How to be a Good Lawyer in Turbulent Times | CPDonline.ca

How to be a Good Lawyer in Turbulent Times

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Credits
Professionalism (Ethics, etc.): 0.25
15 minutes
Substantive: 0.25
25 minutes
Published
2026
Presenter(s)
J. Michal Fairburn
Source
Middlesex Law Association
Provider
CPDOnline.ca
Language
English
Length
40 minutes
Price
$139.00 plus tax
26th Annual MLA Straight from the Bench Conference

In this presentation, Associate Chief Justice J. Michal Fairburn of the Court of Appeal for Ontario explores how lawyers can support the rule of law during turbulent times by strengthening public legal education, defending judicial independence, countering misinformation and disinformation, maintaining ethical standards, and promoting access to justice. The presentation situates these themes within key legal frameworks, including the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Supreme Court of Canada principles on the rule of law, access to justice, and the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index. It also addresses practical and emerging concerns for the profession, including AI misuse, hallucinated case law, the cautionary example of Zhang v. Chen, 2024 BCSC 285, and the growing body of decisions responding to unreliable AI-generated legal materials. With a clear focus on professionalism, collegiality, public confidence, and everyday advocacy for legal institutions, the presentation offers timely and practical guidance for lawyers seeking to serve as constructive defenders of justice and democratic stability.

Presenters

Associate Chief Justice J. Michal Fairburn

Associate Chief Justice J. Michal Fairburn obtained her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Toronto and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1992. In 2024, she received a Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, from the Law Society of Ontario. 

For over two decades, Associate Chief Justice Fairburn worked as Crown counsel and then general counsel within the Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario. In 2013, she became a partner at Stockwoods LLP. She was then appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in December 2014, and served as a trial judge in Brampton until her appointment to the Court of Appeal for Ontario in July 2017. In September 2020, she was appointed as the Associate Chief Justice of Ontario and the Court of Appeal for Ontario.

Associate Chief Justice Fairburn has been actively involved in the legal community throughout her legal career. She served as an advisor to the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, sat on the board of directors of the Advocates’ Society, and served as a member of the Justice and Media Liaison Committee. She has been and remains actively involved in legal education, both within and outside of Canada, including with the National Judicial Institute. She has also received many awards and recognitions, including the Catzman Award for Professionalism and Civility and an appointment to the American College of Trial Lawyers.

La juge en chef adjointe Fairburn a obtenu son diplôme de premier cycle et son diplôme de droit de l’Université de Toronto. Elle a été admise au Barreau de l’Ontario en 1992. En 2024, elle s’est vu décerner un doctorat en droit honoris causa du Barreau de l’Ontario.

Pendant plus de 20 ans, la juge en chef adjointe Fairburn a travaillé comme avocate de la Couronne, puis comme avocate au ministère du Procureur général de l’Ontario. En 2013, elle est devenue associée du cabinet Stockwoods LLP. Après avoir été nommée à la Cour supérieure de justice en décembre 2014, la juge Fairburn a siégé comme juge de première instance à Brampton. Elle a été ensuite nommée juge de la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario en juillet 2017 et, en septembre 2020, juge en chef adjointe de l’Ontario et de la Cour d’appel de l’Ontario.

Tout au long de sa carrière juridique, la juge en chef adjointe Fairburn a été très active au sein de la communauté juridique. Elle a travaillé comme conseillère de l’Institut de plaidoirie devant la Cour suprême, siégé au conseil d’administration de la Société des plaideurs et rempli les fonctions de membre du Comité de liaison entre les secteurs de la justice et des médias. Elle est très active dans le secteur de l’éducation juridique, aussi bien au Canada qu’à l’étranger, notamment auprès de l’Institut national de la magistrature. Par ailleurs, la juge en chef adjointe Fairburn a reçu de nombreuses distinctions et récompenses, dont le prix Catzman pour professionnalisme et civilité (Catzman Award for Professionalism and Civility) et une nomination à l’American College of Trial Lawyers.