Important Notices Regarding the October 25th Dinner-Meeting

Allen Mendelsohn

If you are attending next week's October 25th dinner-meeting, please note the following:

1. We wanted to remind you that exceptionally, cocktails are at 5:15 PM and the dinner-conference will begin promptly at 6:00 P.M.

2. Our esteemed speakers will not be taking questions from the floor. However, they have graciously agreed to answer a few questions that have been submitted in advance. If you would like to submit a question, please email your question to Ian Solloway at ims@sollaw.ca, by Monday, October 23rd at 9:00 AM.

If you have not yet registered, there's still time! Not much time however, as registrations will absolutely close at 6:00 P.M. on Sunday, the 22nd. You can register using the links at the left of this page until then. There will also be no registrations in-person the night of the event. Thank you.

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President’s Message

David Ettedgui

Dear Colleagues, Honourable Judges, and Friends of the Society,

I hope you are as excited as I am for our second dinner-meeting of the season, which will take place on October 25, 2017, and which promises to be a historic evening for the Society. On this occasion, we are honoured to welcome the Honourable Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Honourable Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court. The discussion will be moderated by the Honourable Irwin Cotler. You can register using the links on the left of this page.

The historic and unique evening would not have been possible, and will not as I expect run perfectly smoothly, without the tireless efforts of certain individuals. I would like to thank Past Presidents Ian Solloway and Larry Markowitz for their incredible efforts in helping to organize and coordinate this extraordinary event, as well as Society Board members Lara Malewski and Allen Mendelsohn whose normal coordinating duties have increased dramatically with the incredible number of registrants we have for the dinner.

Finally, I would like to thank BLG for being the generous lead sponsor of the evening, as well as the numerous firms and companies who have sponsored tables. They are so numerous that space prohibits listing them here, but I look forward to acknowledging all of them by name on the 25th.

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If you have not done so already, I encourage you to renew your membership or become a member of the Society for the first time. We count on our membership dues to help contribute to the health of the Society, and to support the continuing program of outstanding speakers the Society has established. You will also benefit from significant discounts on dinner-meeting prices and be eligible to attend members-only CLE events. You can register and pay your membership online, or alternatively you may download the paper membership form if you want to pay by cheque.

Become a member today! It will allow you to attend our first members-only CLE Breakfast of the season, on December 5th. We are very much looking forward to hearing from Me Rhonda Rudick of Davies, who will be speaking on “The impact of tax reform proposals regarding private corporations on professionals.” A topic of interest to all of us!

We look forward to welcoming you on October 25th.

Sincerely,
David Ettedgui
President

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Richard W. Pound: “Doping: Parallel legal universes and a challenge of Olympic proportions”

Larry Markowitz

You can see more great photos from the event on our Facebook page

On the occasion of our annual Alan B. Gold Advocacy Lecture, the Lord Reading Law Society was privileged to have Richard W. Pound as its guest speaker.

A true Renaissance Man, Me Pound, a former Olympic swimmer, has long held prominent positions at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and was founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), while serving as chancellor of McGill University, authoring several books, and practising tax law at Stikeman Elliott.

Speaking to our audience of esteemed jurists at the Society’s opening dinner of the 2017-2018 season, Me Pound gave ‎us a primer on the basics of sports law, while recounting anecdotes from his years in the Olympic movement – with a particular emphasis on anti-doping.

He began by explaining that corruption in sports can occur both on and off the field: off the field in such matters as choosing host cities for international competitions; and on the field in the form of match-fixing and doping, as well as the use of illegal equipment. At the end of the day, the incentive to break rules usually comes down to money – be it to secure construction contracts to build new stadiums; or be it to bet on the results of competitions or to obtain lucrative endorsement deals that flow to Olympic medal winners.

All sports are governed by rules – rules that have been agreed upon by the competitors. When there is no prohibition on a given activity, it is generally allowed. Until the 1960s, for example, there were no rules against the use ‎of performance-enhancing substances. It was only after the death of a doping Danish cyclist at the 1960 Olympics in Rome (at which Me Pound competed as member of the Canadian swim team, coincidentally) that lists of prohibited substances started to be compiled – for the sake of athletes’ health.

Of course, some athletes continued to cheat by using these substances, but now their doping became clandestine and ever since, authorities have played a game of ‘cat and mouse’ with cheating athletes (and sometimes entire cheating national athletic federations).

In the 1970s and 1980s, Me Pound played increasingly important roles in the IOC. His focus at the time was on selling television rights for the Olympics around the world.

Then the Ben Johnson scandal occurred in 1988. When steroids were detected in Johnson's urine after he won the 100-metre dash in record time, Me Pound – as the Canadian IOC member – was asked‎ to speak with Johnson in private. Johnson denied everything.

"They lie to you", Me Pound told the Lord Reading audience.

Eventually the IOC disqualified Johnson, showing that even "the world's fastest man" could be disqualified.

Several years later came the Festina Affair, a series of doping scandals that occurred during and after the 1998 Tour de France. It started to look like the IOC couldn't control Olympians' behaviour and the Tour de France couldn't control its cyclists' behaviour.

Me Pound came to the realization that the sports world needed ‎an independent anti-doping agency. Using the Court of Arbitration for Sport, an independent institution based in Switzerland, as the model, WADA was conceived. The Agency came into being under a 1999 Swiss law. 

Me Pound was asked to be president.

"I suggested it, so I got 'stuck' with being its first president!"

The founders of WADA got to work on drafting the World Anti-Doping Code‎. Once drafted, not only did the Code have to be adopted by 200 or so national governments, but it also had to be agreed upon by the governing bodies of some 35 Olympic sports‎.

The task of making this happen was arguably more difficult than putting a United Nations treaty into place!

Me Pound described the diplomatic efforts that were required to get so many diverse interests onboard. ‎

"We consulted it to death," recounted our guest speaker.

All interest groups were given the opportunity to be heard. In the end, all sports bodies agreed. The last one to come on board was cycling – "of course", remarked Me Pound.

In late-2005, a UNESCO conference was held to adopt the International Convention against Doping in Sport, which calls upon state parties to adopt measures that will give force to the principles of the World Anti-Doping Code and support the work of WADA.

Interestingly the IOC compelled any country bidding to host the Olympics to have adopted the Anti-Doping Code into its national law. This led to the remarkable feat of the United States subscribing to a UNESCO treaty for the first time! ‎

Now that it has been adopted by most national governments, the Code has become the law of the land throughout most of the world. It benefits from the coercive powers of national courts, including the power to compel provision of evidence and to compel witnesses to testify, as well as punitive powers.

Since the Anti-Doping Code was adopted, the system has been working relatively well. The sports world is acknowledging that doping is a problem; nations are realizing that when a test is positive, it is not necessarily a failure by that nation (Russia being perhaps an exception); and the Court of Arbitration for Sport has been rendering judgments rapidly when necessary – sometimes within 24 hours. These judgments are enforceable under national laws.

It took a long time, but now sports authorities realize they must act reasonably. They can no longer draft ambiguous rules. Indeed, thanks in large part to our guest speaker, the rule of law is now an integral part of the world of sport!

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CLE event – Hot Tips from the Experts!

The English-speaking section of the Bar of Montreal is pleased to invite you to its 9th edition of Trial Practice Do’s & Don’ts: Hot Tips from the Experts. This year’s topic is:

Writing For The Court – Giving Judges What They Want.

The event takes place Wednesday, November 8, 2017, from 16h45 to 18h45, with registration and refreshments from 16h15 to 16h45. It will be at the Montreal Court House, Salle Jules-Deschênes Room 5.15 (10, Saint-Antoine Street East).

CLE has been granted for 2 hours. Cost is $40, and the student cost is $25 (I.D. required).

We have an incredible lineup of jurists:

The Honourable Eva Petras, Associate Chief Justice of the Superior Court

The Honourable Mark Schrager of the Court of Appeal

Me Catherine McKenzie, litigator and renowned author

Me Robert Kugler, litigator

For more information and to register, please visit the Bar of Montreal’s website. We look forward to seeing you!

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Society History from Past President Manny Shacter

"You have been a trailblazer for the progress of fair representation of Jewish lawyers in the profession. Second Jewish Bâtonnier of Montreal, you were also one of the founders of The Lord Reading Law Society in 1948. How did the Society come to be?"

For the answer, you will have to click through to read an incredible interview with Society Past President Manny Shacter, thanks to McGill's Faculty of Law. 

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Society Humour

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News from the Mishpacha

Mazel Tov

• To Society Board member Emma Lambert on the birth of her son Samuel
• To Society member Justice Morton Minc on being named the first-ever jurist-in-residence at Concordia University

Condolences

• To Society member Danny Kaufer on the loss of his mother Margrit

President’s Message

Dear Colleagues and Honourable Judges,

It is an honour and privilege to serve as your President this year.

We had a tremendous season last year under the direction of my predecessor, Larry Markowitz, and I look forward to building upon his success and continuing the growth and popularity of the Society that occurred under his leadership.

Lord Reading is a volunteer-driven organization, and I have seen the enthusiasm and dedication of our team of volunteers this past summer as we’ve worked hard to plan an amazing season. I sincerely thank the volunteers for all their hard work.

Our annual Alan B. Gold Advocacy Lecture will be held on Tuesday, September 26, 2017. On this occasion, we have the pleasure of welcoming Richard W. Pound, C.C., O.Q., Q.C., Ad. E, FCA, former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee and founding Chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency. Mtre. Pound will address the issue of “Doping: Parallel legal universes and a challenge of Olympic proportions.” I would like to thank Davies and Stein and Stein for their generous sponsorship of the evening.

The lecture promises to be an enthralling and provocative evening, and I invite you to register using the links at the left of this page.

Our second lecture, which will take place on October 25, 2017, promises to be extraordinary. On this occasion, we are honoured to welcome the Honourable Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Honourable Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court. The discussion will be moderated by the Honourable Irwin Cotler. Some sponsorship opportunities are still available and I invite you to e-mail me directly.

Finally, you should have received the notice to renew your annual membership in the Lord Reading Law Society. I encourage you to pay your membership dues, as we count on those funds to help contribute to the health of the Society, and to support the continuing program of outstanding speakers the Society has established. You will also benefit from significant discounts on dinner-meeting prices and be eligible to attend members-only CLE events. You can  register and pay your membership online, or alternatively you may download the paper membership form.

I look forward to seeing you at the opening dinner on September 26, 2017 and at our other events throughout the 2017-18 season.

Shana tova, wishing you a happy and healthy Jewish New Year.

Sincerely,

David Ettedgui, President
The Lord Reading Law Society
david@lordreading.org

“This is an interesting time we live in” – a look back at our Annual Human Rights Dinner

On June 14th, the Society welcomed Kyle Matthews for our Annual Human Rights Lecture. Mr. Matthews is an accomplished human rights advocate, currently serving as Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia University. His talk was entitled “Human Rights in the Age of Global Extremism”.

Mr. Matthews brought a lot to think about to the table. He was clear from the outset, telling the crowd that “If you can’t talk about a problem how will you find a solution?” And talk he did. He spent considerable time describing our “interesting” times, and not “interesting” in the good way. He believed that “we are in a democratic recession” and noted a number of problems and issues facing the world and democracy today to prove his point. These included Trump’s America, Brexit and general Euro-skepticism, and people being jailed for pro-democracy protests everywhere.

He described the failure of certain international norms, noting the failure to uphold the Genocide Convention and the fact that it is currently Saudi Arabia chairing the U.N. Working Group on Women’s Rights. This irony was not lost on the crowd.

Mr. Matthews then turned to extremism which he described as coming in three forms – right-wing, left-wing and Islamism. He commented that these tended to be the same sources as anti-Semitism. He expounded on religious extremism, noting that 78% of history’s wars have had a religious basis. He also noted how Canada was not immune, pointing to the Quebec City mosque attack.

He ended on a positive note, however. He called for dialogue and he called for action. He called for Montreal to serve as a Human Rights hub – “like Geneva, but not boring”. A lively question period followed, and the tremendously successful 2016-17 Lord Reading season came to a close.

You can see a full series of photos from the event on Facebook

Lord Reading and the AEJD collaborating to match law students to employers

In the hopes of connecting Law Students with practices seeking to hire students on a full and/or part-time basis, the Association des étudiants juifs en droit de l’Université de Montréal (AEJD) is happy to collaborate with the Lord Reading Law Society’s Career Development Committee in the creation of a joint project.

Firms or lawyers seeking to hire students can now contact the AEJD directly at aejd.udem@gmail.com. The AEJD  will be in touch with you regarding the specifics of your needs and then reach out to students in order to fill the positions. Please note that the AEJD will not be doing any vetting of the candidates, but will simply act as a middleman between students and potential employers.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Invitation to a Unique CLE Event at Concordia

You are cordially invited to join Me Morton S. Minc, formerly the President Judge of the Montreal Municipal Court, who will moderate a comprehensive panel discussion on the legal and psychological implications of the maltreatment of children. The panel features leading jurists in the field, including Justice Patrick Healy of the Quebec Court of Appeal.

When: October 19, 2017, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Where: Norman D. Hebert meeting room (EV 2.260, 2nd floor), 1515 Ste. Catherine St. W., (the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex), Concordia University

Cost: Free

Certification for 1.5 hours of CLE is pending.

For more details and registration, please visit http://www.concordia.ca/cuevents/offices/vprgs/oor/2017/10/19/child-maltreatment-panel.html

Society Humour

News from the mishpuchah

Mazel Tov

• To Society member Peter Kalichman on being named a judge of the Superior Court
• To Society member Greg Moore on being named a judge of the Superior Court
• To Society Board members Marissa Lydynia and Rob Steinman on the birth of their son
• To Society members Shane Goldman and Isabelle Owston on their marriage
• To Society President Ian M. Solloway on the marriage of his son Bryan to Audrey Fernandez, on June 18

Condolences

• To Soicety members Lori Weitzman and Peter Kalichman on the loss of their mother and mother-in-law Rhoda Weitzman
• To the family of former Bâtonnier Pierre Fournier
• To the family of Maitre Gordie Zelman

Larry Markowitz, President
Allen Mendelsohn, Editor(s)

Outgoing President’s Message

Larry Markowitz

It’s been a fun ride, but all good things must come to an end … Our next dinner meeting will be my last as president of the Lord Reading Law Society.

It has been an honour and a pleasure to helm this venerable community institution, with its rich history – a Jewish community institution whose events have now become an integral part of the calendar of the legal community as a whole.

When I delivered my inaugural address last May 25th, at the Irwin Cotler Tribute Gala, I stated that I was humbled to be serving in a long line of presidents, including some of Montreal’s most prominent jurists, who have served since our Society’s founding in 1948.

Each president has contributed to the advancement of the Society in his or her own way.  At the outset of my term, I set out three main goals:

– To organize the best possible events
– To institute a series of members-only CLE breakfasts (“Membership has its privileges”)
– To attract more young members in order to ensure la relève of our Society

While I spent much time reaching out to other law-related organizations in our city, province and country, as well as internationally, and coordinating our efforts in the area of human rights, a major focus of mine was ensuring the highest level of speakers and a consistent level of professionalism for our events.

My term began at the unforgettable Irwin Cotler Tribute Gala, which featured Alan Dershowitz, Justice Rosalie Abella and Justice Nicholas Kasirer paying tribute to longtime Society member, former justice minister Irwin Cotler. There were over 600 in attendance, including a majority of the justices of the Supreme Court! I would like to thank the incredible team of Society volunteers for helping to put that memorable event together.

Embarking from that illustrious starting point, we had the honour of being addressed by a succession of top-notch speakers during my presidency:

– We began my term with an insightful fireside chat with Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Moldaver, moderated by University of Ottawa Law professor Adam Dodek;

– We closed out 2016 by once again presenting a prominent speaker from Israel’s legal community in collaboration with the Consul General of Israel in Montreal: Israel’s Patent Commissioner Asa Kling described the secrets behind his country’s success as the “Start-up Nation”;

– To begin 2017, lawyer and entrepreneur (and a reality-TV ‘Dragon’) Mitch Garber addressed a packed house at our Annual Student Dinner, keeping all of us – young and old – in rapt attention with his motivating words;

– In March, Canadian Bar Association past president Fred Headon assured us we would not be replaced by robots (at least not entirely …) as he discussed the future of the legal profession.
That evening, we also presented the inaugural “Prix du Ministre de la justice du Québec – Association de droit Lord Reading” in the presence of Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée; and

– In April: Who will ever forget the humourous and engaging talk by Canada’s 20th prime minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, and the free-wheeling “Question Period” that followed?

Our first-ever members-only CLE breakfasts were “sold out”:

– In December, Allen Mendelsohn, the Society’s Communications Director and a well-known expert in internet law, spoke of “Surviving the Mean Tweets of Montreal: Defamation in the Internet Age”; and

– On March 2nd, Adam Daifallah of HATLEY Strategy Advisors presented a timely talk entitled “The Disunited States of Trump: Donald Trump’s unlikely rise to power and what the legal world can expect”.

We also held two popular Young Bar events under the able leadership of our Young Bar chairs Marissa Lydynia and Andrew Kliger:

– Our annual Young Bar Hockey Night, where law students and younger members drank beer and networked while (nominally) watching the Habs on TV; and

– Our annual Young Bar Cocktail in late-May, where we (again) met to drink and hobnob – but this time, attendees were more likely to be drinking wine (and the Habs had long since been eliminated from the play-offs).

This year’s events set attendance records and the head table at our dinners was invariably graced by leading judges, lawyers, politicians, bar association leaders and academics, making Lord Reading “the place to be” for Montreal’s legal community.

The Society also modernized its communications: Since last summer, we have been active on social media. This new medium of communication has allowed us to reach out to a wider audience in real time – including particularly our younger members and law students (i.e., future members). Photos of all our events are now posted online on our Facebook page.

Stay tuned for a revamped website.  Meanwhile, don’t forget to “Like” us on Facebook, and “Follow” us on Twitter and LinkedIn!

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Lord Reading is an entirely volunteer-driven organization. In that vein, I wish to extend my sincere thanks to the Society’s Board, Executive, Past Presidents, committee members and volunteers for their hard work and dedication.

The Society’s next president will be David Ettedgui, a talented lawyer who has played a key role in planning and executing on this past year’s program. He will be inaugurated on June 14th. David already has an all-star roster of speakers for the rest of 2017. ‎I am confident the Society is in good hands.

It’s been a pleasure! I hope to see you all on June 14th!

Sincerely,
Larry Markowitz
President, 2016-2017

June 14th: “Human Rights in the Age of Global Extremism”

Our closing dinner of the season will maintain ‎the high standards for which Lord Reading has become known.

The evening of Wednesday, June 14th, we will hold our 2017 Human Rights Dinner, featuring special guest speaker Kyle Matthews, Executive Director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS). His talk is entitled “Human Rights in the Age of Global Extremism”.

Kyle is a dynamic speaker who is often called upon to comment in the media on issues relating to international human rights. Kyle works closely with the Canadian All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Prevention of Genocide and has advised Members of Parliament on issues related to international peace and security. This promises to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking evening.

Please register for our June 14th dinner-event at the link on the left of this page. For early bird rates, you must register by Friday, June 9th.

We are pleased to offer a discounted price of $36 to the first 20 students who register. If you are a student at law school or the École du Barreau and wish to attend, please contact info@lordreading.org for instructions on how to register. Please note that stagiaires pay the same as our junior members ($50 prior to the early registration deadline) and should register as such.

As part of the evening’s festivities, we will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of Federation CJA and look forward to hosting representatives from that organization. We thank Federation CJA for their help in making our Human Rights Dinner possible.

June 14th will also see the official passing of the torch to our incoming president.

See you next week!

“I Don’t Prepare Speeches Anymore” – A look back at The Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien at Lord Reading

Allen Mendelsohn

With those amusing words, The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, 20th Prime Minister of Canada, proceeded to hold court to an overflowing crowd at Lord Reading on April 25th.

After being warmly introduced by his former law partner Bernard Amyot, Mr. Chrétien basically told stories and made us all laugh. It would be impossible to recap what was said. As the old saying goes, you had to be there.

There were light-hearted jokes about Westmount, self-effacing jokes about his English, and even jokes about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Recognizing this last one was no laughing matter, he did have some serious words about the importance of rights, especially language rights (of both official languages).

“My speech is finished. Now it’s time for Question Period because I miss this.”

And with those words, Mr. Chrétien took a series of questions from the audience. He answered every single one of them with intelligence, humour, and thoughtfulness.

There were questions about President Trump, free trade, President Clinton, and more. When a questioner began with “I’m not a lawyer…”, Mr. Chrétien was quick with a “good for you!” retort. 

When Mr. Chrétien closed out the question period with “I’m not an architect, but I think I’ve built a little bit of Canada,” the crowd could not help but nod in agreement.

The evening closed out with Mr. Chrétien being thanked by former federal Justice Minister the Honourable Irwin Cotler, who could only say positive things, especially about the Charter, which he called “a People’s Charter”. The overflowing crowd was slow to leave, trying to extend a truly unforgettable evening.

Even if you weren’t there, you can relive the evening through our photo album on Facebook

The Society Honours Larry Glazer

Allen Mendelsohn

The Lord Reading Law Society is pleased to announce that it will honour Larry Glazer, the Society’s long-time treasurer, who passed away earlier this year.

A select group of Society Directors, with input from many members and others, has decided to rename the Society’s student award that is given to a Université de Montréal student the “Larry Glazer Award.” Larry was an alumnus of Université de Montréal.

The Larry Glazer Award will be given annually to the highest-ranking student in Constitutional law at UdeM, as part of the Annual Student Dinner. Larry’s family will be invited to attend, and the Society looks forward to honouring his legacy.

The unveiling for Larry Glazer takes place June 11, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Eternal Gardens Cemetery, Beth Zion Congregation, in Beaconsfield.

Save the Dates for Next Season!

David Ettedgui

We already have two amazing events lined up for next season. Please save these dates!

September 26
Guest speaker: Founding president of the World Anti-Doping Agency and former vice-president of the International Olympic Committee Richard Pound.

October 25
Guest speakers: The Honourable Rosalie Abella of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Honourable Stephen Breyer of the United States Supreme Court. The discussion will be moderated by the Honourable Irwin Cotler.

We look forward to seeing you in the fall. 

Your Lord Reading Membership for 2017-18

Allen Mendelsohn and Hershie Frankel

We wanted to remind our members that your current Lord Reading membership will soon expire! All Lord Reading Memberships need to be renewed over the summer. 

Keep your eyes on your email inbox in late July – early August for details about renewing your membership for next season. If you are not on our mailing list, you can sign up here.

As always, thank you for supporting the Society by becoming a member. And as our outgoing President mentioned above – Membership has its privileges!

Society Humour

News from the Mishpuchah

Mazel Tov

• To incoming President David Ettedgui and his wife Amanda on the birth of their son Isaac Louis
• To Society member Brian Mitchell on being named Batonnier of the Bar of Montreal
• To Past President Ian Solloway on the forthcoming marriage of his son Bryan to Audrey Fernandez

Condelences

• To the family of past Society member Joshua Borenstein

Larry Markowitz, President
Allen Mendelsohn, Editor(s)

President’s Message

Larry Markowitz

This week, we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This milestone is especially significant to those of us at Lord Reading, in light of our Society’s longstanding dedication to the furtherance of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

And who better to speak at our next dinner than the Minister of Justice and Attorney General who steered the Charter through the legislative process back in 1982!

The evening of Tuesday, April 25th will feature “A Conversation with The Right Honourable Jean Chrétien”. Mr. Chrétien has been witness to, and a participant in, numerous chapters in our nation’s history. First elected to the House of Commons in 1963, Mr. Chrétien made his mark early on, submitting a private member’s bill in 1964 to change the name of the national airline from Trans-Canada Airlines to Air Canada.

Prior to winning three consecutive majorities as Canada’s 20th prime minister from 1993 to 2003, Mr. Chretien served in a wide range of cabinet posts in the governments of Lester B. Pearson and Pierre Elliott-Trudeau, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Justice and Attorney General.

Known for his rousing speeches that come “Straight from the Heart”, Mr. Chrétien will surely regale us with tales of people he’s met and political battles he’s waged over his lengthy career.  And I expect he will have a thing or two to say about current events as well.

Our next LRLS speaker Jean Chrétien (second from right) 50 years ago – as a minister in Lester B. Pearson’s cabinet in April 1967. (L to R) Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Jean Chrétien and Lester B. Pearson. All four men would serve as Prime Minister of Canada.

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Please register for our April 25th dinner-event at the link on the left of this page. For early bird rates, you must register by Friday, April 21st.

We are pleased to offer a discounted price of $36 to the first 20 students who register. If you are a student at law school or the École du Barreau and wish to attend, please contact info@lordreading.org for instructions on how to register. Please note that stagiaires pay the same as our junior members ($50 prior to the early registration deadline and $60 afterwards) and should register as such using the link on the left side of this page.

We look forward to seeing you on April 25th for what promises to be a memorable evening in the annals of the Society!

The Society marks the 35th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms

Larry Markowitz

April 17, 1982 marked a defining moment in our country’s history, when Canada took the bold step of adopting a rights-protecting document as part of our Constitution.
  
The Charter of Rights and Freedoms has been a powerful force for social progress and the realization of a more inclusive and compassionate society. Regardless of our gender, our race, our national or ethnic origin, the colour of our skin, the faith we choose or choose not to practice, our age, our mental and physical ability or our sexual orientation, the Charter requires that we all be treated equally under the law.  The Charter protects all Canadians and has become an internationally-renowned document.
  
The Charter has influenced not just Canadian law, but jurisprudence and the drafting of constitutions around the world. It has been described as the leading influence on Israel’s basic laws and the bill of rights of Hong Kong, South Africa and New Zealand.

One academic study found that “the decisions of Canadian courts are cited by New Zealand judges far more than those from any other jurisdiction.”

When South Africa was trying to create a nation where they could live together and accommodate differences and respect differences, they turned to Canada and its Charter for inspiration.

In the 1990s, the State of Israel turned to Canada’s Charter when it drafted its basic laws on human rights. Aharon Barak, who eventually became president of the Israeli Supreme Court and earlier had been Israel’s attorney general, wrote that, “Canadian law serves as a source of inspiration for many countries around the world.”

On this 35th anniversary of Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Lord Reading Law Society salutes this vital constitutional document, protector of Canadians’ rights and freedoms and one of our country’s greatest accomplishments.

The practice of law in 2025: Will we be replaced by robots?

Zineb Fassi Fehri

Ed.’s note – Zineb Fassi Fehri is a law student working at Davies who attended the Fred Headon lecture on March 23rd, and we are pleased to reprint her summary of the lecture in its entirety. If you are a law student or anyone else and would like to contribute to the newsletter, please contact us!

The practice of law in 2025: Will we be replaced by robots?

This question has a very lawyerly answer: “sort of”. The fact is that nowadays Artificial Intelligence (AI) is deployed in the legal profession and is becoming quite advanced. This is also a very exciting development for a number of reasons. In the last five years, substantial amounts have been raised by US-based start ups to work on AI in law. So at the very least, AI is coming into the legal profession.

Why would we want artificial intelligence in our practice?

Studies have shown that AI makes people and professionals better. If legal practice was easy, lawyers would have been replaced a long time ago. Law is about interactions between human beings and it makes it complex and “messy”. AI can’t get a grasp of that and have the kind of creativity to beat the human competitors. But it can help in other aspects. Because of the development of AI, other professionals are looking at what lawyers do and thinking that there are better or more efficient ways to do it (for instance, legal research). And that appeals to the clients. One seventh of the legal needs are not served according to a CBA study and that is a shortcoming of our legal system. AI might be a solution that helps with that.

What are clients asking of their lawyers (as reported in the CBA study)?

• See the process (transparency) and be involved in it (the “Facebook effect”): at Air Canada (Fred Headon’s employer), AI is already used for these purposes and people can see the process and get involved.
• Quality and efficiency: clients are expecting to have quick answers to their questions and get solutions. AI might help with that by opening the files, for example, as the first questions are roughly the same.
• Predictability about the process: to deal with the important level of uncertainty in the airlines, human resources embrace the technology to go through the data and get a forecast on different things like budget, flights, weather, and so on. The degree of uncertainty in the airline industry is far behind the level of uncertainty in a court house. There’s little that we shouldn’t be able to foresee. To get there, lawyers have to rely on the technology to deal with all the data as it can’t be easily done by hand.

What would AI in legal practice look like?

It will serve lawyers. It will be doing things that lawyers do or used to do. AI is already used in certain areas of practice (ex: ROSS, taxes system for taxpayers and small businesses).

There are examples of new software being used in the legal field:

• Beagle: developed by a lawyer. Software that does keyword search in a contract and finds clauses that deviate the most from what is expected to be normal so that the lawyer can focus on them
• Closing folders: track the signatures and bring them together in an online secure environment
• Loom: evaluate what are the chances of success of a specific lawyer in front of a specific judge

In conclusion, lawyers must embrace innovative technologies and use them to improve their service.

Notes from the Henry Steinberg Memorial Lecture and the Prix du Ministre de la justice winners

Allen Mendelsohn

The Henry Steinberg Memorial Lecture on March 23rd was a jam-packed evening. Fred Headon’s speech (summarized above) was informative, entertaining and posed thought-provoking questions about the future of our profession. Fred, as Canadian Bar Association Past President and Chair of the CBA’s Legal Futures Initiative, had unique insight into the topic.

But that was not all! The evening featured the inaugural presentation of “Les Prix du Ministre de la justice du Québec – Association de droit Lord Reading”. These awards were presented by Quebec Minister of Justice Stéphanie Vallée. There were two prizes awarded:

• One $1,000 scholarship (funded by the Justice Minister)  presented to a law student who is active in Lord Reading and who best promotes and advances the objects of the Society and the mission of the Ministère de la Justice (access to justice, promotion of human rights, etc.)
• One non-monetary award (the “Access to Justice Award”) awarded to a Society Member who advances the cause of Access to Justice in Quebec during the year preceding the presentation of the award, while promoting and advancing the objects of the Society and the mission of the Ministère de la Justice.

The student prize was awarded to Michael (Mikie) Schwartz. Mikie worked diligently on student government related matters. He has played an active role on the Lord Reading Law Society Human Rights Committee and attends nearly all Lord Reading events. He has also provided legal information to these in need on a pro bono basis. You can see Mikie receiving his award on Facebook. Mikie sent the following letter of thanks to Society President Larry Markowitz:

Dear Mtre/President Markowitz,

I write to convey my deepest thanks and appreciation to you and the Lord Reading Society – and the Ministre de la justice du Québec – on awarding me the first annual student Prix de la ministre de la justice – Association de droit Lord Reading (as you yourself said, that’s a mouthful!) and for the generous scholarship.

As I wrote on my Facebook, I am deeply grateful to be recognized by my peers, colleagues, and mentors. I do what I do with LRS because I love it – the camaraderie, the enlightening speakers, the fight for against bigotry on campus – but to be recognized by an organization and people for whom I have such gratitude and respect is the ‘icing on the cake.’

I look forward to many more years of involvement with this association, one which I describe to my friends and peers as a ‘semi-hidden’ gem and moreover, an unparalleled one.

My deepest thanks to you, the Committee, the LRS as a whole, and the Minister. It is an honour and a pleasure to receive this award.

~ Mikie

The Access to Justice Award was awarded to longtime Society member Ann Solden Ad. E. Ann has been an unwavering advocate of elder rights, as Executive Director of the National Institute of Law, Policy and Aging and founder of the Elder Law Clinic. You can see Ann receiving her award on Facebook. Ann sent the following letter of thanks to Society President Larry Markowitz:

Dear Larry,

I wish to thank the Lord Reading Society and the Ministre de la justice du Québec for your very touching tribute last week. I will cherish this recognition of my clinic and institute’s mission to provide access to justice to vulnerable and marginalized older persons, regardless of socioeconomic status. The clinic, which serves older adults throughout the province on issues of aging and the law, celebrates its 10th anniversary on May 1, 2017 and introduced Canada’s first clinical legal course in law and aging (Elder Law). This award is a lovely gift on the occasion of this milestone.

We do what we do without thought of awards but it is very gratifying and humbling to be saluted by one’s colleagues and friends.

I am so very lucky to be doing what I was meant to do in life.

Kind personal regards,

Ann

****

The Justice Minister is a fan of Lord Reading!

Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée appeared delighted to be in attendance for the evening. After being introduced by D’Arcy-McGee MNA David Birnbaum, Minister Vallée announced an important government initiative regarding the translation of judgments to English. After presenting the Prix du Ministre de la justice du Québec – Association de droit Lord Reading, Minister Vallée was presented with the traditional Lord Reading thank you gift of an engraved pen. She was such a fan, she sent us a photo of the pen in action in Quebec City!

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The Society Remembers Justice Henry Steinberg

As part of the Henry Steinberg Memorial Lecture, the Society was pleased to welcome Justice Steinberg’s widow Janice, as well as two of his three children, Sandy and Barry. Society Communications Director Allen Mendelsohn remembered Henry Steinberg as part of his introduction to Fred Headon. The Mendelsohns and the Steinbergs are long-time family friends. Allen recalled Henry fondly, speaking of his passion, compassion, intelligence, warmth, and his unmatched sense of humour. 

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You can relive all the highlights of this exceptional evening through our Facebook photo album.

Your Continuing Legal Education credits – a reminder

Allen Mendelsohn

The Society wishes to remind you that we are approaching the deadline for entering your CLE credits on the Barreu website for the 2015-2017 period. While the 2015-2017 period for CLE ended March 31st, you have until April 30th to enter your credits for that period. Furthermore, there is a new rule in place for the 2015-2017 period allowing you to carry over up to 6 hours of additional CLE to the next period. So even if you reached your maximum of 30 hours during the 2015-2017 period, you should still enter any additional CLE credits as up to six hours worth will get transferred over to the 2017-2019 period. 

Job Offer – Lawyer or Notary, English-speaking Communities, Éducaloi

Éducaloi is seeking a lawyer or notary to play a key role on the team serving Quebec’s English-speaking communities. A versatile professional, this person will be asked to handle a wide variety of legal, communication and administrative assignments. This person will work to understand and meet the needs of Quebec’s English-speaking citizens and to ensure that Éducaloi is well-known among this audience.

The deadline for applying is April 28th. More information and instructions for applying can be found on Éducaloi’s website.

News from the Mishpuchah

Mazel Tov

• To Society Past President Nancy Cleman on being appointed to serve as an independent member of the Board of Directors of the Société de la Place des Arts 

Condolences

• To the family of long-time Society member the late Edwin J. Winston
• To the family of the late Jon Feldman

Larry Markowitz, President
Allen Mendelsohn and Doree Levine, Editor(s)

President’s Message

Larry Markowitz

Greetings and welcome home to those of you who were spending time in warmer climes – be it for a brief school break visit or because you were practising law (or were enjoying your retirement from the law) down South. Welcome home! You’ve arrived back in town just in time for an exciting series of events at Lord Reading. 

Following our attendance-record-setting 2017 student dinner, featuring lawyer, businessman and media  personality Mitch Garber, and our first Members-only CLE breakfast of the year, featuring government-relations expert and lawyer Adam Daifallah’s analysis of the new Trump administration, the next event on our agenda is the annual Justice Henry Steinberg Memorial Dinner, at which Fred Headon, Past President of the Canadian Bar Association, who will answer the question: “The Practice of Law in 2025: Will you be replaced by a robot?”

Then on April 25th, we will host Canada’s 20th prime minister, the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien, for what promises to be a memorable evening in the annals of the Society.  That will be followed by our annual human rights dinner later in the spring.

In addition, plans are already well underway for a couple of very exciting dinners following our return from summer break. Stay tuned!

*****

“The Practice of Law in 2025: Will you be replaced by a robot?”

On March 23rd, Canadian Bar Association Past President Fred Headon, who also chairs the CBA’s Legal Futures Initiative, will offer us insights on the changing legal marketplace, the value that lawyers will bring to the future of legal services in Canada and the opportunities that can arise from lawyers choosing to adapt to change. He will address the advent of artificial intelligence, alternative billing arrangements and other cutting-edge developments in the practice of law.

Some of you might fear you’ll be replaced by a robot, but I would suggest that the use of technology will allow lawyers to focus on more interesting and higher value-added work, thus serving clients better, cutting clients’ legal bills and allowing lawyers to focus on framing the issues, as opposed to getting caught up in the weeds of case law and due diligence.

Fred is an engaging speaker who is often invited to share his insights at venues across Canada and internationally, including at Harvard Law School.  Fred is a respected member of the legal community, cited in 2015 by Canadian Lawyer magazine as one of “Canada’s 25 most influential lawyers”. 

The Henry Steinberg Lecture’s focus on the future of our profession will be of special interest to law students and young lawyers embarking on their careers, while surely also piquing the curiosity of our more experienced consoeurs and confrères.

*****

Les Prix du Ministre de la justice du Québec – Association de droit Lord Reading

Also at our March 23rd dinner, Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée we will be in attendance and will present the inaugural Prix du Ministre de la justice – Lord Reading Awards, comprised of two prizes:

1. One $1,000 scholarship (funded by the Justice Minister) to be presented to a law student who is active in Lord Reading and who best promotes and advances the objects of the Society and the mission of the Ministère de la Justice (access to justice, promotion of human rights, etc.)

2. One non-monetary award (the “Access to Justice Award”) to be awarded to a Society Member who advances the cause of Access to Justice in Quebec during the year preceding the presentation of the award, while promoting and advancing the objects of the Society and the mission of the Ministère de la Justice.

These Awards will be chosen according to the foregoing criteria by a committee of the Board of the Society appointed by the President.

It is the intention of the Society and the Minister of Justice that henceforth, these prizes will be presented annually at a Lord Reading dinner by Quebec’s Minister of Justice. The establishment of the Prix du Ministre de la justice du Québec – Association de droit Lord Reading by the Minister of Justice signifies the important place that the Jewish Bar occupies in the legal community of Quebec. Of this, we should be proud.

*****

Please register for our March 23rd dinner-event at the link on the left of this page. For early bird rates, you must register by tomorrow – Friday, March 17th.

We look forward to seeing you on the 23rd!

The Disunited States of Trump: CLE Breakfast Recap

Larry Markowitz

Speaker Adam Daifallah and Elliot Lifson talk Trump over breakfast. For a full set of photos from the event, check out the Facebook Photo Album.

On March 2nd, the Lord Reading Law Society held its second-ever Members-only CLE Breakfast in the 46th floor offices of Robinson Sheppard Shapiro.

We were pleased to welcome special guest speaker Adam Daifallah, co-founder of public affairs firm HATLEY Strategy Advisors. His talk was entitled “The Disunited States of Trump: Donald Trump’s unlikely rise to power and what the legal world can expect”.

The capacity audience listened intently as Adam examined President Trump’s plans for domestic and foreign policy, the impact of his election on Canada-US relations, the future of the US Supreme Court and the legal framework for a possible renegotiation of NAFTA.

This was not a partisan talk by any means. Rather, our members were treated to a dispassionate analysis of the rise of President Trump and predictions – or at least well-informed guesses – as to what the new administration’s moves might be in the coming years. These predictions included specifically those related to issues of concern to Canadians (and to clients of Canadian lawyers). Adam also offered us specific insight as to which administration officials can be expected to hold the most sway over policy in various areas of concern to our clients.

As President Trump himself would say, Adam’s presentation was “tremendous”! In fact, it was yuuuge!  The best Lord Reading event ever.  It’s true. Some very smart people told us so…

Lawyer and entrepreneur: Can you be both? – Recap of the Annual Student Dinner

Allen Mendelsohn

Mitch Garber answers the titular question. For a full set of photos from the event, check out the Facebook Photo Album.

On January 25, 2017, the Society was pleased to welcome lawyer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, community leader and media personality Mitch Garber as guest speaker at our annual student dinner. A record crowd of over 250 people listened to a compelling presentation entitled “Lawyer and Entrepreneur: Can you be both?” during which Maître Garber, who is Chairman of the Cirque Du Soleil and CEO of Caesars Acquisition Company, shared anecdotes and advice from his unique career.

The evening began on a high note, as President Larry Markowitz and the Society’s Young Bar Chairs presented the annual student awards to law students from the various faculties in the presence of several law faculty Deans. We would like to congratulate the winners:

• McGill University: Gregory Sheppard, for highest Standing in First Year in the Faculty of Law
• Université de Montréal: Se-Line Duong, pour excellence en Droit constitutionnelle I et II à la Faculté
• Université de Sherbooke : Clémence Therrien, pour excellence en anglais juridique à la Faculté

Our President was also proud to announce that next year, the Society will also honour a law student from UQAM who receives the highest grade in Criminal Law in that Faculty.

After being introduced by Larry Markowitz, Mitch Garber took to the podium and had the crowd eating from his hand from the outset, by telling us he “owed something to Lord Reading”. He then threw a wrench into the proceedings by saying he wasn’t an entrepreneur, he felt he was more of an executive. Could the question be answered?

To attempt to do so, Me Garber recounted stories of three lawyers who have shown various entrepreneurial qualities, and described what we can learn from them. Sidney Horn for example has a talent for advising clients on all matters of both law and business which makes him truly “entrepreneurial”.

Me Garber then spoke directly to the young lawyers and students in attendance  (after good-naturedly including 93-year-old Manny Schacter in that group). He offered some sage advice, specifically that lawyers should know their clients’ businesses as well or better than the clients. He told us “don’t underestimate the power of luck”, while at the same time reminding us of the value of hard work, which is even more important. 

A lively question period followed. We learned that Me Garber has no interest in politics, but has a real interest in the return of the Montreal Expos, should the right people be involved.

Truly an enlightening and entertaining evening for both the huge crowd of students and everyone else. Lawyer and entrepreneur – no doubt you can be both!

Manny Shacter’s History of the Society

Allen Mendelsohn

At a Board of Directors’ meeting last fall, in the presence of Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Moldaver, at the request of Society president Larry Markowitz, we were was honoured to have Lord Reading Past President Manny Schacter (1967-68) recount the history of the Society. You can watch the video below. We apologize for the sound quality; please note the sound improves two minutes or so into the presentation as the videographer moved closer to the speaker. You can also read Manny’s remarks here. Truly a history lesson we should all learn. 

Upcoming CLE Events of Community Interest

Allen Mendelsohn

AEJD’s Art Restitution Event at the MMFA

The Association des étudiants juifs en droit de l’Université de Montréal (AEJD) invites you to an evening at the Museum, focused on the restitution of stolen art from Jewish Families during World War II. Taking place Wednesday, March 29, 2017 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the event will include a cocktail reception and a panel discussion, and is open to the community at large. The panel will consist of the following speakers:

• Clarence Epstein, Senior Director, Urban and Cultural Affairs, Concordia University and Director, Max Stern Art Restitution Project.
• François Le Moine, Lawyer, Sarrazin Plourde and Lecturer on art law at Université de Montréal.
• Stephane and Édith Jorisch, family who successfully retrieved stolen art from Austria, will share their personal experiences.

Please note that this event will be accredited for 1.5 hours of Continuing Legal Education (CLE).

The Lord Reading Law Society is proud to support this event, and we encourage our members and friends, both young and young at heart, to attend.

More information can be found on the AEJD Facebook page. For tickets and information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact AEJD Co-Presidents Sarah Ettedgui and Stephanie Perlis at aejd.udem@gmail.com. Tickets are also available online. 

JCF Professional Development Seminar – Save the Date!

The Jewish Community Foundation of Montreal’s annual Professional Development Seminar for legal and accounting professionals will take place Wednesday, June 14 from 7:30-10:00 AM at the Gelber Conference Center. More details to come!

Legal Negotiating Humour

News from the Mishpuchah

Yasher Koach

• Thanks to Danny Kaufer for his generous donation to the Society

Condolences

• To Society Membership Chair and Board Member Hershie Frankel on the loss of his mother Sarah

Larry Markowitz, President
Allen Mendelsohn and Doree Levine, Editor(s)

President’s Message

Larry Markowitz

Welcome to the 2017 edition of Lord Reading!

We’ve got some great programs planned for this year, while others are in the works.

Indeed the planning of our events – and the effective execution‎ on those plans – depends entirely on our team of dedicated volunteers. Although lawyers are busy people who spend most of their work days focused on generating billable hours, many of you still find the occasion to put your legal skills at the service of your profession and society at large. The selflessness of those of you who give of your time without expectation of remuneration sets an example for the next generation of lawyers coming up the ranks.

“Volunteerism builds communities, but it also builds community members”

Lawyers possess analytical skills and a level of intellectual rigour that are sorely lacking in today’s world. It is our duty as legal professionals to give back and to bring sense of justice and organization to our communities. ‎

To cite several examples:

• Many Lord Reading members are – or have been – active in the Barreau de Montréal. Some have even served as Bâtonniers in the past.
• Other Lord Reading members play an integral role on the boards of hospitals and other community organizations.
• Still others focus their volunteer hours on advancing the interests of the Lord Reading Law Society. 

Probably the quintessential example of this last category of volunteerism was our longtime Treasurer Larry Glazer, who passed away ‎last week. Larry’s selfless dedication to the Society over most of his half-century of practicing law will never be forgotten, nor will his personification of the spirit of congeniality that characterizes Lord Reading. At every dinner meeting, it was Larry who greeted each and every one of you upon your check-in at the door of the Shaar – and before that, the Montefiore Club – with a smile and a friendly quip. He made us all feel welcome. He will be sorely missed.

The concept of lawyers giving back to society at large ‎is also exemplified by our next guest speaker, philanthropist, lawyer and businessman Mitch Garber. Mitch certainly gives back to his community: Of recent note, he served as co-chair of the 2016 Centraide campaign. 

Mitch has had a fascinating and unique career path: He progressed from the law firm world of billable hours to the world of entrepreneurship by way of sports radio, Las Vegas, Israel and a starring role in TV’s Dans l’oeil du dragon. He now serves as Chairman of the Cirque du soleil and CEO of Caesars Acquisition Company.

As a fellow lawyer-turned-entrepreneur, I look forward to hearing Mitch’s inspiring words and to being entertained by the anecdotes he will share with us ‎on January 25th.

This will be our annual student dinner. Besides presenting our student scholarships to the deserving winners from several law faculties, we are offering special dinner ticket pricing incentives to afford our next generation of members an opportunity to sample the famous Lord Reading spirit of camaraderie.

Students and stagiaires MUST email youngbar@lordreading.org by this Friday, January 20th to benefit from these reduced dinner ticket prices. 

For the rest of you: Please register at the link on the left of this page. For early bird rates, you must register by this Friday, January 20th.

We thank ‎BLG‎, Peerless Clothing and Lazarus Charbonneau for their generous sponsorship of the evening. ‎Because of their support, we will be able to host the maximum number of members of “la Relève” at our student dinner.

We look forward to seeing you all – both young and old, and everyone in-between, on the 25th!

Remembering Larry Glazer, 1936-2017

Allen Mendelsohn

Larry Glazer, Society Treasurer and Board member for more than 40 years, passed away last week in his 81st year. On behalf of the Society, we express our deepest condolences to his wife Doreen and his entire family. Words are insufficient to express the loss that the Society, the legal profession, and everyone who knew him are feeling at this time.

I personally feel woefully inadequate to write this piece, which I will not call a eulogy. I will call it a remembrance. And I think the only way to do this is to remember what Larry meant to me personally, because undoubtedly he touched you the same way.

I would have first met Larry when I walked into my first Lord Reading dinner meeting as a Barreau student in 2001. Larry was always at the welcoming table, checking people in. Larry was born to be at the welcoming table – the smile, the pleasant demeanour, the warm guffaw, the bon mot – he made everyone feel welcome – even a young Barreau student completely intimidated by what he was walking into for the first time. No doubt he made you feel the same when you walked in for the first time.

I am now in my 15th year on the Society’s Board. I distinctly recall my first Board meeting, and once again feeling completely intimidated by this imposing group of esteemed jurists around the table. But once again, it was Larry who made me feel welcome. It was Larry who made sure I understood that my opinions mattered, even though I was 20-40 years younger than just about everyone at that table.

I know my experience is shared by a lot of people. As Communications Director for the last 10 years, I have been a part of what can only be described as the “inner circle” of Lord Reading, a group of individuals who work tirelessly to ensure the smooth functioning of the Society on a day-to-day basis. The group has always included Larry. That group has also included more and more of my contemporaries (and younger) as the years have gone by. Every single one of these younger people has said to me at some point “I love Larry” or “Larry is the best” or some variation of that sentiment. Through his warmth and spirit, Larry helped Lord Reading span the generations.

I haven’t even discussed how hard he worked as Treasurer. I’ve seen it personally over the last 10 years. Being Treasurer of the Society can be a real challenge. But Larry did it for decades with nary a complaint, and only with good humour. The presentation of his Treasurer’s report was a highlight of every Board meeting, even during financially lean times. (“There’s money in the bank” was the catchphrase he used to begin each report). I don’t ever recall him being mad or angry or upset at a meeting (or anywhere else for that matter); I don’t even recall him being “perturbed” or “irked”. That’s a true testament to how he handled everything.

I’ll let you in on a secret. As Communications Director, I have overseen the development of various electronic communications over the years, all of which have required passwords that I had to create. All the Society’s passwords include variations on one name, and it’s not mine. I chose to include the name that to me was the Society, and will always be the Society. When I tell new Executive members the passwords, they smile. They know to whom the tribute is being paid.

Just about anyone with a computer these days can be treasurer. No one will ever be Larry.

The Society is looking to honour Larry’s memory in a concrete fashion. If you have any thoughts in that regard, please email info@lordreading.org. Currently, contributions in his memory may be made to the “Lawrence Glazer Memorial Fund”, c/o the Jewish General Hospital Foundation, (514) 340-8251, or online here.

Asa Kling Explains the IP Framework in Israel, the Start-up Nation

Allen Mendelsohn

On November 3rd, the Society was pleased to welcome Asa Kling, Director of the Israel Patent Office and Commissioner of Patents, Trademarks & Designs. This dinner was the culmination of a two-day international seminar entitled “The Social Costs of Innovation: Law, Society, and the Greater Good” (see the next story in this newsletter) and co-presented by the Lord Reading Law Society, the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy (CIPP) of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, the Consulate General of Israel in Montreal, the Centre de recherche en droit public de l’Université de Montréal and the Harvard Club of Quebec.

The evening began with Ziv Nevo-Kulman, Consul General of Israel in Montreal, who joked he saw “a lot of proud Jewish mothers” in the audience. Asa Kling was then introduced by Professor Pierre-Emmanuel Moyse, Director of the CIPP.

Mr. Kling began his talk with a quick introduction about Israel and Intellectual Property, and then presented a short film from the Israel Patent Office entitled “Supporting Innovation – Generating Progress”. The Society was honoured that we were the second group ever to have seen the video, after only the World Intellectual Property Office!

Mr. Kling was a dynamic and entertaining speaker throughout. He quoted Shimon Peres, who said,  “Israel welcomes the wind of change.” Mr. Kling said IP is a bridge, and described innovation as “sexy”. He stated that the real problem with innovation is that it needs to be managed better.

He then let us in on a secret – that the Israeli Patent Office, which he leads, is not really responsible for Israel being the Startup Nation! He said that sometimes lawyers can get in the way; he personally had “run away” from the Justice Department as there were too many lawyers there. IP law is only one way to manage innovation; the key is to come at it from several different directions

He closed by quoting another Israeli Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, who said, “If an expert says it can’t be done, get another expert.” Wise words!

A full set of wonderful photos from the evening can found on our Facebook page. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!

Exploring The Social Costs of Innovation

Allen Mendelsohn

As mentioned above, on November 2nd the Society was pleased to co-present “The Social Costs of Innovation: Law, Society, and the Greater Good”, a full-day conference exploring the relationship between innovation and social progress. A full house heard a distinguished panel from Canada, France and Israel consider how jurists can impact innovation while increasing social justice.

A full write-up can be found in the McGill Faculty of Law’s Focus Online.

Surviving the mean Tweets of Montreal: Lord Reading’s CLE breakfast

Allen Mendelsohn

Thanks to a wonderful venue, a very topical subject, and a dynamic, entertaining and informative speaker, the Society’s first-ever members-only CLE breakfast was a smashing success.

On December 7th, Me Allen Mendelsohn, the Society’s Communications Director and a well-known expert in internet law, presented “Surviving the Mean Tweets of Montreal: Defamation in the Internet Age”. Allen presented a detailed overview on the law of defamation and its application in the wired world. As he joked, “there will be more substantive law in this presentation than in the last ten Lord Reading dinner-meetings combined.”

And he wasn’t kidding. Allen presented case after case in a practical approach, working through a number of important preliminary matters like jurisdiction and identifying anonymous online individuals, all the way through getting a judgment enforced. He kept his humour intact throughout, and despite the early hour kept the crowd enraptured with his in-depth knowledge of internet legal matters.

The breakfast looks to be the first in a series of free events restricted to Lord Reading members.We would like to thank Jarred Paperman and WeWork L’Avenue for providing the perfect space across from the Bell Centre. With the bleu blanc rouge over his shoulder, Allen was certainly inspired. 

Allen has made his presentation slides available online, and you can see more photos on our Facebook page. 

AEJD Annual Shabbat Dinner

The Association des étudiants juifs en droit de l’Université de Montréal (AEJD) invites you to its annual Shabbat Dinner, Friday, January 27, 2017 at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue. Professor Payam Akhavan, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague and Associate Professor at McGill University, will deliver this year’s Keynote Address. The Honourable Irwin Cotler, Founder and Chair of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, – and Lord Reading Human Rights Award honoree – will be delivering the introductory remarks.

The Lord Reading Law Society is proud to support this event, and we encourage our members and friends, both young and young at heart, to attend.

More information can be found on the AEJD event page on Facebook. Tickets can be purchased online. For information on sponsorship opportunities, please contact AEJD Co-Presidents Sarah Ettedgui and Stephanie Perlis at aejd.udem@gmail.com.

Chabad CLE Trips and Events

Chabad of the Town is excited to announce their third biennual CLE trip for lawyers to Israel. The 10 day voyage is scheduled for October of 2017. Details and the full list of speakers can be found on their website. 

Chabad of Westmount is presenting a six-week Lunch ‘n Learn series on Ethics & the Law starting February 1st. Details and registration are available at their website. 

Society Humour

News from the Mishpuchah

Mazel Tov

• To Society Past President Suzanne Costom on being named a judge of the Cour du Québec
• To Society member and past winner of the Lord Reading Law Society Human Rights Award The Honourable Justice Morris J. Fish, Q.C. on his appointment to the Order of Canada
• To Board Member Morton S. Minc on being named President of the Conseil de la justice administrative by Quebec premier Philippe Couillard
• To Society Honourary Lifetime Member Justice Rosalie Abella on being named Global Jurist of the Year
• To Board Member David Franklin on the publication of his latest book, “Statute of limitations in international commercial claims”
• To Society Past President Ian M. Solloway on the engagement of his son Bryan
• To Society member Doris Larrivée on her 25 years of service to the Bar of Montreal
• To Society member Marc Gold on being named a Senator

Condolences

• To Leonard and Andrew Kliger on the loss of their mother and grandmother Edith
• To The Hon. Eva Petras on the loss of her husband Larry Eldridge
• To Roanne Bratz on the loss of her father Bernard (Buddy)
• To Evara David on the loss of her father Seymour