Resources, Articles, & Advocacy
Legislative Update | October 14, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of October 6
Premier Ford Car Alarm: U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told Canadian officials and business leaders that America is committed to consolidating vehicle assembly within its borders and that Canada would come “second”. Premier Ford warned that Canada faces a massive threat to domestic manufacturing, and threatened cutting off critical mineral exports to the U.S.
Advocacy | October 03, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of September 29
Minimum Wage Bump: Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island all increased the minimum wage on October 1, 2025. Ontario’s minimum wage is the highest among the five provinces, now at $17.60-per-hour. British Colombia, Quebec, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador each raised their minimum wage earlier this year. Alberta is the only province that has not increased its minimum wage, which sits at $15-per-hour, the lowest rate in Canada.
Legislative Update | September 26, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of September 22
Courts Digital Transformation Launch: Starting October 14, 2025, all electronic court filings for Toronto must be submitted through the Ontario Courts Public Portal (OCPP). This new public portal will be used in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) for Family proceedings, Civil proceedings, Small Claims Court proceedings and Divisional Court proceedings and Enforcement, and in the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ) for Family proceedings.
Article | September 22, 2025
“It Is Not About You”: Holistic and Collaborative Care for Vulnerable Clients
As one of the few refugee-turned-lawyers in Canada, Dr. Ningjing (Natalie) Zhang brings a unique perspective to legal practice. Before entering Queen’s Law, she and her children lived in a women’s shelter for nearly four years, an experience that shaped her deep empathy for vulnerable clients. Today, as founder of BridgePoint Law Professional Corporation, she reminds fellow professionals of a central truth: our work is not about us — it is about the clients whose lives are at stake. Drawing on stories from her own journey and her practice, Zhang emphasizes trauma-informed, client-centered care and the importance of collaboration with social workers and community agencies. She challenges lawyers to resist the pull of ego or efficiency quotas and instead focus on restoring dignity, fostering resilience, and empowering clients. “In the end,” she writes, “it is not about us. It is about them.”
Legislative Update | September 22, 2025
Your OBA LegUp Policy and Legislative Update Week of September 15
Courts Digital Transformation Launch: Starting October 14, 2025, all electronic court filings for Toronto must be submitted through the Ontario Courts Public Portal (OCPP). This new public portal will be used in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (SCJ) for Family proceedings, Civil proceedings, Small Claims Court proceedings and Divisional Court proceedings and Enforcement, and in the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ) for Family proceedings.
