I know only too well what it feels like to be sexually harassed in the workplace. In addition to my own experiences of being sexually harassed, I have supported women on a pro bono basis as they navigate the legal implications of their own traumatic experience. Together, we explore how they can get their power back. The Community Advocacy Legal Centre of Belleville ("CALCB") has helped me do this job. The CALCB has created a helpful Flowchart on the various options open to

New COVID-related travel restrictions and exemptions came into effect on January 15, 2022. Stricter rules apply, with nearly everyone traveling to Canada needing to show proof of full vaccination status. Immediate family members of Canadians who are under the age of 18 can still get into Canada without being fully vaccinated. Check the above link for more information. Eligible Ontarians can continue to apply for the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) during the followin

Every week, we will be highlighting Justice Sector updates, City of Ottawa updates, and the best in local street art. This is happening in Ottawa and our Justice System this week: Ottawa Board of Health Virtual Briefing - Via Zoom on Monday, January 24, 2024, at 3PM. The agenda is here. Contact Diane Blais if you want to speak at diane.blais@ottawa.ca by 9AM if you want to speak. Send your written comments to her by 12PM to potentially have them addressed. The online Ott

Allan Rock did a number of great things during his time in office. My personal favourite was his 1996 re-introduction of the Law Commission of Canada ("Commission"). Minister Rock reinstated the Commission after the Conservative Government disbanded it in 1992. He tried solidifying the Commission's role within Canada's legal landscape by making it an apolitical statutory body i. The Law Commission of Canada gave advice to the Federal Government on matters of law. By brin

"A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you." — Bob Proctor Effective mentorship begets effective lawyers. It is that simple. I credit most of my skill to mentorship received during my career. There are too many to name but, by way of example, Former Chief Justice Beverly McLachlin and Prof. Ian Kerr taught me how to think. Ronald Caza, Ivan Whitehall, and Kathleen Grimes taught me how to litiga

The team at Black & Associates expresses our deepest gratitude to all veterans and those who still serve. We thank you for your courage, service, and extraordinary sacrifice. Learn and remember the stories of sacrifice and service of Canada's military personnel. Listen to the stories of those who still serve and those who served in the past. Explore the Remembrance Day Online Resource prepared by the Canadian War Museum. We also encourage those with the means to do so to

Tomorrow evening, Ottawa City Councillors Diane Deans, Riley Brockington, Shawn Menard, and Jean Cloutier will be hosting a public consultation on the 2022 Draft Budget. This is a virtual event. We strongly encourage our colleagues practicing in the public interest space to participate in this consultation process to ensure that your voices are heard. Please visit the below link to learn more. https://www.shawnmenard.ca/southendbudgetconsultation #2022Budget#OttawaCity#Public

On the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, our firm reflected on the legacy of residential schools and the lack of advancement on the vast majority of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action. Of the eighteen (18) Calls to Action that relate to Justice, only two (2) are complete. The members of the firm call upon the Federal and Ontario governments to complete the Calls to Action, including the following Calls to Action listed under Justice: E

The Community Legal Education Ontario ("CLEO") produces excellent public legal education resources in multiple languages. CLEO put together a webinar regarding workers’ rights during the pandemic. It can be accessed here. CLEO writes that "[i]n this webinar, John No and Joanna Mullen, experts from the community legal sector, share up-to-date and practical information on workers' rights during COVID-19". In short, it is useful. Thanks for passing this along, David Wiseman

On April 29, 2021, the Court of Appeal for Ontario released its decision in Dia v Calypso Theme Waterpark et al, 2021 ONCA 27. The following is a great summary and analysis of the Decision prepared by Cory Giordano of Supreme Advocacy LLP: https://supremeadvocacy.ca/2021/05/04/civil-litigation-summary-judgment/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=civil-litigation-summary-judgment

By: Kelli Day Today marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Black & Associates – the law firm that I am exceptionally lucky to call home. As I reflect on these last 12 months, I am overwhelmed with gratitude. For my brilliant, dynamic, supportive, and hilarious colleagues. For our amazing clients. For the incredible collegiality of the Ottawa bar, judiciary, and CCLA. For the support of my family and friends during one of the most tumultuous, exciting, and transformat

Imagine, three lawyers sitting around a table thinking about the best way to practice law. Law is a calling. Litigation should be one tool among many to help people resolve their disputes. Advocacy must be of the highest standard, always. Clients must be empowered as central members of the litigation team. And, without exception, people should be treated with respect both within the firm and without. The time between that moment and now is a long story, full of exceptional

215 Indigenous children lost their lives; families lost their children; and their communities lost the blossom of their future. The lives of these children were taken at the former Kamloops residential school. The children's 215 bodies were found in a mass grave. This loss is staggering. Flags will fly at half-mast for the duration of 215 hours - until June 8, 2021. As an Officer of the Court and as a mother, I am ashamed of my country's history. Children no different fr

By Katie Black - I am blessed to work in a law firm made up exclusively of brilliant and talented women; advocates who understand business, people, and the art of persuasion. It is with great pride that I celebrate their courage and dedication, and the incredible work of women across the world towards achieving equality for all. To the female leaders in the legal community, the women who fought so that we could become lawyers, thank you. Your advocacy - how you earned respe

By: Kelli Day We are thrilled to announce that our friend and colleague, Katie Black, has been re-elected to the Board of Trustees of the County of Carleton Law Association (“CCLA”), alongside fellow members of the Ottawa Bar Robin Brown, Antoine Collins, Amy Jackson, Rachelle Laforge, Sean Bawden, Roberto Aburto, and Bob Bell. With the Board of Trustees at the helm, the CCLA is committed to promoting access to justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion within the Ottawa leg

Katie Black - As we close out National Psychology Month, yes it was February, let us take a moment to celebrate the beauty of human ingenuity. In review, - We, humanity, have cognition, - We discovered Mars, - We expressed the curiosity to explore Mars, - We figured out how to successfully get to Mars, - We created a Rover to explore Mars and it was so explored, and - Lastly, a Star Wars fan memorialized the event with this meme - Oh Jawas. Happy National Psychology M

By Katie Black Life teaches us many truths. They range from "in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes" to "you don't know the character of a person until you split an inheritance with them" to "cherish your loved ones because you never know when you will see them next". COVID-19 has revealed yet another truth: "you don't know the efficacy of a leader until you have survived the plague together". As a corporate commercial litigator, I have the

By Kelli Day - For many of us, 2020 was filled with a least a few flashbulb memories – some positive and some negative. “Flashbulb” memories are those most often associated with exceptionally important historical or autobiographical events. They ground our sense of self. Depending on what generation you belong to, you may have flashbulb memories of the moon landing, Michael Jackson’s passing, or when Sidney Crosby scored the Golden Goal. For those of us in the legal profess

In a year when every day has a survivalist aspect to it, Bill Murray's incredible performance in Groundhog Day has taken on new meaning. Before COVID 19, I used to think of it as a funny romantic comedy. Now I understand it for what it is: a horror film. Happy Ground Hog Day. Stay safe and keep laughing.

On Monday, I saw something beautiful. I witnessed a classroom of racially diverse grade 4 students virtually learn about Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership in the American civil rights movement and the Black Lives Matter Movement in Canada and the U.S.A. In broken French (its a late French immersion class), they brainstormed about the importance of equality for Black lives and how they can contribute to Canada's civil rights movement. Words like solidarité (solidarity), so