Digital Evidence for Litigators 2025

Date:
Time: ()
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Program Chairs:
Brent Arnold, Gowling WLG
Tatiana K. Lazdins, Discovery and Legal Project Solutions, Deloitte Canada

Back by popular demand, Digital Evidence for Litigators is your guide to effective advocacy in the digital era, from file inception to trial. Your obligations as an advocates don't change, but technology does. Keep up with the pace with this terrific two part program.

The plenary program will be held on March 3 and the learning-by-doing skills workshop will be held on March 4. There are two registration options: (1) plenary + workshop or (2) plenary only (see below for more information).

Plenary Details | Monday, March 3, 2025, 1:00PM to 4:30PM (ET), Via Zoom

You will learn how to:

Authenticate digital evidence such as photos, Google Maps images and Slack and WhatsApp messages
Work with clients and experts to find, gather and preserve digital evidence
Use and challenge digital evidence effectively at hearings and trials
Handle surreptitious recordings and improperly obtained evidence
And more...

Workshop Details | Tuesday, March 4, 2025, 1:00PM to 4:30PM (ET), Via Zoom (National) or In Person (Toronto)
Participants of the plenary session are also eligible to join us for our hands-on skills workshop, which will be held fully remotely. The workshop is your chance to practise and refine your skills examining experts on digital evidence in a supportive, collegial environment. You will also learn from your peers as you work through the interactive exercises in small groups. Please also note that the workshop requires advance preparation based on a mock case file, which will be provided to you in advance of the workshop.

We are offering this workshop both online, remotely by Zoom, and in-person in Toronto.*

Registration includes educational materials, which will be provided prior to the program. Registration also includes access to the live webcast recording for 30 days from the date the link is sent to you.

*This program may be delivered entirely online if there is not sufficient demand to hold it in-person.

Free Workshops for Junior Members
Junior members (under 5 years of call) who joined The Advocates' Society in 2024 or who join in 2025 and who register for the plenary session of an Essential Advocacy Skills Workshop program in the 2025 calendar year can attend that program’s skills workshop for free.

This is a pilot initiative designed to engage Junior members in their first year of membership in the Society. The pilot does not apply to Student members or Junior members who joined The Advocates' Society prior to January 2024.

Please review the system requirements to view a Zoom event here.

Faculty Includes:
The Honourable E. Ria Tzimas, Regional Senior Judge for the Central West Region, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario
The Hon. Justice Melanie Kraft, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario
Carolyn Anger, Consilio
Jennifer E. Brevorka, Hodgson Russ LLP
Chantelle Cseh, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
David Fraser, McInnes Cooper
Sojourner King, Sojourner King Law Professional Corporation
Kathryn Manning, DMG Advocates LLP
Gerry McGeachy, Ministry of Attorney General, Province of Ontario
Robin McKechney, Gowling WLG (Canada)
Thomas Musters, Computer Forensics Inc.
Ian Sinclair, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Melanie Webb, Webb Barristers

1:00 – 1:05
Welcome and Introductory Remarks
Tatiana K. Lazdins, Discovery and Legal Project Solutions at Deloitte

1:05 – 1:35
Digital Evidence Basics
Ian Sinclair, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
Carolyn Anger, Consilio
Moderator: Tatiana K. Lazdins, Discovery and Legal Project Solutions at Deloitte

1:35 – 2:15
Keeping Pace with Change: Hot Topics in Digital Evidence
David Fraser, McInnes Cooper
Robin McKechney, Gowling WLG (Canada)
Melanie Webb, Webb Barristers
Moderator: Brent Arnold, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

2:15 – 2:30
Break

2:30 – 3:05
Digital Evidence in Practice: Initial Advice to the Client and First Steps
Sojourner King, Sojourner King Law Professional Corporation
Thomas Musters, Computer Forensics Inc.
Moderator: Tatiana K. Lazdins, Discovery and Legal Project Solutions at Deloitte

3:05 – 3:45
Digital Evidence in Practice: Applying the Rules of Evidence in the Digital Age
The Hon. Justice Melanie Kraft, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario
Chantelle Cseh, Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
Gerry McGeachy, Ministry of Attorney General, Province of Ontario
Moderator: Brent Arnold, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

3:45 – 4:25
Digital Evidence in Practice: Presenting Digital Evidence
The Honourable E. Ria Tzimas, Regional Senior Judge for the Central West Region, Superior Court of Justice of Ontario
Jennifer E. Brevorka, Hodgson Russ LLP
Kathryn Manning, DMG Advocates LLP
Moderator: Tatiana K. Lazdins, Discovery and Legal Project Solutions at Deloitte

4:25 – 4:30
Closing Remarks
Brent Arnold, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP

Realistic demonstrations and scenarios
"The realistic demonstrations and fact patterns were very practical. They helped me gain a better understanding of how to analyze and handle the common issues I face in my practice when dealing with digital evidence."

Great content from top to bottom
"The entire program was well-presented with great content from top to bottom. Faculty provided a lot of great tips about handling digital evidence that will help me on my files."

Workshop provided great hands-on practice
"The workshop provided great hands-on practice in a very useful area of the law. The comments from the instructors in the small groups were extremely helpful. The witnesses were actual experts in the field, which I thought was enormously useful both in terms of the realistic nature of the mock exams, and the ability to learn from their insights."

Eligible CPD Hours:

Plenary & Workshop:
This program contains 2.25 Professionalism Hours, and is eligible for up to 4.75 Substantive Hours.

Plenary Only:
This program contains 1.0 Professionalism Hour, and is eligible for up to 2.5 Substantive Hours.

Law Society Accredited

This organization has been approved as an Accredited Provider of Professionalism Content by the Law Society of Ontario.

For information on CPD requirements and accreditation across Canada, please click here.

Register today and stay ahead of the curve on handling digital evidence!

Pricing:

Plenary & Workshop:
TAS Members: Regular: $460.00 + Tax | Discount: $345.00 + Tax* (please see below)
Non-members: Regular: $719.00 + Tax | Discount: $539.25 + Tax* (please see below)

Plenary Only:
TAS Members: Regular: $299.00 + Tax | Discount: $224.25 + Tax* (please see below)
Non-members: Regular: $440.00 + Tax | Discount: $330.00 + Tax* (please see below)

Sole practitioners, lawyers who practise in firms with fewer than 5 lawyers, and government lawyers (including lawyers who work for legal aid clinics) can take advantage of a 25% discount off the registration fee for this program. If you are eligible for this discount, please enter SSG2024 in the appropriate field at check-out.

*The Advocates' Society is pleased to offer a 25% discount on this program for all lawyers who practise as sole practitioners, or in firms smaller than 5 lawyers, and government lawyers (including lawyers who work for legal aid clinics).

Registration includes electronic materials, which will be provided prior to the program. Registration also includes access to the live webcast recording of the plenary session for 30 days from the date of the program.

TAS Members save up to $100 on half-day programs and up to $200 on programs with a skills workshop. Join us today.

Civil Litigation Skills Certificate Program

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