Partner Brandon Hastings’ recent column for CBABC’s BarTalk picked up by the CBA’s National magazine

Northpoint Legal LLP is pleased to share that partner Brandon Hastings’ recent column for CBABC’s BarTalk, “Why Civility is Important,” has been picked up by the CBA’s National magazine under the title “Why civility matters,” bringing the discussion to a national audience.
 
In the piece, Hastings argues that tone in legal correspondence is not a matter of style, but a core part of a lawyer’s duty of advocacy. Drawing on the Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia, he contrasts the outdated shorthand of “zealous advocacy” with the profession’s actual obligation: to advocate resolutely, honourably, and fairly. He suggests that our written work should function as “instruments of resolution, not weapons of war,” and that defaulting to invective or “shock and awe” letters is often bad advocacy—harmful to clients, to public trust, and to the long-term credibility of the profession.
 
The article also brings empirical research into a day-to-day lawyering question: how our letters make people feel. Hastings highlights studies on “social-evaluative threat,” showing that being judged on a permanent record by an evaluative audience triggers stronger stress responses, and research connecting written incivility with insomnia and next-morning negative affect. A strongly-worded demand letter, particularly when read by someone without counsel, checks all of those boxes. The practical takeaway is straightforward: unnecessarily harsh communication can impair decision-making, entrench conflict, and impose health and relational costs that lawyers rarely see, even when the letter “works” in the narrow sense.
 
For Hastings, the alternative is not euphemism or avoiding hard messages. It is a disciplined commitment to “resolute, not zealous” advocacy: saying what needs to be said, in clear, grounded terms, while remembering that the recipient is a human being. It is about simultaneous respect and forthrightness. He also urges lawyers to extend grace to one another—assuming good faith where possible, and, when tone is unclear, picking up the phone rather than escalating on the page.
 
This focus on civil, evidence-informed advocacy reflects Northpoint Legal’s broader approach to litigation and dispute resolution. Our firm’s work in family law, civil disputes, insurance, transportation, employment, and estate litigation is rooted in clear analysis, credibility with the court, and practical resolution strategies for serious, often high-stress problems. The way we write—whether in a demand letter, a settlement proposal, or submissions to the court—is a key part of that strategy.
 
Hastings writes regularly about modernizing practice and professional culture. He is BarTalk’s “(Re)Designing Practice” columnist, focused on how better systems and tools can improve outcomes for clients and for the professionals who support them. His work on civility in correspondence sits alongside his contributions on legal innovation, including AI and access-to-justice initiatives, as part of an ongoing effort to align everyday practice with the profession’s highest commitments.