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April 2011

British Columbia Supreme Court Judge Caught for Plagiarism

April 15, 2011 General Legal

A judge in the British Columbia Supreme Court has had his $5-million judgment thrown out, apparently due to plagiarism.

Justice Joel Groves gave his ruling after an expensive 30-day trial about a brain-damaged baby. As the Vancouver Sun reports, it is “only” the fourth time in Canadian history a judge has substantially reproduced all of the submissions of a participating party in a lawsuit as reasons for judgment.

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Sponsored Post: Ask Legal Questions Through Online Websites

April 14, 2011 General Legal

With the concept of alternative business structures (ABS) featuring more in discussions at boardroom meetings of law firms and with law becoming generally more accessible, for instance with Quality Solicitors announcing the placement of a solicitor in WH Smith branches across the UK, it is worthwhile considering alternative web-based legal advice models. One such model is that of JustAnswer.com, where users get a chance to ask a lawyer legal questions but equally where solicitors can display their expert knowledge and gain a reputation as a specialist in a certain area while receiving some remuneration.

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BabyBarista’s Law and Peace Launches Soon

April 11, 2011 Book Reviews

I was most honoured to receive, last week, a review copy of the latest work of one of the grandfathers of legal blogging. Written by accomplished legal author, Tim Kevan, “Law and Peace” will hit bookshelves, both physical and virtual, on 3 May 2011. Having just started reading it, I can report very promising signs so far. I hope it will be as enjoyable as Tim’s first masterpiece, BabyBarista and the Art of War, which was first given to me by a friend at my former law firm as a piece of inspiration for legal blogging. I look forward to reporting back more on this book, but for the meantime, I’ll leave you with some intriguing blurb and reviews of Tim’s other works. Law and Peace BabyBarista Image

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WardblawG Mentioned in UK Blawg Roundup #6

April 10, 2011 Blawg

I am delighted to have been mentioned in the sixth installation of the UK Blawg Roundup, as written by Brian Inkster of The Time Blawg. In a thoroughly comprehensive review, Brian travels back in time to discuss the early days of UK law blogging (the past), considers the current status (the present) and looks at what is to come (the future). This is a must read for anyone with an interest in blogging, not just blawging.

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Parenting Apart: Counselling, Mediation & Family Support

April 8, 2011 Family Law

Last Wednesday 30th March, I attended a Relationships Scotland event, hosted by HBJ Gateley Wareing in Glasgow and attended by family law professionals across Scotland. The event was of particular interest given the recent review of family law in England and Wales, one element of which concerns the fact that mediation for divorcing couples shall, as of 6 April 2011, be compulsory prior to them attending Court, subject to limited exceptions. For further information on this see a blog post by a family law firm in Liverpool. While mediation for divorcing couples is not yet compulsory in Scotland, it is becoming more widely available.

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