLA”), whose review in committee is ongoing. This article provides an overview of some of the proposed amendments that the authors consider important in this proposed reform to the language regime that was initiated in 2018 by the former Minister of Official Languages and suspended during the 2021 federal election.

There is plenty out there in the world to discourage us and drag us down – the OBA is where we come to be buoyed and built up by those who empathize and understand. To all dedicated members of this demanding and rewarding calling, I offer this plea: Let’s not be our own worst critics.

Two University of Ottawa law students speak with jurists whose careers have benefited from the French Law Practice Program to better understand what it offers in terms of practical experience, transferable skills and competitive advantage.

As we approach the end of the year – often considered ‘the season of giving’ – we asked members to share one way they enjoy giving back, whether to their local or professional communities or to the broader public.

The 2022 Toronto International Film Festival opened with the world premiere of The Swimmers, a film based on the true story of two sisters who escaped from Syria after the start of the war in an effort to make it to Germany. For this immigration lawyer, it was a worthwhile reminder of the realities faced by many refugee claimants not just on their physical journey, but also once they have reached their destination.

Despite the meteoric rise of cryptocurrencies, the first tax legislation to specifically address them – an addition to the Excise Tax Act drafted to address crypto mining’s GST/HST treatment – was proposed in 2022, over a decade after Bitcoin’s creation. While a good first step, there are still significant uncertainties as to their proper treatment in other situations that will only become more problematic as blockchain and cryptocurrencies are used in novel ways.

Learning as you teach, engaging with your community, improving access to legal info, and raising the profile of your practice are just a few of the reasons that make participation in OBA Speakers Bureau public seminars during November – and beyond – so worthwhile.

A special achievement marred by a stereotypical statuette sparks a candid conversation between two leading human rights lawyers – one a non-binary, trans person and the other a first-generation immigrant South Asian woman – about the rigid expectations and barriers related to gender identity that persist in the legal profession, and what we can do to create space for diverse people while better serving the trans community.