To purchase this video please click “Add to Cart”.
Login to watch this video if you have a subscription. Learn more about subscriptions.Justice Blishen has been a judge of the Superior Court of Justice (Family Court) in Ottawa since November 1999. She was the Local Administrative Judge for the Ottawa Family Court for seven years, from November 2003 to December 2010 and continues to be a member of the Senior Family Justice’s Consultation Committee. Justice Blishen was previously a judge of the Ontario Court of Justice presiding over criminal, family and young offender matters for seven years. In 1977, Justice Blishen received her law degree from Queen’s University and was the recipient of the gold medal in advanced Family Law and the Golden Gavel Award. She is the Permanent President of Law ’77 and has served as a member of the Faculty of Law Advisory Council. Prior to her appointment, Justice Blishen practiced for thirteen years, primarily in the area of family law, in particular children’s law and child protection. She wrote and lectured extensively on child welfare law. Justice Blishen is actively involved in continuing legal and judicial education across Canada including publications, lectures, panel presentations and assisting with National Judicial Institute Family Law programs. She also continues to speak to numerous organizations and community groups. She is a member of the Board of the National Judicial Counseling Program (JCP) and has been involved in promoting the work of the Ontario Justice Education Network (OJEN).
Carol Cochrane has been with the law firm of Low, Murchison Radnoff LLP since her call to the Bar many moons ago (although back at that time, it was just “Low Murchison.”) Carol restricts her practice to the field of family law, maintaining a mix of matrimonial litigation, domestic contract negotiations, mediation and arbitration. This year marks Carol’s fifth and final year serving as the moderator of the Fabulous Spousal Support Panel. Why final you ask? Well, after 35 years with LMR, Carol has decided to join the ranks of the unemployed at the end of this year, with the plan being for her to enjoy her retirement as much as she has her years of family law practice in Ottawa.
The Honorable George Czutrin was appointed Senior Justice of the Family Court on December 7, 2013. He was first appointed on June 10, 1993 as a member of the only Unified Family Court in the Province in Hamilton. Soon after the first expansion of the UFC in 1995 he became the family local administrative judge in Hamilton and continued in that role until his transfer to Toronto where he became the family team leader from September 2009 until his appointment as Senior Judge of the family Court. He is a member of the Family Law Rules Committee, Council of Regional Seniors and several subcommittees of the council, including the modernization committee whose mandate includes advocacy for technology in the courts to assist parties, counsel and judges. He was President of the international Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (2002-2004) and a founding member of the Ontario Chapter of AFCC, He is Ontario Superior Court Hague Contact Judge; Member, Ontario Unified Family Court Steering Committee; Member of the Family Court Rules Committee; Member of the Canadian Judicial Council’s Judicial Committee on Inter-Jurisdictional Child Protection; was a Co-Chair, Ministry of the Attorney General Family Justice Roundtable. Presenter at countless family law educational programs including Canadian Bar Association, Law Society of Upper Canada, Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC), (Ontario and international), National Family Law Program (Federation of Law Societies), National Justice Institute, Osgoode Hall Law School Continuing Legal Education, Advocates Society, OAFM, FDRIO, CCLA. He is a graduate of Osgood Hall Law School (1976 ) and called to the bar in 1978 and started practice in Hamilton where he specialized in family law, family Bar Ad instructor, member of the Children’s Lawyer Child Representation panel and very active a variety of family law committees at the Law Society, Canadian Bar Association , CDLPA and represented CDLPA on committees leading to the first expansion of UFC, advocate for Unified Family Courts, family justice , family court innovation and access to family justice. Married for 45 years, two children and three grandchildren.
Justice Rick Leroy was born in New Liskeard. He received his law degree from Queen’s University and was called to the bar in 1976. Having practised for 30 years with Gorrell, Grenkie, Leroy and Remillard, a Morrisburg-based firm, he was appointed Superior Court Judge on June 19, 2009 and assigned to Cornwall. His Honour is married and has two children.
Justice Jennifer Mackinnon was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in 1999. She sits in the Family Court in Ottawa. She is the local administrative judge for the Ottawa Family Court and has held that position for more than six of the years that she has been on the bench. Justice Mackinnon has a strong track record in judicial and legal education. Combined, she has more than 100 articles and presentations on family law topics. Her articles have been published in the Canadian Family Law Quarterly, the Advocates Quarterly and the Reports of Family Law. She has been invited to present on family law topics for the National Judicial Institute, the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Advocates Society, the Ontario Bar Association and the Federation of Canadian Law Societies, amongst others. Justice Mackinnon was a member of the Federal Government Advisory Committee on the Child Support Guidelines and the Spousal Support Advisory Guidelines, from 1997 to 2007, and was a member of the Ontario Family Law Rules Committee, 1990 – 1999, during the development of the current Family Law Rules. Locally she has lectured at the Bar Admission Course, the University of Ottawa Law School and is a frequent speaker at County of Carleton Law Association programs. Her recent initiatives include the Ottawa Family Court Coordinated Case Management Project for high conflict custody and access cases, an Ontario wide annual Family Law Negotiation Competition, scheduled to commence in 2015, as an adjunct to the Walsh Cup Moot, and an east Region Consultation process aimed at identifying local measures to contribute to the implementation of the National Access to Family Justice Committee Report. She is a graduate of Queen’s University law school, called to the Ontario Bar in 1978, and former partner in the Ottawa law firm, Burke-Robertson LLP.
*see individual programs and jurisidictional allowances for accredited hours/requirements for Canadian law societies.
See how easy it is to complete your legal and finance Continuing Professional Development online.
Call us at 1-888-295-4868 or send us an email.
*see individual programs and jurisidictional allowances for accredited hours/requirements for Canadian law societies.