October 1976
(Volume 1-1)
Resource News was published as a free 12-page newsletter. Resource News had a circulation of 200. The 12-page newsletter was sent to individuals and agencies across Canada and it was hoped that such a vehicle would facilitate dialogue among social services, community, school, and library groups. The focus of the newsletter was on law related events, announcements, speakers, meetings, and conventions. It acted as a vehicle for dialogue and discussion among interested groups about law-related issues.
October 1980
(Volume 5-1)
Resource News changes format from a newsletter to a magazine
September 1985
(Volume 10-1)
Resource News starts charging $2.50 per issue and $15 for yearly subscription
December/January 1988/89
(Volume 13-4)
Resource News changes name to LawNow
August/September 1995 20th Anniversary
(Volume 20-1)
Editor Marsha Mildon wrote the following in her Notebook column of Volume 20-1 of LawNow:
“While there have been all these changes in the presentation of the magazine [moved from a five or six page stapled newsletter to a 48-page bimonthly magazine…moved from a publication written entirely by LRC staff to one written by lawyers and other professionals], we think there has been a continuity in our purpose and content. From the beginning, we have believed that the Canadian public wants good quality up-to-date legal information written in English that is easy and interesting to read. We have also believed that the public…are interested in comment – even controversial – and philosophical discussion about the law in addition to hard information.
With this issue, we believe we come closer than ever before to providing an interesting mix of information and comment.”
January 1998
Pilot project launched for LawNow Online and UPDATE.
In the School's In column of Volume 24-1, Marsha Mildon wrote about LawNow Online in the WWW Universe:
"We embarked on the process of developing LawNow Online for three main reasons. First, since many readers ask for reprints of past articles, we wanted an indexed archive of the wealth of information we had published over the years. Thus, we created the LawNow Online searchable database of our archives from Volume 20 onward. Not only can the archives be searched, but they can be downloaded and printed via Word for Windows 6 or 7, RTF, or HTML.
Second, we know that many of our print magazine subscribers want extra-easy accessibility to one or two articles per issue. For example, a teacher may find an article on human rights in the classroom that will fit perfectly with a lesson he or she is planning. To provide this kind of single article accessibility, we have created the LawNow Online Current Magazine. It contains all the articles contained in the print magazine; however, they are designed to suit both those who wish to read one article on screen and for those who want to hit their print key and print a classroom supply of a particular article.
Third—and one of my personal favourite parts of LNOL—we wanted to have a more timely column for our subscribers than we are able to supply in the bi-monthly magazine. Thus, my Associate Editor, Teresa Mitchell, now writes an electronic version of her popular Update column. This column UPDATE goes out to LNOL subscribers twice each month and provides them with concise summaries of important and interesting cases and legislation which have been decided in the preceding period."
August/September 2000 25th Anniversary
(Volume 25-1)
On the occasion of LawNow’s 25th anniversary, Mildon wrote the following in her Another Viewpoint column:
“From the beginning, it [LawNow] had dual purposes: first, to inform people of existing law so that they might be better able to deal with the law as it impacted their every day lives at home, work, and in their communities. This is the easier of LawNow’s tasks.
Second, however, we have always believed it is crucial to engage people in an exploration— not so much of law—but of justice in its widest sense; a deep investigation of how we as a Canadian people want to incarnate that dream of a ‘Just Society’…as LawNow looks toward its next twenty-five years, our second purpose becomes even more crucial. We are at a point in the nation where we must confront the growing sense of paradise—and justice—lost. To develop that dream of a justice- based society, we Canadians must find ways to grow open to all our value systems and to build something so strong, so cohesive yet so accepting of diversity that it is undoubtedly yet to be imagined.
We must ask critical questions “Are there values to which we can all agree?
What does each of us mean when we envision justice? What does a society of equals really look like? And how can we, as a diverse society, weave together these values and these visions.
At LawNow, we intend to ask these questions and to encourage discussion within the community of LawNow readers.”
October/November 2005 30th Anniversary
(Volume 30-1)
LawNow begins its 30th year of publication.
