February feature: On-going regulatory reform

This month’s feature looks at a few of the jurisdictions currently engaging in a review of the legislative framework for the regulation of legal services. These reviews cover issues ranging from a restatement of the objectives of lawyer regulation through to a fundamental redesign of the architecture of regulation and the roles and responsibilities of…

Law Society of Ontario hosts 8th annual access-to-justice week

The eighth annual Access to Justice Week (A2J Week) in Ontario, held from October 23 to 27, marked the “10th anniversary of Canada’s Justice Development Goals.” The event showcased over 30 virtual and in-person programs, attracting more than 3000 participants nationwide. Focused on reviewing a decade of progress and setting goals for the future, the…

Law society of Saskatchewan begins beta use of AI for case law summaries

The Law Society of Saskatchewan in partnership with Lexum has introduced AI-powered case law summaries on CanLII, the Canadian Legal Information Institute, for recent decisions from Saskatchewan. This initiative aims to enhance the accessibility of Saskatchewan case law by providing quick access to crucial case points. The integration of AI-powered summaries brings benefits such as…

The National Requirement Review Committee of Canada is conducting a review of National Requirements.

The National Requirement Review Committee (NRRC) is conducting a comprehensive review of the National Requirement, which specifies the knowledge and skills required for graduates of Canadian law school programs and internationally trained graduates and lawyers to be admitted to law society admission programs in the Canadian common law jurisdictions. The NRRC has received input from…

Recommendations made following Canadian study into well-being of the legal profession

The original report showed the Canadian legal profession had significantly high levels of psychological distress and depressive thoughts. These came from a number of different causes, including violence and incivility in the workplace as well as organisational risk factors such as emotional demands of the job, lack of resources, job insecurity, compassion fatigue and workload….

The Law Society of Ontario opens its paralegal insurance portlet

The Law Society of Ontario has launched a new insurance portal for paralegals, the new portlet is now live. Licensees can access the portlet through their portal account. This new online self-serve tool allows paralegals to review and update their insurance information quickly and easily, identify as “exempt” under By-Law 6 or indicate that they work under the…

The Law Society of Ontario seeks feedback on how to support legal professionals with succession planning

The Law Society of Ontario’s Professional Regulation Committee has launched a consultation process to obtain feedback on a recommendation from the Trustee Services Working Group to implement a mandatory succession planning requirement for licensees in private practice. The proposed plan includes the development of mandatory succession planning criteria, the creation of supports and resources to…

The Law Society of Ontario, Canada, launches initiatives to improve the career-long professional development of lawyers and paralegals

The Law Society of Ontario, Canada, has launched a number of new initiatives to improve the career-long professional development of lawyers and paralegals. The Law Society’s Board of Directors approved the new competency framework after a consultation period The new Competency Framework includes the creation of a practice essentials course which will be mandatory for…

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