The Lawyers Lounge Podcast

Join guest host, Jennifer Brevorka as she sits down with American criminal defence duo, David Rudolf and Sonya Pfeiffer. David, who gained international recognition for his representation of Michael Peterson, and Sonya Pfeiffer, an award-winning journalist and criminal defence lawyer, give us an inside look at their lives and careers in Toronto, and why they left America for Canada.

Following the Peterson case, David pivoted his practice to wrongful conviction litigation, while Sonya focused on civil litigation and family law. Witnessing the polarization and divisiveness seeming to consume American culture over the last three years, David and...

In this special episode, Danielle interviews widely esteemed trial and appellate counsel Mona Duckett. Defence counsel in several high-profile cases over her four decades in the legal profession, Mona gives an inside look at two of her most publicized cases.

During high-profile cases like NRR, and Naslund, should lawyers—Crown and defence—speak to the media? Mona and Dani...

The Lawyers Lounge and the Law School Show have combined forces to bring you our first crossover episode.

With summer student recruitment wrapping up across Canada, future careers are at the forefront of every law student’s mind. LLP host Danielle Robitaille, LSS regular Maddison Tebbutt, and guest star Dr. Rebecca Jaremko Bromwich team up to provide law school students with invaluable advice for life after law school. 

In this episode, Danielle reflects on her journey from law school to legal practice, looking back on her mistakes and sharing her wisdom. She discusses her decision to b...

Join Danielle as she sits down with one of Canada’s leading criminal defence lawyers, Marie Henein. They discuss the unique professional obstacles for women practicing criminal law, reflecting on their personal experiences and choices that helped them achieve success.  

In her new autobiography, Nothing but the Truth, Marie describes her journey from her childhood in Cairo to her prominent legal career in Canada. By providing an honest explanation of her role in the justice system and recounting her parents’ story of immigration and displacement, she hopes to inspire young women to carve out their own space in the legal profession.  <...

Join Danielle and criminal defence lawyers, Daniel Brown and Janani Shanmuganathan as they discuss the current state of sexual offence litigation in Canada.

Learn about the status of the Supreme Court of Canada case R. v. J.J. and the constitutional challenge to key provisions in the Criminal Code (ss 276 and 278) that impact sexual offence litigation. They examine the hurdles that the defence bar must overcome and how current legislation can undermine an accused’s fair trial rights. Our guests shed light on the personal and professional challenges of defending against sexual assault charges, including the uncertainty du...

Join Danielle and criminal lawyers, Erin Dann and Maya Kotob (Anita Szigeti Advocates) as they discuss the challenges and rewards of representing clients with mental health issues.

In this episode, our guests shed light on their experiences practicing at the intersection between criminal law and mental health law. They examine the difference between advancing legal interests and the therapeutic interests of clients and discuss key solutions to some of the challenges lawyers face in practicing in the mental health space.

Other topics include:

On this week's episode of “The Lawyers Lounge,” tune in to the second part of guest speaker Eric Gottardi's fascinating walk-through of the most anticipated cases from the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) in 2021. These include the high-profile cases of:

We then dive into Harpreet Saini's discussion with Emma Rhodes on the challenges of parenting, lawyering, and COVID-19.

The Lawyers Lounge is p...

Welcome back guest speaker Eric Gottardi! Learn which Supreme Court of Canada cases to look out for in 2021. Cases referenced include R. v. Khill — the Hamilton-area homeowner who was acquitted after shooting and killing an Indigenous man in his driveway, R. v. Sullivan/R. v. Chan — the future of the non-mental disorder automatism defence through self-induced intoxication, and more! Find out what Stephanie DiGiuseppe wrote on behalf of the CLA, addressing the unspoken challenges faced by legal practitioners who are also caregivers during the lockdown.

Special Guests: Stephanie DiGiuseppe and Eric Gottardi.

Covering everything from the ridiculous to the hard-hitting truths, our hosts answer your questions, including fictional characters that have impacted advocacy style, biggest career mistakes, and how to keep up with new case law. Stay tuned for Lisa’s big news!

Discover how to start your own firm as Frances Mahon discusses practical considerations, including managing a tight budget, building a client base, taking on associates, raising your profile, running a practice through a pandemic, and more. Special Guests: Frances Mahon

Find out how to advocate effectively in the virtual courtroom with Sana Halwani from Lenczner Slaght. Criminal defence lawyer Nader Hasan discusses all aspects of the Sharma decision, including Gladue factors, Section 15, the implications on mandatory minimum sentences, and the availability of conditional sentences.

Guest speakers: Nader Hasan, Sana Halwani

Danielle and Lisa present the second “Lounge Star” Award to Anthony Morgan, Emily Lam, and Faisal Mirza for their extraordinary work on the Sentencing and Parole Project, a non-profit organization that prepares enhanced pre-sentence reports for Black people marginalized by poverty and racial inequality. Sherif Foda discusses his novel approach to section 278 applications in a new segment called “How’d You Do That?”

Guest speakers: Anthony Morgan, Emily Lam, and Sherif Foda

Learn about the status of litigation challenging Bill C-75 with criminal defence lawyer Michael Lacy. Find out what criminal lawyers should know about immigration law with Cathryn Sawicki, how to balance family life and a busy criminal law practice with Harpreet Saini, and how to build your profile in the community with Danielle and Lisa’s quick-fire advocacy tip.

Guest speakers: Michael Lacy, Cathryn Sawicki, and Harpreet Saini

Get a sense of what’s happening in the criminal justice system with Danielle and Lisa in this bonus episode. Lawyers from every province and territory share how COVID-19 has impacted the operation of local courts, jury trials, and bail hearings across Canada.

Guest speakers: Daniel Brown, Bob Buckingham, Jonathan Coady, Deborah Hatch, Vincent Larochelle, James R. McConnell, Lida Sara Nouraie, Katherine Oja, Joel E. Pink, Jay D. Watson, Lana Walker, Kevin Westell, Gerri Wiebe

Join Danielle and Lisa as they discuss the challenges of practising criminal law remotely and supporting clients who are currently in custody. Gerald Chan, president of FACL and partner at Stockwoods LLP, addresses the realities of Asian Canadian racism in the age of COVID-19 and the Ontario Court of Appeal decision in the Adler case.

Special Guest: Gerald Chan

Danielle and Lisa discuss the realities of remote lawyering and electronic hearings and share advocacy tips for working effectively with Crown counsel. The hosts are also proud to announce the first “Lounge Star of the Month”: Jacques Gallant, the Legal Affairs Reporter for the Toronto Star. Join us to hear his thoughts on covering the Canadian criminal justice system.

Guest Jacques Gallant

What does a trial lawyer do without a courthouse to go to? Danielle Robitaille and Lisa Jørgensen continue their discussion of COVID-19 and the ongoing impact it has had on Canada's criminal justice community.

Join Danielle and Lisa as they discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system, recent court decisions, tips on managing relationships with clients, and the best legal advice they’ve ever received.

Learn more about major criminal law cases on the Supreme Court of Canada docket for 2020 with senior partner Eric Gottardi of Peck & Company in Vancouver.

Since this episode was recorded, the Supreme Court of Canada released its decision in K.G.K., which can be found at https://decisions.scc-csc.ca/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/18217/index.do. Having called it correctly, Er...

From the publisher that brought you the Criminal Law Series, Emond Publishing presents The Lawyers Lounge podcast. Hosts Danielle Robitaille and Lisa Jørgensen cover issues of local and national importance, recent criminal law decisions, and lawyer life hacks with distinguished guests from across Canada.