New Product – Criminal Law Series

We are thrilled to announce additional digital criminal law content available to all members: Emond Publications award-winning Criminal Law series.

Emond’s award-winning Criminal Law Series offers clear, concise guidance on the practical and procedural aspects of criminal law. Ideally suited for members of the criminal bar and judiciary, this collection covers discrete areas of criminal practice, anchored by the expertise of General Editors Brian H. Greenspan and Justice Vincenzo Rondinelli. Most titles are authored by both defence and Crown counsel, lending balance and comprehensiveness to the series.

Emond.ca

These e-books are accessible by signing in to the member’s portal, clicking on the “Library Resources” on the left hand navigation panel, and then scrolling to the bottom of the page. Don’t miss out on our other resources there, like Rangefindr.ca, a criminal sentencing digest. Go to our “Legal Ease” page for guides on how to use these products if you have difficulty, or contact us at library@lawsociety.mb.ca.

Contents Update: Goldsmith’s Damages for Personal Injury and Death in Canada

The long awaited update for Goldsmith’s Damages for Personal Injury and Death in Canada has arrived!

Damages for Personal Injury and Death provides the most comprehensive and up-to-date collection of court decisions in which damages for personal injury or death have been awarded. It keeps subscribers abreast of the latest quantum of damages judgments and provides a wealth of cases upon which the researcher may draw.

– From the publisher

Because of high demand, Goldsmith’s is only available for use in the library; however we can search it for quantums for you and email the results to you. Please contact us at library@lawsociety.mb.ca for all your legal research needs.

Library Closure: June 14

UPDATE: We jumped the gun – the library will be open regular hours on June 14th. The swearing-in ceremony will be on June 21st.

The Manitoba Law Library will  be closing at 11:00 am on Friday, June 14 for a swearing in ceremony reception.

After hours access will be available after 5:00 pm on Friday.

Regular hours will resume on Monday, June 17.

Lawyers and Vicarious Trauma

We recently wrote about the declaration of the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Mental Health Week. Lawyers as a group are notorious for ignoring mental wellness and self care. I came across this opinion piece titled “A more inclusive discussion on the impact of trauma on lawyers’ mental health is needed“, published in Canadian Lawyer Magazine, and thought it was a good way to continue the conversation. It was written by Crystal Tomasiuk, Crown counsel with B.C. Prosecution Services, and discusses the vicarious trauma lawyers deal with in their practice. Having sat in on a couple of criminal trials, I have wondered how lawyers deal with the sometimes horrific facts and scenes they are exposed to.

Vicarious trauma can affect those of any background. As important as it is to recognize our collective vulnerability in this way,  more is needed for a truly inclusive and trauma-informed approach. In particular, we need to face the prevalence of trauma in our society and explicitly address the fact that many of us come to the practice of law having already experienced significant trauma that may shape how our mental health is impacted by the pressures of the profession.

If you feel you’re suffering from vicarious trauma, or just the stress of the profession, the Law Society of Manitoba’s Health and Wellness program offers a free and confidential service for you and your family.