Friends Who Argue – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This is the second of three segments in a limited series on the Right to Disconnect. In this segment, Young Advocates' Standing Committee Member James Hardy moderates a discussion with Ms. Erin Durant, who founded Durant Barristers in Ottawa after practising law as a partner at a large national firm and who was recognized by Canadian Lawyer in 2022 as one of Canada’s most influential lawyers, in part in connection with her advocacy on mental health in the profession. This podcast segment focuses on the right to disconnect and mental health and wellness in the profession.

Erin Durant founded Durant Barristers in Ottawa, after practicing law as a partner at a large national firm and a litigation-focused boutique. Erin's dispute resolution experience includes a wide variety of personal injury/insurance matters, defending professionals in negligence claims and disciplinary complaints, real estate disputes, commercial litigation, and investigations/reviews of all sorts. In 2022, Erin was recognized by Canadian Lawyer as one of Canada’s 25 Most Influential Lawyers. Erin is a frequent speaker on mental health and wellness in the profession.

James Hardy is an associate at Thornton Grout Finnigan LLP in Toronto and a member of The Advocates’ Society’s Young Advocates' Standing Committee. James has a broad commercial litigation practice, which includes contractual disputes, auditor and other professional negligence actions, director and officer liability disputes, regulatory proceedings, and construction litigation. Prior to articling at Thornton Grout Finnigan LLP, James trained as a lawyer in the UK, including a Masters in Law at the University of Cambridge with a specialization in Commercial Law.

Land Acknowledgement

The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

This is the first of three podcast segments in a limited series on ongoing practice and procedural issues affecting young lawyers inspired by the Right to Disconnect policy incorporated into the Employment Standards Act, 2000 on December 2, 2021, and on how lawyers can proactively balance their professional and ethical obligations through the right to disconnect.  In this first segment, Young Advocates Standing Committee Member Teodora Obradovic moderates a discussion with Mr. Strathy about mental health in the profession and issues faced by both lawyers and the judiciary with respect to disconnecting.

The Honourable George R. Strathy served as the Chief Justice of Ontario for eight years and as a trial and appellate judge for nearly fifteen years. He was appointed Chief Justice of Ontario in 2014, after sitting as a judge of the Ontario Court of Appeal beginning in 2013 and a judge of the Toronto Superior Court of Justice beginning in 2007. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Strathy practiced civil litigation for three decades and specialized in maritime and transportation law. In recent years, Mr. Strathy has advocated for the importance of addressing mental health issues in the legal profession. In the post-pandemic world, Mr. Strathy has sparked a national conversation about legal professionals and their mental health.

Teodora Obradovic (Prpa) is a member of TAS’ Young Advocates Standing Committee, and an Associate in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Group at Fogler, Rubinoff LLP in Toronto. Her passions and experience reach a range of practice areas, including debtor and creditor disputes, shareholder and corporate disputes, bankruptcy and insolvency issues, and privacy matters. Teodora has appeared as counsel before all levels of court in Ontario. Teodora volunteers her time with Pro Bono Ontario providing legal advice on civil litigation to low-income Ontarians, and supervises students at the Toronto Metropolitan University's Law and Business Clinic who provide pro bono business law services to entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Land Acknowledgement

The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

From fall 2021 to early 2022, three members of the Young Advocates Standing Committee’s Future of the Profession working group, Brendan McArthur-Stevens, Sara McGregor, and Zac Thiffault, conducted a survey of young advocates asking what they hoped for and expected from their workplaces as people started to return to the office. The survey – The future of advocacy and work arrangements ‘post’-pandemic: Perspectives of young advocates – provides insight into what young advocates are looking for in respect of remote and on-site work, mental health, and mentorship. In this episode, Brendan, Sara, and Zac discuss the results of this survey.

The results of their survey can also be found here: https://www.advocates.ca/Upload/Files/PDF/Community_Events/YASC/The-Future-of-Advocacy-Post-Pandemic-Perspectives-of-Young-Advocates.pdf

Brendan Mcarthur-Stevens is an associate at Blakes in Calgary. He specializes in complex commercial disputes and advising clients in the areas of constitutional and administrative law. Brendan also teaches administration law at the University of Calgary Faculty of Law.

Sara McGregor is a senior associate at Borden Ladner Gervais. She lives and works in Toronto but began her career in Calgary. Sara is currently on maternity leave but she maintains a broad disputes practice with a focus on complex commercial and civil litigation matters involving private and public companies, as well as individuals.

Zac Thiffault is an in-house legal advisor with the Métis Nation of Ontario, a role which focuses on Indigenous governance and Aboriginal rights. Before working with the MNO, Zac practised at a small full-service firm in Midland, Ontario, primarily practicing in the areas of civil litigation and estate planning.

The interviewer, Karen Bernofsky, is an associate at Stockwoods LLP in Toronto. Karen’s practice encompasses a range of complex corporate commercial civil litigation, administrative law, and criminal law with a focus on complex civil fraud claims. Karen is currently a member of the Young Advocates Standing Committee.

Land Acknowledgement

The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.

While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.

We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

This episode features a conversation about private international law hosted by Gabriel Poliquin (Olthuis van Ert) with retired Supreme Court of Canada Justice Louis LeBel and Paul-Erik Veel (Lenczner Slaght). Marking the 10th anniversary of the foundational Supreme Court of Canada Club Resorts v Van Breda decision (written by the Honourable Louis Lebel on behalf of the Court) – which brought greater certainty to the question of when Canadian courts will assume civil jurisdiction, the guests discuss the positive nature of conflict of laws rules, the influence of civil law judges and the evolution of private international law in the internet age.

The Honourable Louis LeBel was appointed a justice of the Quebec Court of Appeal in 1984, and was appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada in 2000, retiring in 2014. He is now counsel at Langlois in Montreal and Quebec City. He received an honorary doctorate of laws degree from Laval University in 2001 and from the University of Ottawa in 2010, was awarded both the Medal of the Quebec City Bar and the Medal of the Quebec Bar, and was named a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2017. He has been an honorary member of the American College of Trial Lawyers since 2004. 

Paul-Erik Veel is a partner at Lenczner Slaght in Toronto, where he practices commercial litigation with a focus on class actions. He appears regularly before Courts across the country, including at the Supreme Court of Canada.  Paul-Erik is known for his groundbreaking use of legal data analytics to inform the practice of litigation, for which he was named one of the Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers of 2022 by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. In addition to his many activities, he also lectures in private international law at the University of Toronto. Paul-Erik clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada from 2009 to 2010 for the Honourable Louise Charron. 

Gabriel Poliquin is counsel at Olthuis van Ert based in Ottawa. He focuses his practice on all aspects of civil and commercial litigation but with a special focus on public law including proceedings against the Crown. Mr. Poliquin is a trained mediator and offers alternative dispute resolution services in civil and commercial matters. When not acting in public or commercial law matters, Gabriel teaches private international law as a lecturer at the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Law. Gabriel clerked at the Supreme Court of Canada from 2010 to 2011 for the Honourable Louis LeBel.

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

In this episode, The Hon. John I. Laskin,  a former justice at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, sits down with Natalia Rodriguez, Partner at Conway Baxter Wilson LLP, to share his observations on oral and written advocacy. The wide-ranging discussion touches on the value and purpose of oral and written advocacy,  the questions in judges’ minds that advocates should address,  what makes a great factum, the importance of the moral high ground,  and much more.

Some of former Justice Laskin’s writings on advocacy are available to TAS members in The Advocates’ Journal archive:

1.    “A View from the Other Side: What I Would Have Done Differently If I Knew Then What I Know Now” (May 1998) 17:2 

2.    “Forget the Windup and Make the Pitch: Some Suggestions for Writing More Persuasive Factums” (August 1999) 18:2 

3.    “What Persuades (or, What’s Going on Inside the Judge’s Mind)” (June 2004) 23:1 

The Hon. John I. Laskin
The Hon. John I. Laskin was a Justice of the Court of Appeal for Ontario from 1994–2018. During his time on the court, former Justice Laskin made significant doctrinal contributions to every area of the law within the jurisdiction of the court.  A graduate of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, Mr. Laskin had a distinguished 23-year career in private practice,  focusing on civil and public law. He served as the head of the litigation department at Davies, Ward and Beck and was counsel to three royal commissions and three provincial inquiries. 
 
 The Hon. John I. Laskin has long been a writer, speaker and lecturer on topics related to oral and written advocacy, judgment and decision writing, and related topics. An extraordinary and committed teacher, he gave generously of his time to his clerks, to counsel and to his fellow judges.

Natalia Rodriguez
Natalia Rodriguez is a partner at Conway Baxter Wilson LLP. She practices civil litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on commercial litigation, public law litigation and appellate advocacy. She has advocated at all levels of court in Ontario, the Federal Court of Canada, and the Federal Court of Appeal, as well as in commercial arbitration proceedings. Prior to entering private practice, Natalia clerked for three justices of the Court of Appeal for Ontario and for Justice Louis LeBel at the Supreme Court of Canada.
 
 Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

In Part 2 of this two-part series, our panel continues their discussion on Indigenous laws and legal traditions, with a focus on the way forward. They discuss some of the work that is already taking place in Indigenous communities to revitalize Indigenous legal traditions and to  exercise governance authority within the Canadian context more broadly, including over water. They also discuss some of the opportunities for more areas of Indigenous jurisdiction, and how to take steps to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.   

Aimée Craft is an Indigenous (Anishinaabe-Métis) lawyer from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba and an award-winning professor and researcher at the University of Ottawa. Since 2013, Professor Craft has led research on Anishinaabe water law. Her award-winning book, Breathing Life Into the Stone Fort Treaty, focuses on understanding and interpreting treaties from an Anishinaabe inaakonigewin (legal) perspective. Professor Craft is the former Director of Research at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the founding Director of Research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. She is a current member of the Speaker's Bureau of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

Professor Alan Hanna is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, where he teaches in both the JD and the JID programs. He is of mixed Blackfoot, French and Scottish heritage, and is connected to the Secwepemc through marriage. Professor Hanna’s research focuses on Indigenous laws and jurisdiction, governance, rights and title, and environmental sustainability under Indigenous legal traditions, Aboriginal law and jurisprudence, and the intersections between all these systems. Professor Hanna also sits on the Legal Advisory Panel of RAVEN Trust and the Board of Directors of the Indigenous Bar Association in Canada.

Christina Gray is a lawyer with JFK Law LLP, with a focus on litigation and Indigenous governance. Christina is a Ts’msyen citizen from Lax Kw’alaams in northern British Columbia and Dene from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. As a scholar, Christina’s graduate research focuses on issues of gender representation within the Ts’msyen legal order and governance system. Christina is also a Yellowhead Institute Research Fellow, which is a First Nations-led think tank rooted in community networks and committed to Indigenous self-determination.

Aria Laskin practices Aboriginal, environmental and constitutional law in JFK Law LLP’s Vancouver office. She has appeared in front of all levels of court in British Columbia and Ontario, the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada and a range of administrative and arbitral panels.

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

In Part 1 of this two-part series, Aria Laskin speaks with Prof. Aimée Craft, Prof. Alan Hanna and Christina Gray about Indigenous laws and legal orders, and the interactions of those systems with Western legal traditions. The panelists introduce the concept of Indigenous laws and legal orders, and some of the key pillars of Anishinaabe law. They also discuss the distinction between Indigenous and Aboriginal law, and the historic treatment of Indigenous legal systems by the Canadian state.

Aimée Craft is an Indigenous (Anishinaabe-Métis) lawyer from Treaty 1 territory in Manitoba and an award-winning professor and researcher at the University of Ottawa. Since 2013, Professor Craft has led research on Anishinaabe water law. Her award-winning book, Breathing Life Into the Stone Fort Treaty, focuses on understanding and interpreting treaties from an Anishinaabe inaakonigewin (legal) perspective. Professor Craft is the former Director of Research at the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and the founding Director of Research at the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. She is a current member of the Speaker's Bureau of the Treaty Relations Commission of Manitoba.

Professor Alan Hanna is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria, where he teaches in both the JD and the JID programs. He is of mixed Blackfoot, French and Scottish heritage, and is connected to the Secwepemc through marriage. Professor Hanna’s research focuses on Indigenous laws and jurisdiction, governance, rights and title, and environmental sustainability under Indigenous legal traditions, Aboriginal law and jurisprudence, and the intersections between all these systems. Professor Hanna also sits on the Legal Advisory Panel of RAVEN Trust and the Board of Directors of the Indigenous Bar Association in Canada.

Christina Gray is a lawyer with JFK Law LLP, with a focus on litigation and Indigenous governance. Christina is a Ts’msyen citizen from Lax Kw’alaams in northern British Columbia and Dene from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. As a scholar, Christina’s graduate research focuses on issues of gender representation within the Ts’msyen legal order and governance system. Christina is also a Yellowhead Institute Research Fellow, which is a First Nations-led think tank rooted in community networks and committed to Indigenous self-determination.

Aria Laskin practices Aboriginal, environmental and constitutional law in JFK Law LLP’s Vancouver office. She has appeared in front of all levels of court in British Columbia and Ontario, the Federal Court, the Supreme Court of Canada and a range of administrative and arbitral panels. 

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

In this episode, Kathleen Lickers, IPC, LSM interviews David Nahwegahbow, IPC, LSM,  the 2021 recipient of The Advocates' Society's Award of Justice. In their fascinating and highly informative conversation, Kathleen and David discuss litigating Aboriginal rights issues from the inception of the Charter up to recent and ongoing litigation during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

David C. Nahwegahbow, IPC, LSM
David Nahwegahbow is the 2021 recipient of The Award of Justice, and a former director of The Advocates’ Society.  Called to the Ontario Bar in 1982, he is the founding partner of Nahwegahbow, Corbiere Genoodmagejig Barristers & Solicitors. David is also a founding member and former President of the Indigenous Bar Association (IBA); and in 2003, he received the "IPC" designation (Indigenous Peoples' Counsel) from the IBA in recognition for his advocacy work on behalf of Indigenous peoples.  He received a National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Law and Justice in 2008.  Shortly thereafter, he was presented with the Anishinabek Lifetime Achievement Award from the Union of Ontario Indians which recognizes the dedication of individuals who have devoted their lives to the service of their communities and the Anishinabek Nation.  In 2010, Mr. Nahwegahbow was inducted into the Common Law Honour Society of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, the Common Law Section's most prestigious Alumni distinction.  In 2011, Mr. Nahwegahbow received the Law Society Medal, an award granted by the Law Society to selected lawyers who have made a significant contribution to the profession.

Kathleen Lickers, IPC, LSM
Recently awarded the Law Society Medal, Kathleen Lickers is a Seneca from Six Nations of the Grand River and sole practitioner, operating her own law practice at Six Nations.  She is widely recognized for her work in Indigenous Affairs. She has served on the board of the Indigenous Bar Association of Canada and has been described by other Indigenous leaders as a role model for Indigenous youth.  Kathleen is renowned for her expert counsel and as an accomplished negotiator between Indigenous agencies, First Nation governments and federal and provincial ministries.  Former co-chair of the Indigenous Advisory Group to the Law Society of Ontario, Kathleen currently serves on the Board of the Advocates Society and is frequently sought after for her skillful mediating in multi-party, multi-table complex negotiations.

Learning Resources from The Advocates' Society
Guide for Lawyers Working with Indigenous Peoples
Guide pour les avocats qui travaillent avec des parties autochtones

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

Excellence in Advocacy – An Interview with Sarit Batner

Sarit Batner (McCarthy Tetrault LLP) is the 2020 recipient of the Douglas K. Laidlaw Medal for Excellence in Advocacy. In this episode of Friends Who Argue, Chloe Snider (Dentons Canada LLP) interviews Sarit Batner about what makes for excellent oral advocacy, whether oral advocacy is still important, and how Zoom may be changing advocacy. Sarit also shares her journey to becoming a distinguished oral advocate and key oral advocacy tips.

Sarit E. Batner is a partner in McCarthy Tétrault LLP’s Toronto Litigation Group, and a former member of the firm’s Board of Partners. She is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Litigation Counsel of America. Sarit maintains a significant trial and appellant litigation practice, with a focus on complex commercial litigation and arbitrations. Sarit has experience before courts of appeal, including as lead counsel before the Supreme Court of Canada. She has received a number of accolades, including being listed as a leading litigation lawyer in Lexpert, Benchmark, and Chambers Canada.

Chloe Snider is a partner in Dentons’ Litigation and Dispute Resolution and Transformative Technologies groups. Chloe’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation and arbitration, with particular expertise in information and technology disputes. Chloe is a business advisor to local, national and global clients, assisting them in managing risk in corporate transactions and commercial relationships. Chloe has been recognized for corporate commercial litigation in Best Lawyers in Canada and Lexpert.

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.

On this episode of Friends Who Argue, we’re sharing Part 2 of our behind-the-scenes look at the work of The Advocates’ Society’s Modern Advocacy Task Force and its final report, the Right to be Heard: The Future of Advocacy in Canada. Task Force member Alex Shelley interviews Advocates' Society president Deborah Palter and Advocates' Society Director Peter Osborne (who chaired the Task Force) about the findings of the report. We encourage you to listen to Part 1 first, for a discussion about how the report was conceived, researched and drafted.

Download a copy of the Task Force’s final report here: digital version / print-friendly version.

Alexandra Shelley is a senior associate at Torys LLP. Her practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution in a variety of areas, including corporate/commercial litigation, securities, construction and real estate.

Deborah E. Palter is a partner at Thornton Grout Finnigan LLP and President of The Advocates' Society. She is recognized as a leading advocate with a broad commercial litigation practice.  She regularly acts for individuals, corporations and financial institutions providing creative advice and strategies for litigating and resolving complicated business disputes.

Peter Osborne is a partner at Lenczner Slaght LLP and sits on the TAS Board of Directors. He is one of Canada’s leading trial and appellate counsel and a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. His advocacy practice includes securities matters, commercial disputes, insolvency and restructuring cases, class actions, governance issues and advice. Peter is a regular instructor for CLE programs of The Advocates' Society.

Land Acknowledgement
The Advocates’ Society acknowledges that our offices, located in Toronto, are on the customary and traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinabek, the Huron-Wendat and now home to many First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples.  We acknowledge current treaty holders, the Mississaugas of the Credit and honour their long history of welcoming many nations to this territory.
 
While The Advocates’ Society is based in Toronto, we are a national organization with Directors and members located across Canada in the treaty and traditional territories of many Indigenous Peoples. We encourage our members to reflect upon their relationships with the Indigenous Peoples in these territories, and the history of the land on which they live and work.
 
We acknowledge the devastating impacts of colonization, including the history of residential schools, for many Indigenous peoples, families, and communities and commit to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusiveness in an informed legal profession in Canada and within The Advocates’ Society.