NEWSLETTER: February 2026
Editors – Allen Mendelsohn, Larry Markowitz and Stephanie Perlis
President’s Message
Alyssa Yufe, President
(cliquez ici pour lire le mot de la présidente en français)
Dear Colleagues, Honourable Judges, Members and Friends of the Society,
As we move into the heart of 2026, and hopefully to warmer temperatures, I want to begin by thanking you for the continued strength, engagement, and collegiality that define our Society. For over 77 years, the Lord Reading Law Society has served as a forum for legal learning, thoughtful dialogue, and principled engagement within Quebec’s legal community. This year promises to continue that tradition in a meaningful and substantive way.
It is therefore my great pleasure to invite you to one of our flagship events of the winter:
Inside the Federal Courts: Perspectives from Trial, Appeal and Practice
We are delighted to welcome an exceptional panel offering rare insight into the inner workings of the Federal Courts of Canada:
- The Honourable Peter Pamel, Federal Court of Appeal
- The Honourable Alan Diner, Federal Court
- Me Daniel Grodinsky, Litigation partner at Langlois Avocats
Together, our speakers will explore the Federal Courts from complementary vantage points. Our three speakers will shed light on trial, appeal, and practice and attendees will leave with a richer understanding of federal jurisdiction, judicial reasoning, and advocacy before these courts.
You can register for this extraordinary event here.
We are deeply grateful to our very generous sponsors whose support make this event possible:
- Langlois Avocats for being the lead sponsor for the evening
- BLG for supporting and helping make the evening possible.
I hope you will join us for this very special evening.
Sincerely,
Alyssa Yufe, President 2025-26
The Lord Reading Law Society
president@lordreading.org
Human Rights Updates from the President
Alyssa Yufe
Please note that no member of the Society who is a sitting or supernumerary member of a court or administrative tribunal has participated in any manner in the preparation or adoption of the statements discussed here.
1. Return of Last Hostage
On January 26, 2026, after 843 days, the body of the last hostage held in Gaza since October 7, 2023 was located and retrieved by the Israel Defense Forces. The return of Ran Gvili cannot claim to close this painful chapter in our history. The hostages, survivors, the families of those lost, and all of those whose lives were deeply affected by these events will decide when the page can finally be turned. It is possible the mourning will never cease. Our job should be to offer unwavering support, understanding, and comfort. At the same time, the return of Ran Gvili relieves some of the agony borne by so many who grieved alongside the Gvili family, a family long denied even the most basic form of closure. Ran’s return allows space, at last, for mourning and burial, and for a momentary reprieve from the cruelty that has marked this period for our Jewish brothers and sisters.
Ran Gvili was an injured police officer on medical leave, awaiting shoulder surgery, when he heard about the Hamas invasion and sprang into action on October 7, 2023 to defend Kibbutz Alumim. He stood against assailants who attacked, raped, maimed, and pillaged without restraint. Ran’s actions were not only selfless and heroic but also encapsulate the commandment of Leviticus 19:16, “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbour.” This principle, deeply rooted in Jewish philosophy, law, and moral tradition, guided Ran’s final acts. It is a commandment that obligates action when one has the capacity to help, and one that continues to inspire countless acts of courage and solidarity.
This same moral imperative has animated generations of members of the Lord Reading Law Society, many of whom have answered the call to defend human dignity through individual human-rights initiatives, advocacy, and principled public engagement. With the return of the final hostage for burial, we can only hope that peace may yet take root, and that security and prosperity may one day prevail for all decent and peace-seeking communities.
2. A Message in Solidarity with the People of Iran
At this moment of global uncertainty, the Lord Reading Law Society reiterates its continued support for the people of Iran. We pray for, and unequivocally demand, their immediate security, safety, and freedom.
Why Advocacy Still Matters: Lessons from a Youth Protection Lawyer
Larry Markowitz
On January 21st, the Lord Reading Law Society gathered for its Annual Student Dinner, a tradition that brings together law students, lawyers, law professors, and judges not just to celebrate the law, but to reflect on why we practice it. This year’s guest speaker, Maître Valérie Assouline, brought that purpose into sharp focus.
Maître Assouline is the current Bâtonnière and the 160th elected head of the Bar of Montreal, but titles were not what defined her address. Speaking to the future lawyers in the room, she offered something far more lasting: a deeply human look at what it means to stand up for others when they need it most. Her talk, A Family Affair: The Trials and Tribulations of a Youth Protection Lawyer, was as honest as it was inspiring.
She spoke about youth protection as a field shaped by urgency, emotion, and fragility. The cases move quickly, but the consequences last forever. Children and parents often enter the system frightened, overwhelmed, and unsure of what’s happening or why. As she explained, clients may not always understand the law, but they understand loss, stress, and fear. For students preparing to enter the profession, this was a powerful reminder that legal work is never abstract and never detached from human reality.
A recurring theme of her talk was perspective. Early in her career, she learned that not every conflict needs to escalate. Sometimes, a lawyer’s most meaningful work happens quietly, by lowering the temperature and creating space for families to move toward resolution instead of confrontation. When that happens, children stop being the battleground for adult conflict. Justice, she suggested, doesn’t always announce itself loudly.
She also shared stories of a system that, despite good intentions, can lose sight of the people it is meant to protect. She spoke of parents who weren’t believed, mothers reduced to descriptions on paper, and children who slipped into invisibility within institutional processes. Lawyers, she said, are invited into parts of life that most people never see. With that access comes responsibility. If no one speaks up, harm goes unnoticed. If no one steps forward, dignity is lost.
Her message to the law students in the room was clear: don’t stand on the sidelines. Advocacy is not passive. It means speaking up, pushing back, and sometimes making others uncomfortable. Applying the law with humanity isn’t an optional add-on. It is the job. She encouraged future lawyers to question systems that drift away from their purpose and to resist the easy temptation of “this is how it has always been done.”
She also spoke candidly about privilege. Being trusted with another person’s future is not something to take lightly. It requires courage, humility, and constant self-awareness. This is ultimately about dignity.
By the time she finished her talk, earning a standing ovation, it was clear Maître Assouline had struck a chord. For the students in the audience, her words offered a vision of legal practice grounded in empathy, responsibility, and courage. For the wider audience of jurists, it was a reminder of why advocacy matters, and why the law, when practiced at its best, remains a profoundly human profession.
We were delighted to award our student prizes during the evening. Scroll down to see who the winners were!
For a full set of pictures from the event, please click here.
Congratulations to our Student Award Winners!
As mentioned above, the Lord Reading Law Society had the pleasure of once again hosting its annual Student Dinner on January 21. The evening began with the presentation of the Society’s academic awards to deserving students from the various Civil Law faculties. Congratulations to all the winners!
McGill University: Isabelle Brodeur
Université de Montréal: Esmaya Jilwan
Université de Sherbrooke: Catherine Lambert
Université d’Ottawa: Yanran Elisa Xue
Université du Québec à Montréal: Rachel Chagnon, Xavier Beaurivage
Exciting Events from the Society and More!
Allen Mendelsohn
1. ESLQ – Backstage at the Palace, online on February 12, 2026
The Association of English-Speaking Lawyers of Québec / Association des avocats anglophones du Québec (ESLQ) is excited to present the return of the Backstage at the Palace Lecture Series, a tribute to the late Honourable Justice Henry Steinberg. On February 12 at 5:30 pm, please join us online for a unique view from former Montreal partner at Heenan Blaikie and founder of MUSE Entertainment, Michael Prupas. Michael will recount his transition from lawyer in the entertainment industry to visionary producer in his talk entitled: “Life after Law: an interview with Michael Prupas, founder of MUSE Entertainment”.
The event is free for ESLQ members. and you can register at Eventbrite. If you are not yet a member and would like to register, please contact the ESLQ at eslq25@gmail.com.
2. SAVE THE DATE for the Annual Lord Reading Young Bar Hockey Game!
All young bar (and young at heart) hockey players should save Sunday April 12 at 3 PM! We look forward to putting on the pads at the Samuel Moskovitch Arena in Cote St Luc. More details to come. If you would like more information at this time or wish to register or help out, you can contact Lord Reading Young Mar Committee member Jacob Falutz at jacob.ray@videotron.ca.
3. May-June 2026: The Lord Reading Law Society Multicultural Gala
The Lord Reading Law Society will be holding a spring Multicultural Gala, an evening dedicated to celebrating diversity within the legal profession to foster dialogue, solidarity, justice, community and cross-cultural understanding.
We anticipate setting the date in the next few weeks and look forward to providing further details of this unique and exciting event as soon as possible!
Society Humour
News from the Mishpocha
Mazel Tov
- To Society Pat President Ted Goloff on being named to Board of Directors of the International Association for Jewish Lawyers and Jurists
- To Society member Beryl Wajsman on his retirement from the Suburban and his continued leadership at the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal, where he will continue his unwavering commitment to human rights and journalism
Condolences
- To the family of Society Past President (1984-85) Sidney Cutler, QC. Sid will be fondly remembered by all who knew him, including your newsletter editor Allen who as a young lawyer was always warmly welcomed by Sid and shared many engaging conversations at Lord Reading events.
