Articles 2020

As the presence of artificial intelligence ("AI") tools in the legal community grows, conversation around appropriate use of AI tools grows too. In this article, Emma Huang discusses the balance to be achieved between using AI to increase efficiency and access to justice in law, while protecting against the less appealing features of this technology.

The first several years as a lawyer are full of challenges. As she enters her fifth year of practice, Keagan Davis-Burns provides five important insights into how young lawyers might navigate the rollercoaster first years of their careers.

For employment lawyers pondering the question of mitigation, Jessica Byles-Nolet provides a thoughtful summary of a recent Court of Appeal decision that considers the duty to mitigate in relation to independent contractors.

In this article, Olivia Koneval-Brown provides an insightful overview of considerations -- both practical and legal -- that newly separated individuals should take into account before jumping to purchase a new home.

In his bestselling book, Think Again, Adam Grant encourages readers to think like scientists by routinely testing our most common assumptions and beliefs. This means relying less on our often flawed instincts and heuristics, and making objective evaluations of even the most basic subjects we consider 'common sense'. Can a lawyer think like a scientist?

The legal sphere’s neoteric fascination with artificial intelligence is ubiquitous. It is in the interest of the legal community to draw from experts outside of the law to make comprehensive sense of how we should perceive AI in its initial stages. I had the opportunity to discuss AI developments with one such expert, Mark Daley, who was recently appointed as Western University’s inaugural Chief AI Officer.

Communicating with opposing counsel can be tricky when procedural and practical issues arise in a given matter. In her article, Geneviève Fauteux reviews recent caselaw focusing on best practices, and requirements, for how lawyers should act when faced with reasonable requests for extensions.

It is a universal truth that every law student and young lawyer has, at one point, sat down to tackle a research question and been left staring at a blank computer screen, wondering where best to begin. Luckily, James McCarthy has five great pointers to help get the research started.

The application of new technology to the legal field has been an important topic in recent years, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, Kanon Clifford provides a thoughtful review of how the latest technology - generative AI - may help and hinder legal professionals.