The whole issue of tools needed to practise law that come from the commercial world is a big problem for francophones in minority situations, because the commercial market is not big enough to justify the expense. The problem is partly resolved by the gradual replacement of commercial databases with non-profit databases.
The database that is being used more and more now is being developed by CanLII. All of the provincial bar associations are participating in the process to encourage information exchange rather than make profits. Of course, nothing is free, but at least agreements are made with non-profit organizations that are not only interested in trying to make money with the legal community.
We could talk at length about certain software programs that help in family law or that offer models of wills and estates, for example, but that are not available at all outside Quebec where there is a francophone market.
It is important to support these projects through funding to community organizations. At the moment, for example, there is a project in Ontario that helps the AJEFO and the Centre for Legal Translation and Documentation to select important cases from the Ontario Court of Appeal for dissemination in both languages. Projects like this can at least begin to build case law.
Of course, as with any field, the more terminology is constructed, the easier it is to produce decisions in both languages, since legal experts and jurilinguists do not need to reinvent the wheel.
Of course, having an obligation under legislation would be ideal. In the meantime, we will be able to make projects by giving funding to existing community organizations and networks.