: This submission is part of a column swap with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) bimonthly member magazine, AALL Spectrum . Published six times a year, AALL Spectrum is designed to further professional development and education within the legal information industry. Slaw and the AALL Spectrum board have agreed to hand-select several columns each year as part of this exchange. Maria spent three weeks searching Google for divorce forms. She reworked an old petition a relative had filed 15 years ago and later paid for updated forms online that were actually available for free elsewhere. By the time she . . . [more] The post The Invisible Law Library: Making Legal Information Visible Through Outreach appeared first on Slaw
: The globe-trotting Law via the Internet Conference returned to Canada on October 13 and 14 in Montreal. It was just in time for CanLII’s 25th anniversary , convened under the theme of Trusted Past, Open Future to share developments and trends in the delivery of legal information across the world. On day one, University of Ottawa law professor Amy Salyzyn updated us on her research inventorying direct-to-public digital legal tools in Canada. The inventory is not new (it started in 2016, with updates in 2019, 2021, and 2023)—but it has certainly grown. In 2023, 118 tools were cataloged (you can . . . [more] The post “Who Dunnit?” Part 2: Persons & Machines Under UPL Laws appeared first on Slaw
: The Framework Convention on AI builds on international human rights law to establish a legal instrument aimed at ensuring respect for fundamental rights and principles recognised by States in the context of the development and use of AI. It is therefore in line with international and European ethical frameworks on AI. At the same time, it is a unique text, the first multilateral treaty applicable to activities within the AI lifecycle. This raises questions about its contribution to the contemporary co-construction of global AI governance. To this end, this contribution offers a systematic and contextual legal analysis of the main provisions of the text, examining first the holistic scope of the Framework Convention on AI and secondly its high-level normative substance. The analysis shows that the Convention is the result of a global political compromise, which makes it a text with modest and uncertain legal scope, especially with regard to persons affected by AI. At the same time, the legal methodology it ad[...]
: Le texte français suit. The Professional Development Committees of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) and the Canadian Association of Law Libraries (CALL/ACBD) are delighted to announce a new exciting initiative coming soon – the International Law Librarian Pen Pal Programme. This informal programme aims to support professional development by connecting law librarians from BIALL and CALL who are interested in sharing experiences, perspectives, and ideas across jurisdictions. Participants will be paired with a law librarian from the partner organisation and invited to connect once a month, primarily by email. Those who prefer may also choose to meet online. Each month, the Professional Development Committees will suggest a discussion topic to help structure conversations, while leaving participants free to explore related areas of shared interest. The programme is intended to: Encourage international peer-to-peer learning Foster professional connections between law librarians in the U[...]
: From time to time, this blog will highlight initiatives, ideas, or activities coming from members, committees or special interest groups (SIGs). Today: Adapting the SALI Taxonomy to the Canadian Legal Environment , b y Michael McAlpine , Manager, Information, Research & Knowledge at Siskinds (London, Ontario) On September 28 th , the Knowledge Management Special Interest Group of CALL met to discuss and learn about the Legal Matter Specification Standard developed by the SALI Alliance . The SALI Alliance (Standards Advancement for the Legal Industry) is a non-profit organization open to all stakeholders in the legal community. Members include law firms, companies, legal service providers, legal industry associations and academic institutions. Founding sponsors are the Legal Marketing Association (LMA) and the Association of Legal Administrators (ALA). Guest speaker Jim Hannigan spoke about the history of the taxonomy and the current uses of it in the legal industry. Michael McAlpine then discussed the work d[...]
: Brussels, 06 May - During its latest plenary, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted an opinion on the European Commission’s draft adequacy decision under the GDPR concerning the European Patent Organisation (EPO) . In addition, the Board adopted an opinion on the European Commission’s proposal to extend the validity of the UK adequacy decisions under the GDPR and the Law Enforcement Directive (LED) . Finally, the EDPB agreed to grant the status of observer to the Personal Data Protection Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Adequate protection of personal data by the EPO At the European Commission’s request, the Board adopted an opinion on the Commission’s draft adequacy decision regarding the European Patent Organisation (EPO). Once formally adopted by the Commission, this will be the first adequacy decision concerning an international organisation and not a country or a region. An adequacy decision is a key-mechanism in EU data protection legislation which allows the European Commission to deter[...]
: Advances in medical technology as well as changing individual and societal perceptions of death and dying mean that death, as an event, and dying, as a process, have fundamentally changed. In addition, we know that the process of dying and death, at least in a healthcare context, is different based on where it happens, to whom it happens, and why it happens. We know that the process remains heavily medicalised, with calls to understand dying and death more relationally, culturally, socially, and philosophically. There is a great benefit in disciplines working together to promote cross-jurisdictional perspectives and methodologies, and to prioritise interdisciplinary thinking and research on end-of-life issues, for the benefit of society, the individual, healthcare professionals, and healthcare itself. Our contribution to this special issue on end-of-life for the Journal de Droit de la Santé et de l’Assurance Maladie serves a small part in this bigger goal for an interdisciplinary approach to end-of-life disc[...]
: KEY TAKEAWAYS The French high schooler-led uprising is not a sign of a generational struggle pitting the young against baby boomers. The uprisings indicate a state of discontentment reflecting three grievances: failings within the education system, eco-anxiety and concerns over employment in the age of AI. Far from demanding a break with the established order, young protesters are simply asking for the right to live a good and fair life... like their predecessors before them. Rarely has Freud’s Civilization and Its Discontents seemed so relevant to the times in which we are living. Although the discontents we are currently witnessing do not necessarily affect society as a whole, they are certainly impacting an entire generation born in the 21st century, as well as their parents and their social environment. Admittedly, we know that generations are not homogeneous and that any attempt to generalise is an oversimplification. Nevertheless, the high schoolers that are taking to the streets to protest in this day[...]
: Brussels, 23 March - On 17 March 2026, the EDPB conference “Cross-regulatory interplay and cooperation in the EU: a data protection perspective” took place in Brussels. The event showcased high-level discussions, featuring contributions from representatives of key EU institutions, European Data Protection Authorities, academia and industry. Key takeaways from the panel discussions Throughout the day, three panels were held, focusing on 1) data protection and competition , 2) the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the GDPR , and 3) the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the GDPR . During the first panel , speakers emphasised the critical need for cooperation between regulatory bodies in the fields of data protection and competition and shared views on what regulators in the two fields can learn from each other, especially in the aftermath of the Bundeskartellamt ruling. A speaker emphasized that regulators should align their approaches and recognize synergies between the two fields, such as protecting consumers and [...]