It was a delight to speak with students in taking Housing, Homelessness, and the law at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law. Thanks to the students for great questions and a thoughtful discussion. Thanks to Professor @annajanel.bsky.social for the invitation.

Solidarity with the Faculty at Dalhousie, who were locked out as of this morning.

ALRI Welcomes Joe Sellman as Legal Counsel Joe Sellman arrives at ALRI having most recently worked in Policy Management and Regulatory Compliance for a Bank, and before that Joe was a litigator, primarily practicing in the area of insurance. ...

ALRI welcomes Joe Sellman as legal counsel. www.alri.ualberta.ca/2025/07/alri...

These are great resources for practitioners engaging with the GAA & for scholars thinking about financial consumer protection law.

Rachel's LLM thesis, which looked at the history behind the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act & efforts to reform it, is also now available through the University of Alberta's thesis depository: era.library.ualberta.ca/items/8738fe...

A new publication from UAlberta Law PHD Student Rachel Weary looks at how courts are interpreting an unusual piece of consumer protection the Guarantees Acknowledgement Act & whether it displaces the common-law defence of non est factum.👇

June 30 deadline for abstracts is coming soon. Let's see what you've got!

Promotional poster for showing on June 23 of Flashback as part of Edmonton Public Libraries' Queer Stories Film Festival

On Monday, I saw Flashback is a 2024 documentary about a queer nightclub that was open in Edmonton from the 1970s to the 1990s. It's also a story about the history of activism by the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community in Edmonton. It's well worth a watch if you get the opportunity!

Opinion: In Alberta’s grab for federal cash, Albertans with disabilities pay the price The Canada Disability Benefit has become a subsidy for the province's finances that will have no positive impact on those with disabilities.

This July, Cnds with disabilities are due to start receiving an extra $200 per month from the Canada Disability Benefit. Except in Alberta, where that income will flow to the prov'l government.

The AB Gov't must reverse its decision to claw back this benefit: calgaryherald.com/opinion/colu...

Yes please!

Right back at you, Florence. 💚

Security of Tenure in Foreclosure Proceedings: The Judicial Role when Borrowers are Absent or Self-Represented - Ottawa Law Review Volume [56], Issue [2]

My new article, published in the Ottawa Law Review, details 9 strategies that judges use to promote fairness in adversarial hearings, where one party is frequently absent or self-represented & what this means for the security of tenure of borrowers. rdo-olr.org/security-of-...

I spent my last sabbatical in court, observing mortgage enforcement proceedings. I thought I would be watching how judges handle hearings w/ represented lenders & self-represented borrowers, but the real story is about how judges manage the adversarial process when borrowers are frequently absent.

Check out this upcoming symposium querying: what is unique and important about human legal expertise and how should legal education support students in developing these capacities at this moment? educatinghumanlawyers.com Thrilled to present on some of the embodied work happening here at UVicLaw.

Deep appreciation for everyone putting up with academics and their latest nerdy obsessions.

Me to my spouse this morning: "Have a good day! Ride safe! I can't wait to tell you many things about corporate attribution doctrine tonight."

Many thanks to @albertaviews.bsky.social for excerpting the open letter of Alberta law profs and staff on the rights of 2S, trans, and gender diverse youth in its latest issue. Those wanting to read the full letter can find it on @ablawg.bsky.social. @annajanel.bsky.social @floralashes.bsky.social

YouTube video by Historica Canada NEW Heritage Minute: Bora Laskin

Historica Canada minute on 'Bora Laskin, the first Jewish Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. Laskin’s legacy is brought to life by the iconic Victor Garber. Bora Laskin was born on 5 October 1912 in Fort William (now Thunder Bay), Ontario.' #scc #cdnpoli

youtu.be/K9iGFZLOuio?...

I had a student this year say they liked this approach because it was easier for them to extract stuff from & put it into their notes. So that's one data point!

I haven't taught corporations in a number of years now, but in some of my other courses, I have moved towards a word document per topic and then I excerpt cases & articles in it, and add in some of my own commentary/editor's notes. I like that it's pretty easy to edit & all in one place.

We had an "in-house" casebook that I inherited from my senior colleagues and then updated year to year to reflect changes in the case law (not a ton of work) and changes in my focus in terms of topics in the class (more work, but entirely self-imposed).

SCC decision today on student loans in bankruptcy. There's a 7 year non-dischargeability period in Cnd law & the Q before the court was whether the 7 years restarts if a student loan debtor goes back to school, even if no further $$ borrowed. SCC says yes. decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-...

Call for Papers: Canadian Technology Law Conference Call for Papers: Canadian Technology Law Conference On August 28-30, 2025 the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University is excited to host the first (and hopefully annual!) Canadian Technology ...

CFP for a new Canadian Technology Law Conference August 28-30, 2025 @schulichlaw.bsky.social in Halifax, NS. Deadline to submit is May 5, 2025 docs.google.com/document/d/1...

www.caut.ca/latest/2025/...

Excellent points made re the new Alberta Disability Assistance Program. As currently proposed, ADAP focuses on individual skills training, suggesting employment barriers are within a disabled person’s control, and not addressing society’s contribution to the systemic exclusion of disabled people.

Joining the voices of those gravely concerned about Bill 39, which provides the gov’t with extraordinary powers in deciding how legal services are funded in AB. This list of defunded organizations reeks of ideology and seriously interferes with A2J. Hands off! #albertalawfoundation #ableg

Opinion: Alberta should support workplace inclusion for those with disabilities The reality is that people with disabilities face discrimination in education and job searches.

Alberta is implementing a new income support program designed to get people w/ disabilities working. Andrew Green, Emily Phillipos, Colton Stevenson & I think the aim is good, but the program doesn't address the barriers that exclude ppl w/ disabilities from work: edmontonjournal.com/opinion/colu...

bsky.app/profile/jonn...

"...The funding cuts have “halted progress on the construction and endowment” of an Indigenous law centre at the University of Alberta, “blocking a significant investment in Indigenous legal education, research, and reconciliation...”

"The legislation also allows the justice minister to veto Law Foundation grants over $250,000, which cover “almost all” grants the group disburses."

"...The bill cuts the government’s contribution to Legal Aid Alberta — which funds lawyers for low-income Albertans — and shifts the burden to the Law Foundation, which was “never meant to shoulder a core justice system cost that has always been the provincial government’s responsibility..."