[{"source":"Canadian Association of Law Libraries / L'Association canadienne des bibliothèques de droit CALL/ACBD Blog","url":"https://www.callacbd.ca/CALL-Blog/12854401","titre":"CALL Member Article: Gender Inclusivity in Canadian Legal Writing and Style Guides","pubDate":"Mon, 26 Oct 2026 07:55:48 +0100","id":3241470,"description":"CALL member Dominique Garingan , Library Manager in the Calgary office of Parlee McLaws LLP, recently wrote an article on \" The Singular They: Gender Inclusivity in Canadian Legal Writing and Style Guides \" . It originally appeared on the website Notes Between Us on June 22, 2022 . It is reprinted here with permission. Language is a product of culture, and it is known that the English language lacks a singular pronoun that signifies the non-specific   he   or   she . Although at times unintentional, this singularity versus plurality of pronouns, coupled with gendered indicators, has helped entrench the binary perceptions of gender found in writing which we are now seeking to change.  The Department of Justice of Canada recently provided a   series of guidelines   on the use of gender-neutral language in a legislative context. These guidelines include as a recommendation the use of the singular   they   and its other grammatical forms ( them ,   themselves , and   their ) to refer to indefinite pronouns and singular nouns 1 . In addition, dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary ( definition 2 | blog ), the Canadian Oxford Dictionary ( definition 3 ), the Cambridge Dictionary ( definition ) and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ( definition | blog ) have acknowledged both the acceptability – and, for some, the controversy – of the singular   they. While there seems to be a growing acceptance towards gender inclusive and non-binary pronouns, this post seeks to explore an increasingly acknowledged yet still seemingly paradoxical entity in legal writing:   the singular   they . This post briefly investigates the use and acceptance or lack thereof of   they   as a singular pronoun through a review of a limited sample of Canadian legal research, writing, and style guides accessible to the writer. Although current writing practices on gender inclusivity may have since changed since the publication of these titles, this post hopes to assist writers, researchers, librarians, and information professionals by providing a non-exhaustive point-in-time review of Canadian legal writing references and help facilitate a turning point in the journey towards greater inclusivity in legal writing. The Literature Reviewed (in Reverse Order of Publication) Edward Berry,   Writing Reasons: A Handbook for Judges , 5th ed (Toronto: LexisNexis Canada, 2020).  In the sample of guides reviewed,   Writing Reasons   seemed to provide the most inclusive perspective in its instruction. It was somewhat refreshing to see a writing handbook for judges as being the most progressive in its recommendations, albeit also the most recently published. The guide contains a section entitled   Prejudicial Language   and provides a checklist for more inclusive strategies. (p 114-115) “Invite the parties to define their own identity” is first on the list. As an example, Berry notes that some people may prefer the gender neutral   Mx.   to   Mr.   or   Ms . “Be wary of personal pronouns” is also listed. Here, Berry states that those who don’t identify as male or female may prefer   they . Berry notes the acceptance of   they   as a singular pronoun. However, the"},{"id":3235829,"pubDate":"Fri, 23 Oct 2026 08:01:48 +0200","titre":"Book Review: Legal Ethics and the Attorney General: A Canadian Analysis","description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Legal Ethics and the Attorney General: A Canadian Analysis . By Andrew Flavelle Martin. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2025. xxi, 288 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9781487554736 (hardcover) $55.00; ISBN 9781487554774 (ePUB) $55.00; ISBN 9781487554767 (PDF) $55.00. Reviewed by Emma Scott Librarian Legislative Library of British Columbia Law . . . [more] The post Book Review: Legal Ethics and the Attorney General: A Canadian Analysis appeared first on Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/10/22/book-review-legal-ethics-and-the-attorney-general-a-canadian-analysis/","source":"Slaw"},{"source":"Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/10/08/book-review-leading-in-the-law-with-emotional-intelligence-the-path-to-becoming-a-twenty-first-century-leader/","titre":"Book Review: Leading in the Law With Emotional Intelligence: The Path to Becoming a Twenty-First-Century Leader","id":3205683,"pubDate":"Fri, 09 Oct 2026 07:59:51 +0200","description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Leading in the Law with Emotional Intelligence: The Path to Becoming a Twenty-First-Century Leader. By Rob Durr & Cliff Zimmerman. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2025. 342 p. Includes index. ISBN 9781531029654 (softcover) US$49.50; ISBN 9781531029661 (eBook) US$39.60. Reviewed by Marnie Bailey Manager, Knowledge Services Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP Emotional intelligence, . . . [more] The post Book Review: Leading in the Law With Emotional Intelligence: The Path to Becoming a Twenty-First-Century Leader appeared first on Slaw"},{"id":3194915,"pubDate":"Sat, 03 Oct 2026 08:09:38 +0200","titre":"Buckle up for a two-lane look at car buying","description":"Buckle up for a two-lane look at car buying lfair July 30, 2020 | 1:04PM Buckle up for a two-lane look at car buying By Lesley Fair It’s one of the biggest purchases people make, but two new FTC staff reports examine some common pitfalls when consumers are in the market for a car. Buckle down and read the Bureau of Consumer Protection’s Buckle Up: Navigating Auto Sales and Financing , which focuses on the challenges buyers face in getting accurate, understandable information when shopping for a vehicle. Not in the auto business? Not so fast. The deep-dive analysis of  Buckle Up  and an accompanying report by BCP staff and the Bureau of Economics – The Auto Buyer Study: Lessons From In-Depth Consumer Interviews And Related Research  – offer insights into the perception and behavior of consumers in the study that can apply to other industries. The FTC’s interest in auto-related transactions goes back decades. (Check out Volume 1 of Federal Trade Commission Decisions for a 1919 case regarding deception in the sale of auto parts.) The FTC has brought law enforcement actions challenging illegal practices, held workshops and roundtables to hear from consumer groups and industry members, and educated buyers and sellers about their rights and responsibilities. One notable feature about the two new reports is that FTC staff went straight to the source and based their views, in part, on detailed interviews with consumers about their experiences when buying and financing a vehicle. You’ll want to read Buckle Up from bumper to bumper, but one key finding is that consumers may be unaware of key terms in sales and financing contracts. One reason may be the extent to which the negotiations process focuses primarily on the monthly payment. That approach can leave consumers in the dark about other important – sometimes even more important – financial variables like the down payment, the length of financing, the total sales price, and the annual percentage rate. So let’s say the consumer has decided on a vehicle and has come to an agreement on the price. All done? Consumers may think the checkered flag is in sight, but for the dealership, negotiations have just begun. First, as the report suggests, “price” can be an elusive concept in the context of car buying. Does it mean sticker price, out-the-door price, total sales price, or something else? Furthermore, it’s often in a last-lap meeting in the financing office that dealers raise the issue of add-ons – purchases like extended warranties, service plans, credit insurance, GAP policies, window etching, etc., that can add substantially to what consumers walking into the office thought the price was. Add-ons also may have limits or conditions and may not cover what consumers expect. The staff report suggests several reasons why add-ons were the single greatest area of confusion for consumers who participated in the study. According to the report, the talk turned to add-ons only after long hours (or days or weeks) of negotiations left consumers feeling both pressured to close the deal and confused by the details. Even the very nature of the products left many consumers bewildered. Are these add-ons mandatory? Are they free? Is the cost included in what consumers perceive as the already agreed-upon price? Does the dealership’s practice of bundling – offering add-ons as a package – mean buyers can’t pick and choose the add-ons they want? What about consumers’ opportunity to review the purchase and financing paperwork? As the report notes, “[T]he length of the auto-buying process, the amount of paperwork involved, and the technical industry jargon often coalesce to make meaningful review and engagement a challenging task.” Participants in the study cited the exhausting negotiation process, a sense of feeling rushed at the end, information overload that left some of them “overwhelmed,” and the difficulty of reviewing documents on a tablet or other","url":"https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2020/07/buckle-two-lane-look-car-buying","source":"FTC USA Business Blog Posts"},{"source":"Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/09/24/book-review-how-to-succeed-and-stay-human-in-law-school-pathways-to-happiness-and-high-performance-in-the-study-and-practice-of-law/","titre":"Book Review: How to Succeed (And Stay Human) in Law School: Pathways to Happiness and High Performance in the Study and Practice of Law","pubDate":"Fri, 25 Sep 2026 08:02:00 +0200","id":3175901,"description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. How to Succeed (and Stay Human) in Law School: Pathways to Happiness and High Performance in the Study and Practice of Law. By Lynda Collins. Toronto: Emond, 2025. 160 p. Includes appendices and selected resources. ISBN 9781774625590 (softcover) $31.00; ISBN 9781774625606 (eBook) $31.00. Reviewed by Katarina Daniels Research Lawyer, Library Services . . . [more] The post Book Review: How to Succeed (And Stay Human) in Law School: Pathways to Happiness and High Performance in the Study and Practice of Law appeared first on Slaw"},{"pubDate":"Fri, 11 Sep 2026 07:57:23 +0200","id":3146105,"titre":"Book Review: Genocide in International Law: The Crime of Crimes","description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Genocide in International Law: The Crime of Crimes . By William A. Schabas. 3rd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2025. xvi, 879 p. Includes abbreviation list, bibliographic references, and index. ISBN 9781009460811 (hardcover) $273.39; ISBN 9781009460781 (softcover) $120.95; 9781009460828 (eBook) $105.00. Reviewed by Emily Landriault Research Librarian (Law) Brian Dickson Law . . . [more] The post Book Review: Genocide in International Law: The Crime of Crimes appeared first on Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/09/10/book-review-genocide-in-international-law-the-crime-of-crimes/","source":"Slaw"},{"description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Frustration of Contract . By Bruce MacDougall. Toronto: LexisNexis, 2025. x, 316 p. Includes table of cases and index. ISBN 9780433524380 (softcover) $180.00. Reviewed by Susannah Tredwell Manager of Library Services DLA Piper (Canada) LLP Frustration of Contract is the latest in the series of books written by Bruce MacDougall about . . . [more] The post Book Review: Frustration of Contract appeared first on Slaw","titre":"Book Review: Frustration of Contract","pubDate":"Fri, 21 Aug 2026 07:57:39 +0200","id":3108659,"source":"Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/08/20/book-review-frustration-of-contract/"},{"pubDate":"Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:57:29 +0200","id":3080813,"titre":"Book Review: How to Account for Trauma and Emotions in Law Teaching","description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. How to Account for Trauma and Emotions in Law Teaching . Edited by Mallika Kaur & Lindsay M. Harris. Cheltenham, U.K.: Edward Elgar, 2024. ix, 214 p. Includes index. ISBN 9781035307043 (hardcover) US$130.00. Reviewed by Alexia Loumankis Reference and Research Librarian Bora Laskin Law Library, University of Toronto In How to . . . [more] The post Book Review: How to Account for Trauma and Emotions in Law Teaching appeared first on Slaw","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/08/06/book-review-how-to-account-for-trauma-and-emotions-in-law-teaching/","source":"Slaw"},{"description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Canadian University Law: Essentials for Legal and Higher Education Professionals . By Sayeh Hassan & Anna S.P. Wong. Toronto: LexisNexis, 2025. xv, 212 p. Includes bibliographic references and index. ISBN 9780433533450 (softcover) $120.00. Reviewed by Julie A. Lavigne Legal Studies Librarian Carleton University Academic freedom and institutional autonomy, both foundations of . . . [more] The post Book Review: Canadian University Law: Essentials for Legal and Higher Education Professionals appeared first on Slaw","pubDate":"Fri, 24 Jul 2026 07:57:02 +0200","id":3049386,"titre":"Book Review: Canadian University Law: Essentials for Legal and Higher Education Professionals","url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/07/23/book-review-canadian-university-law-essentials-for-legal-and-higher-education-professionals/","source":"Slaw"},{"url":"https://www.slaw.ca/2026/07/09/book-review-equal-and-inalienable-rights-essays-on-the-universal-declaration-of-human-rights/","source":"Slaw","pubDate":"Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:02:49 +0200","id":3020291,"titre":"Book Review: Equal and Inalienable Rights: Essays on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights","description":"Several times each month, we are pleased to republish a recent book review from the Canadian Law Library Review ( CLLR ). CLLR is the official journal of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) , and its reviews cover both practice-oriented and academic publications related to the law. Equal and Inalienable Rights: Essays on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights . Edited by Melanie R. Bueckert & Derek B.M. Ross. Toronto: LexisNexis, 2024. xlii, 458 p. ISBN 9780433533801 (softcover) $145.00. Reviewed by Emily Da Silva Head, Research Support (Education, Law, Management, and Social Sciences) University of Ottawa Library This . . . [more] The post Book Review: Equal and Inalienable Rights: Essays on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights appeared first on Slaw"},{"titre":"Statement on the Grant of Early Termination of the FTC’s Investigation of the Proposed Acquisition of Kellanova by Mars","id":2208210,"pubDate":"Thu, 26 Jun 2025 09:50:00 +0200","description":"Today, the FTC granted early termination of its review of Mars, Incorporated’s proposed acquisition of Kellanova. Mars is a global manufacturer of pet care, snacking, and food products. Kellanova owns legacy Kellogg brands, including in snacks, crackers, and frozen breakfasts, after spinning off its North American cereals business in 2023 as WK Kellogg Co. “The Commission cares deeply about any competition concerns that affect American consumers, including in food products,” said Daniel Guarnera, Director of the Bureau of Competition. “Commission staff closely reviewed every aspect of this transaction, including both specific product markets and potential portfolio effects from the acquisition. They turned over every stone needed to arrive at a robust assessment of the likely competitive effects of this transaction. After nearly a year of investigation, dozens upon dozens of interviews with non-parties at all levels of the supply chain (including large chains and small, independent businesses), extensive data analysis, sworn testimony from party witnesses, and the review of hundreds of thousands of documents, staff found that the evidence pointed in one direction: this transaction does not meet the standard for an anticompetitive merger set by Section 7 of the Clayton Act.” “In other countries, Mars and Kellanova offer different products than they do in the United States, and they face different market participants, consumer preferences, and shopping practices. Notably, Kellanova continues to sell breakfast cereal in other markets, including the European Union, that it does not sell in the United States,” continued Guarnera. “The Trump-Vance FTC takes an America First approach to antitrust enforcement. Our job is to protect competition and consumers in the United States. Our job is to determine whether there is a violation of American law that we can prove in court. And once we’ve concluded there is not, our job is to get out of the","source":"Federal Trade Commission Concurrence communiqués","url":"https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/06/statement-grant-early-termination-ftcs-investigation-proposed-acquisition-kellanova-mars"}]