PRESS RELEASES - New Legal Counsel
President of the Ontario Bar Association and prominent Canadian lawyer, James C. Morton, becomes Legal Counsel to the Canadian Somali Congress
James C. Morton |
The Canadian Somali Congress is delighted to welcome prominent Canadian lawyer, Mr. James C. Morton, as Legal Counsel to the organization. As the principal lawyer for Canadian Somali Congress, Mr. Morton will provide invaluable advice and representation to the Canadian Somali Congress on Canadian legal issues. |
James C. Morton is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and holds a Masters of Law degree from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom. He is a partner with the firm Steinberg Morton Hope & Israel LLP.
Mr. Morton practices in litigation with a focus on civil litigation matters. He is certified as a specialist in civil litigation and has practiced and lectured in the litigation area exclusively since 1990.
Mr. Morton has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and federally including the Supreme Court of Canada. His practice is broad based and includes most aspects of litigation except for personal injury litigation. Mr. Morton is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Ontario and Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing, Michigan.
Mr. Morton is presently President of the Ontario Bar Association and has been a long time and active participant in numerous legal and civic organizations. He is a Governor of the Canadian International Peace Project.
"We are indeed fortunate to have the beneit of Mr. Morton's wide range of legal expertise" said Ahmed Hussen, National President of the Canadian Somali Congress. He also bring to our organization a wide range of other experiences and a strong committment to helping other newer communities such as ours."
Mark Persaud, President of the Canadian International Peace Project and an Honourary Patron of the Canadian Somali Congress said that "James is a wonderful person and a good friend who is very generous. Notwithstanding his busy litigation practice and other professional committments, he has always found the time and energy to give back to the community. James would, no doubt, render very valuable assistance to the Canadian Somali Congress as the organization provides much needed leadership on many issues affecting this community."
A more detailed account of Mr. Morton's background, experience and publications are set out below:
Professional Experience
1991 – present Litigation Partner, Steinberg Morton Hope & Israel LLP: Head of eight person litigation department within mid-sized North York law firm. Practice focussing in civil, commercial and criminal litigation
1991 – 1992 Associate at Solmon Rothbart Goodman
1989 – 1991 Associate at Tory, Tory, DesLauriers & Binnington
1987 Law Clerk to The Honourable Mr. Justice Howland, Chief Justice of Ontario
Education
1998 University of Leicester, LL.M.
1986 Osgoode Hall Law School, LL.B.
1981 University of Western Ontario, B.Sc.
Professional Activities
President of the Ontario Bar Association
Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Civil Litigation
Court Procedures Editor, Toronto Law Journal
Former Vice-President and General Secretary of the Ontario Bar Association
Chair, Ontario Bar Association Sub Committee on Continuum of Legal Education (changes to the articling process)
Former Chair, Ontario Bar Association Civil Litigation Section
Executive Member Ontario Bar Association Council
Member of Ontario Bar Association Council
Member of Civil Bench and Bar Committee
Member of Criminal Bench and Bar Committee
Member of Small Claims Court Rules ReEvaluation Committee of Civil Rules Committee
Member of Simplified Procedure Rules Committee for the Ontario Rules of Civil Procedure
Member of Integrated Justice Project Review Committee and E-Filing Implementation
Committee
Co-Chair OBA Discovery Review Task Force
Producer Morstone Natural History Films (Canadian wildlife film productions)
Publications
Texts
Procedural Strategies for Litigators (2nd ed.), Butterworths, 2007
e-discovery in Canada, Release date Summer 2007, Author for Family Law and Small Firm Chapter
Ontario Litigators Pocket Guide to Evidence, (4th ed) Butterworths, 2007
Ontario Courtroom Procedure, Butterworths, 2007 (Contributor -- editor Justice Ferguson)
Litigators Pocket Guide to Evidence, (3rd ed) Butterworths, 2005
Discovery: Principles in Practice, CCH, 2004, Co-Author with Justice Archibald
Pocket Guide to Evidence, (2nd ed) Butterworths, 2002
A Guide to Costs in Ontario, CCH, 2002, Co-Author with Justice Killeen
Essential Estate Administration, CCH, 2002, Co-Author with Risa Stone
Ontario Superior Court Practice (2001/2002), June 2001, CCH, Co-Author with Mr. Justice Killeen and Andrew James (Annotated Rules of Superior Court Practice B Annual)
Cases and Materials for Advanced Evidence, York University, 2001 (co-editor with Mr. Justice Archibald)
Written Advocacy, Butterworths, 2001, Co-Author with Michael Freeman
Ontario Superior Court Practice (2001), August 2000, CCH, Co-Author with Mr. Justice Killeen and Andrew James (Annotated Rules of Superior Court Practice B Annual)
Pocket Guide to Evidence, Butterworths, 2000
Procedural Strategies For Litigators, Butterworths, 1998 co-author with Michael Iacovelli (Special Western Canada Edition released Butterworths, 2001)
Evidence: Cases and Materials, York University, 1997 (editor)
Limitation of Actions, Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Ontario) and Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Western) (1995)
Search and Seizure Law in Canada, Carswell, 1990 co-author with Scott Hutchison
Limitation of Actions, Canadian Encyclopedic Digest (Ontario) (1988)
Limitation of Civil Actions, Carswell, 1988
Presumption of Innocence, Carswell, 1987 co-author with Scott Hutchison
Conferences and Conference Papers
Rule 76 Trials – OBA, Civil Litigation Section, May 14, 2007
Your First Civil Appeal – OBA Professional Development, Co-Chair, May 7, 2007
Advocates Society Program - Civil Litigation Skills Certificate Program: Discovery Done Right, Chair, April 19, 2007
Annual Central East Advocacy Conference, Making Trials Affordable – Simplified Procedure (Speaker), March 2, 2007
Grid Talk 2006: Judging Costs, Chair, OBA, November 27, 2006
"Judicial Vacancies" in 26th Annual CCLA Annual Civil Litigation Update
Third Annual Evidence Conference, Osgoode Professional Development, September 28, 2006
Electronic Documents and E-Discovery, OBA jointly with Essex Law Association, June 6, 2006
The Missing Client, LSUC, May 31, 2006
Conduct of Wrongful Dismissal, LSUC, May 2006
Second Annual Personal Injury Law and Practice – New Developments in Practice and Procedure, Osgoode Professional Development, April 27, 2006
Wrongful Dismissal – New Defendants and Expanded Heads of Damage, LSUC, March 2006
Round Table in Advanced Civil Procedure, Chair, LSUC, February 28, 2006 and March 7, 2006
Chair of Subcommittee of CBA National Civil Committee Responding to CCIR Discussion Paper on Privilege and Whistleblowers -- Report February 2006
Electronic Discovery and the New ED Guidelines, OBA, November 28, 2005 (Speaker)
The Twelve Minute Civil Litigator – Best Practices for Injunctions, LSUC, November 1, 2005
Junior Counsel Series: Ready, Set, Litigate! Advocates Society, October 26, 2005
“Litigation for Law Clerks”, LSUC, October 21, 2005 (Chair and Speaker)
Evidence Law for the Civil Litigator, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, September 23,
2005
Appeal of Fact, Canadian Bar Association, April 16, 2005
Dynamic Discoveries, Advocates Society, March 31, 2005
Your First Civil Trial, OBA CLE February 25, 2005
How to be a Good Second Chair, YLD Breakfast Sizzler, January 2005
Complex Issues in Tort Litigation: Practice and Procedure, Osgoode Hall Law School, October 22, 2004
Evidence Law for the Civil Litigator, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, October 14,
2004
The Advanced Roundtable in Civil Litigation, LSUC, October 7, 2004 and January 12, 2005
Everything in Costs, LSUC, September 28, 2004
Conducting a Civil Action Efficiently and Effectively: Practical Strategies, LSUC, June 11, 2004
Discovery Best Practices: Practical and Effective Tools to Guide You Through the Discovery Process, LSUC, June 7, 2004
Severance and Termination - The Changing Landscape, LSUC, March 3, 2004 (Chair)
Ethics of Tactics over Merits, OBA Contributor and Speaker, November 2003
Divisional Court Appeals, Insight Programs October 2003 (Speaker)
Grid Talk, OBA, Chair and Speaker October 2003
The Effects of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms on Ordinary Canadians, LLIR (Glendon College), September 2003 (Speaker)
Discovery - Demonstrations and What Works, Advocates Society, June 2003
Annotated Injunction Material, LSUC, May 2003
Wrongful Dismissal: Navigating the Concurrency Maze, LSUC, April 2003
Annual Institute, OBA Speaker, 2003
“Controlling Discovery”, New Lawyers - Practice and Proceeding, LSUC, November 2002
“Litigation for Law Clerks”, LSUC, October 2002 (Chair and Speaker)
Grid Talk - Judging Costs, OBA, October, 2002 (Chair and Speaker)
“Advanced Motions and Interlocutory Strategies”, OBA-CLE, October 2002
OBA Institute 2002, Civil Litigation - Effective Trial Evidence; Proving the Case, Chair
“Conduct of the Wrongful Dismissal File”, LSUC, February 2002 (Chair and Speaker)
“Cost Effective Advocacy - Use of the Rules”, OBA, February 2002
“Examination Techniques in Civil Motions”, OBA, May 2002
“International Law Program - Cross Border Enforcement of Judgments”, OBA, April 2002
“Injunctions - New Developments and Cases”, OBA, November 2001 (Chair and Author)
“Discovery and Trial Preparation”, Annual Employment Law Forum LSUC, November 2001
“Coming Clean With Practice Advisory”, OBA, October 2001 (Chair)
“Litigation for Law Clerks”, LSUC, October 2001 (Chair)
“Civil Litigation - A CLE Update”, Frontenac Law Association, September 2001
“Bringing the Claim”, Part of Deadbeat Dilemmas, CBAO April 2001
Civil Litigation Forum - A Two Day Annual Program, LSUC November 2000 (Chair)
“Civil and Criminal Law: Increasingly Intertwined?”, CBAO October 2000 (Chair)
Theory of the Case: The Art of Persuading a Judge, LSUC April 2000 (Chair and Editor)
“Evidence Refresher - New Developments”, CBAO February, 2000
“Privilege and Production in Discovery”, CBAO January, 2000
CBAO Institute 2000, Civil Litigation -- Documentary Production and Discovery, Chair
Proof in Civil Sexual Harassment Claims, CBAO/CLE, 1999 (part of "Developments in Sexual Harassment Law")
"Motions for Judgment -- Rule 20 and Rule 21", Insight Information (Toronto), July 21, 1999 and August 25, 1999
The Rules of Civil Procedure -- Getting Them to Work for You, Insight, 1999 (part of "Summer School for Lawyers")
Real Estate Primer -- Doctoring the Sick Deal, CBAO/CLE, 1999, Moderator
Creative Use of the Rules Before Trial, CBAO/CLE, 1999 (part of "A Practical Guide to Conducting a Civil Action")
The Simplified Rules -- A Review, CBAO, 1999
Canadian Bar Association Annual Institute: Civil Litigation, 1999, Contributor and Moderator
Discipline before the Law Society, CBAO, 1998, Chair and Contributor
The Simplified Rules Simplified, LSUC, 1998
Franchising: Pizza, Beer and Gas, Must They Always Go Together?, CBAO, 1997 (editor and contributor)
Limitations: Defusing the Ticking Timebomb, CBAO, 1997 (editor)
"Mortgage Remedies -- An Introduction", CBAO, 1996
Articles
Canadian Business Franchise, Franchising for Auto Mechanics, November 2007
Toronto Law Journal, Divisional Court Appellant Jurisdiction - A Primer, May 2006
Canadian Bar Association, Canadian Council Of Insurance Regulators Relating To Privilege And Whistler-Blower Protection, February 2006
Toronto Law Journal, Stay of Proceedings for Misconduct During Litigation, February 2006
Law and Order: Differences in Canadian and American Approaches, Toronto Star, February 27, 2005
Hearsay: Is the Principled Approach Unprincipled, National Judicial Institute reprint 2005
Hearsay: Is the Principled Approach Unprincipled, Annual Review of Civil Litigation 2003
Lawyers’ Safety Affects All, Toronto Star, December 10, 2003
Making Rudeness Pay, Lawyers Weekly, October 10, 2003
Proposed Amendments to the Small Claims Court Rules Report (Committee Member), Fall 2003
Case Comment Alan Webster Family Trust, OBA Civil Litigation Newsletter, October 2003
Justicia - A Symbol of Justice, Law Times, August 18, 2003
Commissioning an Affidavit, Bar Admission Course Professional Responsibility Materials (February 2003)
Costs and Reasonable Expectations, Advocates’ Quarterly, Summer 2003, co-authored with Ben Hanuka
Changes to the Simplified Procedure, Part of Materials for York University=s LL.M. in Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution, May 12, 2003
“The National Organization for Women (California) Family Court Report 2002", Ontario Bar Association, Voices, September 2002
“Fixing Costs Under the Costs Grid”, Spring 2003, The Litigator
“Expectations a New Key in Cost Awards” Lawyers Weekly, October 18, 2002 with Ben Hanuka
Simplified Procedure, Part of Materials for York University’s LL.M. in Civil Litigation and Dispute Resolution, October 24, 2000
Evaluation Report to the Rules Committee on the Simplified Procedure (1998 - 2000), released October 2000, Co-Author
"Submission to the Attorney-General Regarding Changes to Solicitor/Client Assessment Proceedings", Committee Member , November 1999
"Beware of Spouses Bearing Gifts -- ITA Deeming Provisions Between Spouses", Matrimonial Affairs, April 1999
Federalism -- European Community as an Example of an Archetype, November 1997, University of Leicester (LL.M. Thesis)
Contributor to Lawyer's Desk Book, Carswell
"Photometric Observations of AC Booties" (1983), 52 Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 463
"Nightsky Changes During the Lunar Eclipse" Observatory, Fall 1982
Reviewer for "Books in Canada", a Canadian literary review magazine
Contributor to the “Round Table”, the University Club magazine
Teaching
Adjunct Faculty, Contract and Tort, Humber College, Degree Program in Justice Studies
Adjunct Professor and Lecturer in Evidence and Advanced Evidence Issues Osgoode Hall Law School of York University (since 1994)
Lecturer in Constitutional Law, Evidence and Summer Program Director Cooley Law School, Lansing Michigan (since 2001)
Instructor in Estate Administration, Law Clerks Institute, Humber College, Toronto (since 1999)
Lecturer for Law Society of Upper Canada (Bar Admission Course) in Civil Procedure, Insolvency, Legal Ethics, Negotiation, Advocacy (since 1993)
Member Civil Procedure Course Revision Team for the Bar Admission Course
Member of Professional Responsibility Grading Appeal Panel
Awards
Harcourt Advocacy Award
Law Society of Upper Canada Treasurer's Medal
(Standing First in the Ontario Bar Admission Course)
McCarthy & McCarthy Prize
The Joseph H. Greenspan Memorial Prize in Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
Osgoode Hall Law School Silver Medal
Roland O. Daly Scholarship
Edwin George Long, K.C. Memorial Scholarship
Chancellor Van Koughnet Scholarship
F.W. Minkler Scholarship
Carswell Company Prize
OBA Service Certificate - 2003
Certificate of Appreciation - Government of Canada - April 2004
Government of Ontario Ontario Volunteer Award - 2007
Legal Associations
Advocates Society
Canadian Association of Law Teachers
Law Society of Upper Canada
Criminal Lawyers Association
Canadian Bar Association
Metropolitan Toronto Lawyers Association
Phi Delta Phi Legal Fraternity
Community Service
Governor, Canadian International Peace Project
Counsel, Canadian Somali Congress
President, Thornhill Liberal Riding Association
Director, Thornhill Liberal Party Association of Canada
Co-founder and Director of Golden Bears Charity (Number 86859 5364 RR0001), an organization providing toys to children in temporary shelter because of domestic problems or other causes of homelessness
Legal Counsel (pro bono) and Member of Advisory Board for Artists Against Racism, a registered charity combating racial and religious prejudice
Pro Bono Duty Counsel at Discipline Hearing before the Law Society of Upper Canada -- program administered through the Advocates Society
Board Member, Community Legal Aid Services Program (Legal Aid Clinic at Osgoode Hall)
Mentor, Law Society of Upper Canada and Canadian Bar Association
Past Member of York University Senate
Member, Special Legal Aid Panel for Northern Family Law Services
Other
University Club, Toronto
Graduate of the Ben Sutton School of Golf, Tampa, Florida
For further information, please contact Ahmed Hussen at telephone number:
(647) 236-0888
Canadian Somali Congress
e-mail: ahmed@canadiansomalicongress.com
website: www.canadiansomalicongress.com
The Canadian Somali Congress is a non-partisan non-governmental Canadian organization dedicated to addressing issues of importance to Canadians of Somali heritage. The Congress works collabratively with governmental, non-governmental organizations and individuals to facilitate the integration of Canadians of Somali heritage and to promote Canadian values.
|