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In this personal reflection, Dr. Ningjing (Natalie) Zhang shares a New Year’s resolution that reshaped how she practices law, leads her firm, and lives her life: learning to be her own best friend. Drawing from her experiences as a refugee-turned-lawyer, single mother, and first-time law firm owner, she reflects on how relentless self-criticism, though often mistaken for discipline, can quietly erode resilience. Through moments of parenting challenges, professional mistakes, and emotional reckoning, she argues that self-compassion is not indulgence but essential maintenance—especially for women lawyers navigating demanding careers.

Starting a law firm in Ontario is both challenging and rewarding, requiring lawyers to make numerous strategic and operational decisions. New practitioners may choose from various business models, including fully independent practices, agency arrangements, or freelance rosters. Establishing a successful firm demands a solid business plan, careful budgeting for start-up costs, and access to essential resources such as practice management software and professional insurance. Lawyers must also meet Law Society of Ontario compliance requirements, including a mandatory practice essentials course beginning in 2025. As client development skills are rarely taught in law school, networking and marketing are critical. The Ontario Bar Association’s Solo and Small Firm Section consolidates key guidance, practical tools, and wellness resources into a single, accessible reference.

From Risk to Resilience: Cybersecurity for Legal Practices provides a practical and comprehensive cybersecurity framework for solo practitioners and small law firms. It explains why legal practices are prime targets for cybercrime and outlines common and emerging threats, including phishing, ransomware, business email compromise, and AI-enabled attacks. The report emphasizes compliance with Law Society of Ontario obligations and PIPEDA, highlights high-risk practice areas, and sets out actionable daily security measures. It includes a clear incident response plan for the first 60 minutes following a breach and offers guidance on engaging cybersecurity professionals and selecting cyber insurance. Overall, the report frames cybersecurity as an essential component of competent, ethical, and resilient legal practice.

Kathleen Robichaud emphasizes that email is a powerful but imperfect communication tool for lawyers and should be used thoughtfully and professionally. She highlights the importance of deciding whether a reply is necessary, replying only to appropriate recipients, and avoiding accidental disclosures through careless use of “Reply All” or auto-fill. Lawyers should read emails in full, keep message chains concise, and use clear, updated subject lines. Tone and formality matter, as email remains a formal communication in legal practice. Robichaud also cautions that email is insecure and unreliable, making it unsuitable for sensitive information, and stresses the value of organizing email effectively to enhance efficiency and communication quality.

As one of the few refugee-turned-lawyers in Canada, Dr. Ningjing (Natalie) Zhang brings a unique perspective to legal practice. Before entering Queen’s Law, she and her children lived in a women’s shelter for nearly four years, an experience that shaped her deep empathy for vulnerable clients. Today, as founder of BridgePoint Law Professional Corporation, she reminds fellow professionals of a central truth: our work is not about us — it is about the clients whose lives are at stake. Drawing on stories from her own journey and her practice, Zhang emphasizes trauma-informed, client-centered care and the importance of collaboration with social workers and community agencies. She challenges lawyers to resist the pull of ego or efficiency quotas and instead focus on restoring dignity, fostering resilience, and empowering clients. “In the end,” she writes, “it is not about us. It is about them.”

This guide seeks to provide an overview of the legal considerations involved in dividing a family business during a spousal separation. It attempts to demonstrate the importance and overlap of both business and family law aspects. This guide is written exclusively however, from a business lawyer perspective.

In this article, the author has provided  some practical tips that they learned when attempting to craft their firm’s contingency plan as required by the Law Society of Ontario to ensure that it takes effect without issue.

Are you a Solo, Small Firm or a General Practitioner and thinking of advertising? Then this article gives you significant insights before you dive into the whole new world of advertising for your firm.

The author talks about the Ironman Triathlon and compares its challenges to those of a lawyer running their solo practice.

Back in 2016, Kim Whaley was featured in an OBA article doing exercises and stretches to offset being stuck at a desk for long hours. Kim offered up sensible ways of finding the time to stay fit. The exercises were accessible for everyone who could sit, stand and breathe. This follow-up is more involved, with the intention to create real change for your spine which will improve your posture and your desk performance.

If you are a solo practitioner, chances are you are going to be a highly motivated self-starter. However, you will also be acutely aware of your limitations, as you are often required to work at your personal capacity. We can all use help and encouragement to stay motivated. It’s important to remind ourselves why solo practitioners should be respected by the legal profession and selected by clients in the market for legal services.

No firm is the same, but there are common keys to establishing a successful enterprise uniquely yours while building a solid reputation and stepping up client service. Sparing would-be sole and small-firm practitioners potential missteps or missed opportunities, OBA panelists (at a program co-presented by the Law Practice Management and Sole/Small Firm/General Practice sections) from a variety of practice areas shared what they wish they'd known before setting out on their own.

OBA Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Section Chair, Grant Buchan-Terrell outlines his priorities for the Section this year and highlights what's in store and why you should get involved.

While succession planning may be difficult for many lawyers – particularly practitioners who are older or located in more remote areas of the province – it is absolutely necessary in the interest of the public. Lisa Laredo looks at the recommendations and shares creative solutions.

The story of King Midas is about the tragedy of avarice and contemplates what follows when true happiness is not recognized. Midas was a man who wished that everything he touched would turn into gold. The law firm equivalent is of course the “Rainmaker”. However, too much rain is as bad as too much gold. Midas’ blessing turns out to be a curse.

In this article, Grant Buchan-Terrell, principal of gbtlaw, offers some survival tips for solo and small firms from his 22 years of up and down experiences as a business law boutique practice.

Section 235 of Bill C-19 (which received royal assent on June 23, 2022) introduced the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, which prohibits Non-Canadians from purchasing, directly or indirectly, any residential property in Canada. The introduction of the bill is in accordance with one of the federal government’s primary goals of stabilizing the housing market and providing more affordable housing to Canadians.

On September 30, 2022, in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, the authors spoke at a webinar titled "Reconciliation in the Legal Profession". During the event, they shared insights on a range of questions surrounding truth and reconciliation in the legal profession, to equip legal professionals in all practice areas with the knowledge necessary to play a more active role in truth and reconciliation. This article summarizes some of the key takeaways.

Lawyers need to practice what they preach and implement a succession plan that kicks in when they are no longer willing or able to continue in the profession.

One lawyer’s story about growing a successful law practice and eventually making the difficult decision to downscale to sustain a healthier work-life balance.

The author shares his insights and lessons learned after having done his first appeal before the Court of Appeal as a sole practitioner.

In this article, the author reflects on experiences since March 2020 working remotely and challenges perspectives on the benefits of in-person as opposed to remote office environments.

"A Lot from the Dot" bulletin by Mr. Jeffrey Lem. This bulletin describes Teraview changes that came into effect on December 20, 2021, including modifications made to the Statements to be made for Corporate Authorization.

This article is a culmination of the experiences of a young lawyer. More specifically, it’s about the traits that have allowed him to thrive as a solo attorney in the competitive world of law.

Mentorship is one of the most important and least discussed components of the legal community, which largely influences the growth of newer generations of lawyers by the help of older ones.

A sole-practitioner's outlook on practice during the time of Covid.

In this article, Birute Luksenaite talks about her first experience doing a spot-audit and the lessons she's learned along the way.

In this article, an anonymous member of the OBA discusses their experience with making mistakes in their legal practice and the resources available to avoid making mistakes in the future.