That's Business...But Is It Legal?

Aluin Gilchrist is a Vancouver-based Canadian government civil
litigation lawyer.

A law school education is said to be useful in business. Our common law consists of reasons for decision: judges must try to explain and follow the pattern they create as they resolve competing claims. That pattern is the sense of justice.

Claire Bernstein has an active commercial and corporate law practice. She writes short newspaper articles that are read by business people and lawyers everywhere in Canada because each is light, breezy, and to the point, which is to tell us about a recent and interesting decision.

Inevitably, the once-over-lightly approach leaves out much of the richness and texture of that pattern of “reasons for decision,” so the articles are no safe guide to the resolution of disputes. Instead, they are written to help keep readers out of trouble.

This book is the same thing in organised form. It is entertaining, designed to be read for just a minute at a time. The result is surprisingly comprehensive. If something does come up that needs more study, the book offers a meaningful table of contents and a list for further reading on each topic.