Top 10 Strategies to Stay on Top of Legal Developments in Canada

Law changes constantly, and as a law student or new lawyer you’ll be expected to keep up. Here are the sources I’d use.

Here’s your guide to staying updated:

News SourceFocus AreaUpdate FrequencyContent DepthFormat
CanLII ConnectsComprehensive Legal UpdatesDailyHighOnline Articles
Canadian LawyerLegal News & AnalysisWeeklyModerate-HighMagazine/Online
The Lawyer’s DailyNational Legal NewsDailyHighOnline Articles
Law TimesOntario Legal NewsWeeklyModerateOnline/Print
SlawLegal Technology & CommentaryWeeklyHighBlog Posts
Legal JournalFocus AreaCitation ImpactInterdisciplinary FocusAccessibility
University of Toronto Law JournalGeneral Legal ScholarshipHighModerateSubscription/Some free content
McGill Law Journal/Revue de droit de McGillBilingual, General Legal IssuesHighLowOpen Access
Canadian Bar ReviewComprehensive Legal AnalysisModerateLowSubscription
Dalhousie Law JournalGeneral Legal ScholarshipModerateHighLimited free/Subscription
Osgoode Hall Law JournalBroad Legal TopicsModerateHighOpen Access
Legal BlogThematic FocusContributor ExpertiseUpdate FrequencyReader Engagement
SlawLegal Technology, Practice, and EducationHighDaily/WeeklyHigh (Comments, Social Media)
Michael Geist’s BlogInternet and E-commerce LawVery HighWeeklyModerate (Comments, Shares)
Canadian Privacy Law BlogPrivacy LawHighBi-weeklyModerate (Comments, Social Media)
Law of WorkEmployment and Labour LawHighOccasionalModerate (Comments, Social Media Interaction)
TheCourt.caSupreme Court of Canada DecisionsModerate-HighAs decisions are releasedModerate (Academic and Practitioner Discussion)
Bob Loblaw’s Law BlogNot a real blog.Throwaway gagneverIf 1 person laughed, this was worth it.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is like the suit-and-tie of social media for work stuff. It’s great for legal content because people write longer articles and have serious discussions. You can find detailed posts on legal topics that are perfect for learning more in-depth stuff.

Legal research databases

PlatformJurisdictions CoveredSpeed of UpdatesUnique Features
CanLIICanadaDailyFree access, CanLII Connects for commentary
WestlawInternational (incl. US, Canada, UK, AU)DailyAI-assisted research, KeyCite for citation checking
LexisNexis QuicklawInternational (Strong Canadian)DailyQuickCITE for citation checking, Practical Guidance
HeinOnlineInternational (Strong US, historical documents)WeeklyHistorical legal documents, Law Journal Library
vLex JustisInternational (110+ countries)Daily/WeeklyVincent AI for legal research

Government websites

Keep an eye on Canadian government websites for legislative updates and official announcements.

Province/TerritoryLegislative UpdatesOfficial AnnouncementsCourt-Related InformationPublic Engagement on Legislation
FederalJustice Laws WebsiteCanada NewsSupreme Court of CanadaConsulting with Canadians
AlbertaAlberta King’s PrinterAlberta NewsAlberta CourtsAlberta Public Engagement
British ColumbiaBC LawsBC NewsCourts of British ColumbiaBC Public Engagement
ManitobaManitoba LawsManitoba NewsManitoba CourtsEngageMB
New BrunswickNew Brunswick LawsGNB NewsNew Brunswick CourtsNB Public Engagement
Newfoundland and LabradorAssembly.nl.ca LegislationNL NewsCourts of Newfoundland and LabradorEngageNL
Northwest TerritoriesNWT JusticeNWT NewsNWT CourtsGNWT Have Your Say
Nova ScotiaNova Scotia LegislatureNova Scotia NewsCourts of Nova ScotiaNo central portal
NunavutNunavut LegislationNunavut NewsNunavut CourtsNo central portal
OntarioOntario e-LawsOntario NewsroomOntario CourtsOntario’s Regulatory Registry
Prince Edward IslandPEI LawsPrinceEdwardIsland.ca NewsPEI CourtsPEI Public Engagement
QuebecQuebec LawsQuebec NewsQuebec CourtsConsultation Québec
SaskatchewanSaskatchewan King’s Printer (Freelaw)Saskatchewan NewsSaskatchewan CourtsSaskatchewan Public Consultations
YukonYukon LawsYukon.ca NewsYukon CourtsYukon Public Engagement

Podcasts

Listen to Canadian legal podcasts or join webinars hosted by Canadian law schools and legal organizations. These forums frequently feature discussions on current legal issues with insights from experts.

Podcast/Webinar NamePractice Area(s)Speaker Style
The DocketLaw, Politics & Public Policy in CanadaCasual
Building NewLawLegal Innovation & TechnologyTechnical/Casual
Lawyer Life PodcastThe Professional and Personal Lives of LawyersCasual
Of CounselInterviews with Canadian Lawyers About Their CareersFormal/Casual Mix

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