Summer is just around the corner. It’s nearly time to put down your marking pens and put on your sunscreen and shades. Once again, OJEN staff has put together a suggested summer reading list. This year, we have added a suggested listening list as well.
Enjoy your well deserved vacation! We hope to see you at the Summer Law Institute in August.
Suggested summer listening
Law syrup
This is a new podcast that OJEN co-produced with former OJEN Justice Education Fellow and incoming litigation associate at Torkin Manes LLP, Herman Wong. Join Herman as he chats with special guests about what’s trending in Canadian law, how the law relates to ordinary Canadians and how we can navigate difficult topics. Designed for anyone who is curious about the law, each episode delivers insight and information in an informal, friendly format.
Available now: Why Should We Learn About the Law? – Supreme Court of Canada Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin shares her experiences growing up in northern Ontario, gives behind-the-scenes details of Canada’s highest courthouse, and remembers some of her career highlights.
More about Law Syrup.
Find Law Syrup here:
Rss: https://rss.com/podcasts/lawsyrup/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5dO4Z3PdAgEO8GJbMw5IbD
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/law-syrup/id1750514126
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLExy1V9S_1DwJkM6qNWtWt6q05P1nH4Yc
The Docket
Criminal lawyer Michael Spratt and legal expert Emilie Taman discuss today’s burning issues at the intersection of law, politics, and policy. The most recent episode dissects the acquittal of Umar Zameer in the death of Toronto police officer, Jeffrey Northrup.
Find The Docket here:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3xN2lgHvuO5BO1i7j3Vjtb
Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-docket/id873244552
Suggested summer reading
Fiction
Vintage Munro: Nobel Prize Edition
Alice Munro, one of Canada’s finest writers, and among the greatest short story writers in the world, passed away this year. She didn’t write about law, but you will learn something surprising and true about human nature in these beautifully crafted gems.
Available from Amazon
Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide – Rupert Holmes
A New York Times bestseller from Edgar Award–winning novelist, playwright, and story-songwriter Rupert Holmes. Prepare for an education you’ll never forget. A “fiendishly funny” (Booklist) mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you’ll ever read.
Available on Amazon
Non-fiction
Memoirs and Reflections – Roy McMurtry
From “the Kid” on the Varsity Blues football team to “the Chief” at Osgoode Hall, R. Roy McMurtry has had a remarkably varied and influential career. This is a portrait of a humane, humorous, unfailingly optimistic, and always decent man.
Available from Amazon
From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way – Jesse Thistle
In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle, once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar, chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. From the Ashes was a finalist for CBC Canada Reads.
Available from Indigo
The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary – Melissa Murray, Andrew Weissmann
In the long span of American history, Donald Trump is the first former president to face criminal indictment.This is a necessary handbook for anyone following the trials in 2024, The Trump Indictments will endure as an indispensable record of a democracy at the crossroads.
Available from Amazon