Legal resources in Ontario: Toolkit for modern lawyers

Legal resources are the new briefcase for Ontario lawyers; instead of stacks of binders, there are now websites, apps, and online guides one tab away. This article maps out legal resources that fit a busy practice, focusing on the tools that can help lawyers work faster and think more clearly.

Legal resources for lawyers and firms in Ontario

Law Times offers a range of legal resources specifically for legal professionals and law firms in Ontario. These resources are a mix of regular updates, court decisions, and articles that support your day-to-day legal practice.

For current and prospective clients, these legal resources can also provide background information on working with lawyers and understanding the issues in their case.

News and updates

Our News page has the latest for Ontario lawyers, including legal resources on the following topics:

• relevant and important court decisions from all levels, including the Ontario Court of Appeal and the Ontario Superior Court of Justice
• movements, new hires, and assignments of judges, lawyers, and other key legal professionals, to track who is working where
• legal insights of experts from different fields on several trending topics, including the use of AI and other technologies in the profession

Similarly, our Features page includes legal resources written by subject-matter experts, including practitioners many readers will recognize.

International news

Our sister publications, namely Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer, have specific pages dedicated to international news:

• Canadian Lawyer's International page: features stories on global legal developments that matter to practitioners in Canada
• Lexpert's Cross Border Law page: focuses on international trade, cross-border regulation, and outbound work for Canadian businesses and lawyers

Practice areas

Our Practice Area page is divided into 13 areas, making it easier for you to find legal resources that match your specialization or areas of interest:

• alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
• corporate commercial
• criminal
• environmental
• family
• human rights
• insurance
• labour and employment
• medical malpractice
• personal injury
• privacy and data
• real estate
• trusts and estates

These pages also highlight practice-area specific software and legal tech that align with how firms manage their work.

Practice management

The Practice Management page is another good source of legal resources for Ontario's lawyers and firms. This page offers articles aimed at improving your law firm's daily operations. Legal resources and topics in this page include:

• law firm management: ways to practically refine your internal systems in your law firm, such as matters on case and document management, legal research, and increasing profitability
• AI and software for firms: resources to compare available software to modern practice management
• rules on legal practice: discussions on the rules of the Law Society of Ontario (LSO), as applied to specific matters involved in your daily operations
• new adaptations of law firms: hear more from the experiences of lawyers who have moved away from the traditional firm models

Topics on our Practice Management page can also be used as resources for when doing legal research, drafting legal documents, and preparing client files.

Our Multimedia page features videos on legal insights from experts and updates on events organized for Ontario's lawyers. Here's an example of a video on our Multimedia page:

Bookmark our Practice Management page for more legal resources tailored to Ontario lawyers and law firms.

Resources on legal tech

There is growing discussion about using AI and other legal technologies to improve how lawyers, firms, and even the courts work. As these legal innovations are here to stay, our Practice Management page discusses the different technologies out there for your consideration, including:

• accounting software
• billing software
• case management software
• time tracking software

Whether cloud-based or not, and whether powered by AI or otherwise, the Practice Management page breaks down these legal tech tools, so you can see what is available and how the options differ.

Professional regulation

The Professional Regulation page covers key regulatory issues affecting lawyers, including:

• recent updates from the LSO and the rules it maintains, especially the Rules of Professional Conduct (Rules) and its By-Laws
• court decisions on the conduct of lawyers or paralegals and their liabilities, which are relevant to other legal professionals as their guide and reference
• insights from legal organizations in Ontario on topics related to licensing process, responsibilities, and accountability
• the support system within the legal profession on personal and mental health matters affecting lawyers (e.g., addiction, depression)
• legal resources and programs on continuing professional development (CPD), as administered by the LSO and offered by organizations

The Multimedia page of Canadian Lawyer also has some interesting topics and webinars that cover updates about Ontario's laws and rules of court, such as this one:

Check out our Events page to learn more about these lawyer conferences and awards nights, such as the Lexpert Rising Stars Awards, Canadian Legal Summit, and Canadian Law Awards.

Legal education

Our Legal Education page serves two enriching purposes: as an additional educational resource hub for current lawyers, and as a reference for upcoming and current law students. With our resources for lawyers both present and future, this page features the following articles:

• for law students: updates from law schools and legal aid organizations in Ontario, and tips on surviving law school and adjusting as a new lawyer after becoming licensed
• for lawyers: topics on statutes, legal concepts, common law, and doctrines; it includes new hires and appointments among law schools who are shaping Ontario's legal education

The page also highlights traditional and innovative programs offered by law schools and legal organizations that lawyers and students may wish to engage with.

Podcast for lawyers

In addition to its Multimedia page which contains videos it produces, Canadian Lawyer also has its very own podcast, CL Talk. The legal resources found here provide legal education from a range of lawyers and experts across the profession.

Rankings of the top lawyers

Lexpert and Canadian Lawyer publish several legal resources that recognize the leading lawyers across Canada and within provinces:

• Lexpert's Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory: created through a comprehensive annual survey, which ranks lawyers and firms in different practice areas and province in three categories:
• Most Frequently Recommended
• Consistently Recommended
• Repeatedly Recommended
• Canadian Lawyer's Special Reports: a merit-based rankings of lawyers and firms in different practice areas and locations after a year of nominations, research through multiple channels, interviews with industry panel experts, and several assessments

These lists and directories are based on annual evaluations and surveys among lawyers and firms in Canada.

Lexpert also maintains other directories that are more specific or industry-based:

• Largest Firms: ranks the top 30 law firms across the country, based on total lawyer headcount and the offices they maintain in different provinces and territories
• Lexpert 500 Cross Border: acknowledges the cross-border lawyers who are known leaders in their respective fields and enjoying significant recognition from their colleagues

Jobs and employment

You can also check our Jobs page if you're looking for employment opportunities within the province. It features a mix of employers posting vacancies, including municipal and government offices, legal organizations, and legal aid clinics. For opportunities found in other provinces and territories, you can also visit Canadian Lawyer's Careers page.

Newsletters for lawyers and firms

Lastly, readers can subscribe to free newsletters from all three websites to stay up to date:

• Lexpert: made for potential and future clients of legal professionals
• Canadian Lawyer: for all legal professionals across Canada
• Law Times: for Ontario-based lawyers and law firms

These newsletters provide daily or weekly news and analysis on the Canadian legal scene for lawyers and their clients.

Premium subscriptions

In addition to their free newsletters, these websites have their own premium subscriptions for accessing exclusive and in-depth content:

• Lexpert's Special Edition
• Canadian Lawyer's CL+ Premium

Legal resources: A lawyer's go-to for steady, predictable work

The legal resources in this guide give a starting point for legal professionals and firms in Ontario. Each can be tested based on what fits your files, clients, and the courts. With a lean set of trusted legal resources, modern lawyers can spend more time thinking, and less time hunting for links.

Bookmark our Practice Area page for more legal resources, and news from regulators and the LSO, tailored to legal professionals in Ontario.