I've just had the first taste of my Information Technology Law class. It was a little dry, as it only covered the basics of the judicial system but the one interesting thing I learned was a minor difference between the Canadian and American systems.

In Canada it is the norm for lawyers to charge by the hour and the party that loses has to pay the winner's lawyer fees. In the States the lawyer takes a percentage of the penalty awarded and nothing if their client loses. Both systems have there strong points. The Canadian system prevents petty suits being brought to court, but it always makes it difficult for the poor to strive for justice.