The lead book (be a member and you get one) is Adam Dodek's Heenan Blaikie, about a law firm that blew its own brains out and went out of business in 2014. (Previously noted here.)
The other new books are two lawyers' legal history of the Canadian income tax, volume 2; a philosophy professor's exploration of a early 20th century Saskatchewan murder that practically no one has paid any attention to since the execution of the perpetrator, who was probably wrongfully convicted (tho' he did kill the guy!); and historian Ian Radforth's exploration of a celebrated nineteenth century murder in Ontario.
A close and serious exposition of income tax law is not a pageturner, as the author wryly admitted last night, but damn useful if that is precisely the thing you need to know. Histories of bankruptcy law, of adoption law, of the Torrens land holding system, and others similar in kind preceded it -- and how many would have been written and published without an effective legal history publishing organization like the Osgoode. Two strong historical accounts in criminal law, and a contribution to law firm history -- not a bad haul.
Nice to see lots of friends and colleagues too. Well catered as ever, too.
