An introduction to the indispensable tool of the criminal bar
On behalf of Criminal Law Students’ Association.
For most of us, Twitter is in the distant past. The same is not true for criminal lawyers, particularly the defence bar. In fact, it seems to be a regular part of their day-to-day lives. Not only is it a convenient way to network, but it is perfect for sharing professional and personal news, and useful for keeping up with the constant emerging news within the criminal law field.
When I first began my 1L summer job at a criminal defence firm, my first task (not kidding) was to create a law Twitter account. I had no idea what that meant or what it entailed at the time. But fast forward a couple of years, and I have found it to be an invaluable tool. Criminal law is constantly changing, and lawyers will always tell you that one of the most beneficial things you can do is stay up to date with current Ontario Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) cases—what they don’t tell you is how unfeasible that actually is, especially as a law student with a million other responsibilities. Law Twitter is a practical way to keep up with new case law without spending hours reading cases, as well as a way to meet and get to know lawyers in the field without spending a ton of time networking.
Lawyers utilize their accounts for different purposes. Some lawyers provide a brief overview of a recent case or identify an apparently controversial point. Others discuss their views on current issues within the justice system, and some provide advice to students and newer calls.
If you aren’t interested in actually tweeting, you’ll be happy to know that it isn’t necessary. Many students and lawyers have accounts in which they simply view others’ thoughts and throw in the odd favourite or retweet (myself included). If you do decide to tweet, keep in mind that while it is social media, there still is a very professional aspect to it. The opinions and views that you share may impact your employer.
Getting started may seem daunting, so I have compiled a list of criminal lawyers with Twitter accounts that may be of interest to you. From there, you can seek out accounts that suit your preferences. You can find their name, Twitter handle, current employment, and what I find their Twitter account to be valuable for below.
- Chris Sewrattan: @SewrattanLaw
- Criminal defence lawyer at Sewrattan Criminal Lawyers; instructor at Lincoln Alexander School of Law
- One to two-sentence upshots of cases
- Neha Chugh: @nehachughlaw
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at Chugh Law
- Legal insights and funny personal tweets that remind you of the other side of lawyers’ lives that we often don’t see
- Lisa Kerr: @coleenlisa
- Professor at Queen’s University Faculty of Law
- Variety of tweets surrounding criminal law, including insightful commentary on cases
- Harpreet Saini: @SainiLaw
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at Saini Law
- A mix of humour, advice, and sharing of personal experiences in criminal law
- Ryan Handlarski: @RHDefence
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at RH Criminal Defence
- Updates on his cases and commentaries on others, along with views on current political happenings
- Peter Sankoff: @petersankoff
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at Sankoff Criminal Law
- Commentary and sharing of podcasts/events that benefit young legal professionals
- Chris Rudnicki: @chrisrudnicki_
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at Rudnicki and Company
- Thought-provoking tweets about trends and cases
- Daniel Brown: @DanielBrownLaw
- Criminal defence lawyer and principal at Daniel Brown Law; Criminal Lawyers’ Association President
- Updates on cases moving through the system; also helpful for networking opportunities—he often retweets job opportunities and upcoming events
- Thomas Surmanski: @TomSurmanski
- Former criminal defence lawyer at Robichaud’s; current Assistant Crown Attorney
- Case summaries in 1-2 sentences
- Annamaria Enenajor: @AEnenajor
- Criminal defence lawyer at Ruby Shiller Enenajor DiGiuseppe, Barristers
- Interesting legal insights and updates
- Paul-Erik Veel: @PaulErikVeel
- Litigation lawyer at Lenczner Slaght LLP
- Mostly predictions of leave to appeal at the SCC
