In 20 years as a legal writer and research lawyer, I have written memoranda, factums, articles, continuing legal education papers and looseleaf updating material on a wide range of issues and topics. A small sample includes:

• Applications for return of children under Hague Convention in parental abduction cases
• Contested appointment of an estate trustee
• Reasonable terms of a non-competition contract
• Analysis of a dependent contractor relationship and appropriate notice of termination
• Severance of joint tenancy by conduct in the course of separation and divorce proceedings
• Contested appointment of a litigation guardian
• Language rights under the Charter on arrest
• Valuation of stock options in matrimonial property proceedings (co-counsel for Appellant on Ross v. Ross (2006), 83 O.R. (3d) 1 (C.A.)
• Recovery under s. 132(1) of the Insurance Act
• Tracing rules in the context of equalization of net family property (see Vivian Alterman and Maryellen Symons, “Approaches to Tracing Gifted or Inherited Property” (2007), 22 Money and Family Law 52)

I began doing freelance legal research for practising lawyers in 1996, while working as a legal editor at Butterworths Canada. In January, 1999, I opened my full-time practice, providing legal research and writing services for fellow members of the bar and maintaining a relationship with Butterworths as a freelance updating author. Currently, I update the Ontario Annotated Family Law Service.

Since October, 2000, in addition to my independent practice, I have been counsel to the firm of Wilson Christen LLP, providing legal research and writing services to the firm and contributing to Jeffery Wilson’s looseleaf Children and the Law (LexisNexis Canada Inc.).

As a legal editor at Butterworths (now LexisNexis Canada Inc.), my responsibilities included editing the manuscripts of outside authors and updating the content of looseleaf and newsletter publications in a broad range of legal areas, among them family, criminal, bankruptcy and insolvency, personal injury damages and construction lien law. I followed new legislation from first reading to proclamation and regularly reviewed new case law from courts at all levels, across Canada, including every decision from the Supreme Court of Canada.

Before my six years in the looseleaf department of Butterworths, I taught at Glendon College, York University. Prior to that, following my call to the Ontario bar, I was legal research director for METRAC, a non-profit agency. I articled as a law clerk at the Ontario Court of Appeal after completing law school (University of Windsor, 1987). Before becoming a lawyer, I enjoyed a successful academic career, teaching philosophy at colleges and universities in Michigan.