RSS FeedApril 28: Sanctions-busting Telethon for Abousfian Abdelrazik
The following message is from the email listserve of the People’s Commission Network, to which you can subscribe by sending an email to PeoplesCommissionNews-Subscribe@lists.riseup.net.
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Sanctions-busting Telethon
Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
From anywhere, between 7pm and 9pm EDT:
Call toll free 1 877 737 4070
Tune in to live-broadcast on Rabble TVIn Montreal:
Free dinner from 6pm; Telethon begins at 7pm
Georges Vanier Cultural Centre, 2450 Workman St. (metro Lionel Groulx)
Wheelchair accessible. Free childcare on site.
ALSO, tune in to Amandla on CKUT 90.3 FM for live reports.
Project Fly Home is organizing the first ever “Sanctions-busting Telethon” on April 28th to call people to donate to Abousfian Abdelrazik in open defiance of the United Nations 1267 regime, challenging the fear, racism and isolation it creates and feeds on. The evening will include a free spaghetti dinner and a host of poets, musicians, performers, and speakers.
Law School: A Fate Worse than Jail?
Last week a 28-year-old man stole two computer batteries from a Florida Staples, then returned to the store, reported his crime to the store manager and demanded that police be called. He told employees that he wanted a third-degree felony on his record, so that he wouldn’t be allowed to attend law school.
Unfortunately, the stolen items were valued at $276.88, a misdemeanor amount, $23.12 short of a felony. (Had he gone to law school, the would-be felon might have known that.)
The news outlet that reported the incident failed to answer the first question that comes to mind when reading the story: who is holding a gun to this guy’s head to go to law school?
Exam-Time Limericks
1.
There once was this druggie named Creighton
Gave his friend some coke, then ran when he started shakin’
s.7 He cried!
but he was denied
‘Reasonable Foresight’ so he was denied
2.
There once was this old guy named woo
Came down with a terrible flu
Mercier said “Buy!”
and Allan said “Aye!”
Too bad the contract was subject-to!
3.
There once once this man named Athey
got in a terrible car accident dear me
The doctor said stretch
damages he did fetch
and now he’s as wealthy as can be!
via David Meagher of Blah Blah Blaw Blog
George Akerlof on Identity Economics
George Akerlof, a Nobel Prize winner in Economics, spoke recently at UWO Law on Identity Economics.
See more about the event on the UWO Law webpage.
Exam Time Slow-Down
It’s that time of year again, so the frequency of posts will slow for the next couple weeks.
Bear with us if it take some time for your comments to get approved as well.
The Solution to Climate Change is Texting
The Making of “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone”
Last weekend I had the opportunity to participate in the filming of “Family Matters with Justice Harvey Brownstone,” a new online television show featuring Justice Harvey Brownstone of the Ontario Court of Justice.
Justice Brownstone was the first sitting judge to publish a law book intended for the general public, Tug of War: A Judge’s Verdict on Separation, Custody Battles and the Bitter Realities of Family Court. Brownstone continues this outreach in the new television series, educating the public on issues like custody and child support.
Between the book and this new show, Brownstone has demonstrated that he is a maverick judge who is a pioneer that is unilaterally changing the public image of the judiciary.
In addition to instructional videos on issues of family law, the show will also feature notable personalities in the area of family conflicts.
Given Justice Brownstone’s charismatic personality, the show is expected to gather a significant audience among the public. Lawyers are also considering it as a tool to educate their clients before entering protracted litigation.
The show was directed by Simon Norton Game and Dani Zaviceanu of IslandFX, and produced by AdviceScene, both of Victoria, B.C. Filming occurred in downtown Toronto, with the assistance of Al Rosen of ARPrompt.com, and sound support by Brian Hanish.
The videos will be released on AdviceScene and FamilyMattersTV some time this summer.
NumbSkull News Episode 1
A fun re-enactment of a criminal being a numbskull.
George Lucas Doesn’t Like Legal Bloggers…
Ewok! At times I feel like legal blogging is like Mark Hamill’s career. It will lead to Broadway and cartoon voiceovers rather than Bay Street or serious advocacy.
I look after my brother who is a big Star Wars fan. I’ve been to two Star Wars conventions because of him. So when Star Wars Celebration V (“SWCV”) was announced for Orlando, August 12 – 15, 2010, I thought it may be an opportunity to do some legal blogging among one of popular culture’s leading franchises. My brother had already booked the room and I had enough airmiles to make the trip cost effective.
When SWCV’s official web page was launched, I immediately applied for media credentials. As a law student and a legal blogger, the idea of writing stories of importance to the legal profession from the Star Wars universe was literally out of this world for me.
I pitched my involvement in terms of the great depository of legal material available at the convention. Issues of intellectual property, copyright, trademarks, contract, and entertainment law have obvious importance. The geek in me asked, “Could Luke sue in tort for having his hand sliced off by his father?” Or for that matter, “Could Anakin have a claim as well when he lost his right arm years before during a duel with Count Dooku?” Then there was the ever complicated contractual issue involving the clone armies produced by the Kaminoans for the Jedi Council, commissioned by a Jedi long since dead.
I waited for the three week turnaround for approval but nothing. I email the contact at Reed Exhibitions, the company running the convention, and who I must say was always prompt and professional. Eventually I was notified that my request for media credentials was declined. Being a bit of a tie-fighter, I appealed. Lucasfilm’s press department through Reed Exhibitions made it known that www.lawiscool.com did not match “the criteria that they’re looking for to provide a media badge to the event”.
What? I was at Indianapolis and Los Angeles in 2005 and 2007. My bar tabs nearly killed me. What did George Lucas have against law students or lawyers for that matter? Then the asteroid in the room hit me.
Reed Exhibitions is owned by Reed Elsevier who also owns Lexis Nexis, its legal publishing wing. The quicklaw of conspiracies entered into my mind. None of the six motion picture Star Wars films, nor the Clone Wars animation series, and not even the cult favourite Star Wars the Christmas Special featured lawyers. Sure they have bounty hunters, the Sand People, and Hutt mobsters but alas none from the learned profession.
George doesn’t like lawyers. The darth of examples are abundantly clear. It is like lawyers were the Jar Jar Brinks of the money-interested professions, trying to blow up the Star Wars world through the death star of blogging.
By experience, I understand that the Star Wars Celebration gatherings are a wretched hive of scum and villainy but then I went to law school. By Princess Leia’s slave costume, in Indianapolis I even had coffee at Starbucks across the street from the event with Barrie Holland, the English actor who played the Imperial Officer who quipped to Han Solo, “You Rebel Scum” in The Empire Strikes Back. A nice chap, we both were taking a time out from Star Wars fandom.
I’m sorry to droid on like this but I feel like a rebel challenging the dreaded empire. What does the Lucas brand have to lose by giving a legal blogger a media pass? I might increase the interest level in an active and professional market while addressing legal issues affecting more than just the Star Wars universe? I will never force the issue but I do look forward to a new hope.
The Author at Celebration IV in Los Angeles, 2007
Bilingualism and the Supreme Court
As reported by the Globe and Mail, a bill requiring that all future Supreme Court justices be bilingual was passed last week and now awaits Senate approval. The private member’s Bill C-232, tabled by NDP language critic Yves Godin, was harshly criticized by former Supreme Court puisne judge John Major on CBC’s “The Current” radio show.
Major argued that the only way to uphold the Rule of Law in Canada is to have the most competent people in the Supreme Court, not to put the emphasis on linguistics. Since there is far more bilingualism in the East, requiring bilingual Justices from the West would lower the grade of the talent pool. Major noted that both Parliament and the UN use translators. He said that in his 13 years on the Court there was never a single case where he didn’t fully understand the case, between translators and extensive case preparation. Major argued that “fluently bilingual” is a very high threshold to achieve, and most justices only learn French after they are appointed. Interestingly, Major criticized several times former justice minister Irwin Cotler and former lawyer Bob Rae for their support of the bill.
While Godin argued that Harper broke a fully bilingual Court by appointing Rothstein (who is currently taking language lessons), Major countered that it’s actually only two or three current Justices who are truly bilingual. Godin’s primary concern was that someone arguing a case before the Court would not be fully understood, a concern that Major effortlessly debunked.
Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, called the bill is “elitist” because it does not fully reflect the diversity of Canada. I would call it elitist because it is only a small subset of Canada’s English-speaking population that has access to quality French-language instruction at a young age.
Legal Fools Abound
It’s not unknown for bloggers to take opportunity of April 1 to do something humorous, and this year is no exception. Mashable provides their list of the best April’s Fools day pranks. You might need some web translation tools to decipher this post on Slaw, and Shaunna Mireau gives her roundup of funny posts. But in my opinion, the best April Fools blawg posts come courtesy of the Legal Post. I actually fell for the first one I read:
- Seven Sister firms merge to create Canadian giant
- Law Society announces new equity surcharge
- Ontario court rules law firms must pay overtime to associates retroactively
Update
I take that back. The all-time best April Fool’s Day prank for 2010 goes to Erik Turkewitz, who claimed that the White House had picked him up as a blogger,
Since word is already dribbling out among my friends, I thought I should let you know here: I’m closing down this blog in the next few weeks to start up a new one at the White House as their official law blogger. I’ll have the opportunity to both expand the scope of my writing and serve my country at the same time. As blogging gigs go, it doesn’t get any better than that.
What’s great about this one is that several credible media and legal sources picked it up and presented it as authentic, including Above the Law, Orin Kerr at The Volokh Conspiracy, and even the New York Times.
Some people without a sense of humour are complaining about ethical violations. Admit it, you got punked.
