Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Breaking News: I just met Justice Abella!


I don't want you to be too envious about my status as a student-at-law, but although I am neither young nor a lawyer, because I am articling, I am invited to events sponsored by the Young Lawyers' Division of the Ontario Bar Association.
Tonight they had a reception at the Rideau Club at which the Honourable Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella told us how she came to be appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada. It didn't surprise me that she was an engaging speaker because her written decisions are always a pleasure to read and if you ever watch Supreme Court TV, you'll see that she is always the judge who seems most interested.
She told us that she is sixty, and she decided she wanted to become a lawyer when she was 4 years old (because her lawyer father couldn't practice law when the family immigrated to Canada until he became a citizen, so he became an insurance man instead). That's 56 years of having a passion for law.
She also told us that she didn't have much of a dating life in her youth, but I find that hard to believe. Still... here are my top 5 reasons that it's okay that Justice Abella is married to someone else:

  1. She freely admits that she doesn't know who Mag Ruffman is, has never watched a home repair show, and doesn't know how to fix a thing around the house.
  2. She used to be a family court judge. When she got bored with me and divorced my sorry ass, I'd be lucky to wind up with a bicycle wheel in the settlement.
  3. Me: "Hi, honey, how was your day?" Her: "Quiet, just overturned a decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal, struck down a few pieces of legislation as unconstitutional and made it illegal to discriminate againt..., oh heck, enough about me, what were you dealing with today?" Me: "Pothole case... but it was a really big pothole."
  4. Her sons are younger than me and both experienced lawyers. They could beat me up for real and in court.
  5. She has seen every single one of the Police Academy Movies.
Oh, I almost forgot, her key to reaching the Supreme Court... at every step along the way when she was offered an interesting career choice, people advised her not to, but she did them anyway.
65% paycut to be a judge? Sure! Lead a Royal Commission on Equality in Employment that all the politicians and newspapers will hate you for? Sure! Chair the Ontario Law Reform Commission even though they're planning to kill it? Bring it on!
Her advice: "Don't take other people's advice."

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