Renewing "WeeCarswell"?

It's about a year since the last big push for firms to subscribe to WestlaweCarswell. With many renewals now coming up, it is a good time to have a fresh look at Catherine Best's comprehensive review "WestlaweCARSWELL:Third Time a Winner?" Some of the features may have changed, but it is worth a look at this article to see what needed improvement when it was last launched and whether any changes have been made since then.

It seems to me, overall, that it makes most sense to purchase the most basic level available on flat rate and then access other areas of the product on a transactional basis until such time that use of outside areas is comparable to flat rate use. Certainly their renewal levels encourage this type of strategy since signing on for an additional chunk of flat rate is just an invitation for an increase of prices in the future. I'm interested in whether others have differing strategies.

Some people are reporting a drop in the percentage of the cost that is billed back to clients in the second year. Presumably once lawyers saw the cost charged to clients in the first year, they thought the rate was too high and instead charged back to office files.

CNET guide to RSS

Some basic information on RSS and product reviews from CNET: RSS: news you choose.

LLRX.com - Trends in Blog Searching

Good article on LLRX.com on searching blogs - "Trends in Blog Searching". Includes tips for searching Google and others.

Prime Minister announces new Cabinet

Announcement with link to list of new Cabinet from the Canadian Prime Minister's website. Hey, Ken Dryden was one of the top picks! He is now Minister of Social Development. I had the good fortune of meeting him last year when I had a copy of his book The Game autographed for my brother, a long-time fan. Despite a huge line of eager fans, he took the time to inquire about my brother and what he is doing with his life. Seems like a good guy--let's hope it translates to Parliament Hill. I think this was a good move on the part of Martin's team since I'm sure there are a lot of people who think highly of Dryden.

RSS news feeds from Government of Canada

Looking for ways to boost your intranet or stay on top of Government news? Check out Government of Canada Newsroom - Choose Your News. Thanks to Matthew Skala for pointing this list out on his blog (which in itself is available by RSS feed). He mentions that news is sparse, but at least it is a start.

Better link for Paralegal Regulation meeting

This page is better for the subject discussed below: "Paralegal Regulation in Ontario". Cheers!

Regulation of paralegals

On the evening of Monday, July 12th, the Canadian Association of Paralegals will be holding a meeting to discuss regulation of paralegals. Event details here. Here is a related consultation paper from the Law Society Task Force on Paralegal Regulation, Law Society of Upper Canada, called Regulating Paralegals: A Proposed Approach dated May 2004 that will presumably be discussed.

The Hill Cam

Here is a camera viewing Parliament Hill (our federal government buildings, in Ottawa, Ontario) for Canada Day. You may need to refresh your browser to see the picture. I'm looking at it right now, and there are hundreds of people facing the stage in front of the Peace Tower, and the sun is peeking out from behind the clouds. Looks like a great day for a celebration!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone!!

Law Society releases new Model Policy

In time for Pride week, the Law Society of Upper Canada released this Model Policy for law firms called "Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: Creating an Inclusive Work Environment." (35 pages PDF file).