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Federation of Ontario Law Associations
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FOLA Letter to MAYOR TORY RE: METROLINX AT THE lso

READ LETTER HERE

LAW SOCIETY OF ONTARIO

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

The Professional Regulation Committee’s consultation report: Mandatory Succession Planning was included as an information item at the June 2022 Convocation. The Consultation period ended on November 30th.


Download the PRC's Report


FOLA Submission 

CCLA Submission

VIEW FOLA'S SUBMISSION

LSO COMPETENCY TASK FORCE

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

NEW COMPETENCY FRAMEWORK

In May 2022, Convocation considered the Competency Task Force’s report and approved a new Competency Framework which includes: 

  • The creation of an online practice essentials course which will be mandatory for lawyers or paralegals within one year of setting up as a sole practitioner for the first time, effective January 2024 
  • Amending the Rules of Professional Conduct and the Paralegal Professional Conduct Guidelines to adopt the Federation of Law Societies of Canada Model Code of Professional Conduct commentary (Section 3.1-2) regarding technological competence
  • The elimination of the six-hour limit on archived or recorded Continuing Professional Development programs that are eligible for credit each year
  • The wind-up of the Certified Specialist Program. Licensees who are currently Certified Specialists may use the designation until Dec. 31, 2022. (The Indigenous Legal Issues specialization continues subject to any future recommendation by the Equity and Indigenous Affairs Committee to Convocation.)   


Read FOLA's Statement regarding the LSO's Report here.


BACKGROUND


In June 2021, the Competence Task Force’s Report: Renewing the Law Society’s Continuing Competence Framework was included as an Information Item to Convocation and the LSO subsequently issued a Call for Comment on it. That Report detailed the Law Society’s mandate to regulate the competence of lawyers and paralegals and provides an overview of how competence regulation has evolved to keep pace with regulatory best practices. That Report also provided an overview of the Task Force’s work plan, a working definition of competence, and proposed themes and principles which may inform new approaches to competence programs and requirements.


Most importantly, that Report included comments on the importance of LiRN and of providing supports to small/soles.


FOLA's SUBMISSION

CCLA's Submission

HLA's Submission

TLA's Submission

Roundtable of Legal Diversity Associations' Submission

READ THE 2022 REPORT

LAWYER LICENCING PILOT PROJECT

MANDATORY SUCCESSION PLANNING

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

On January 17, 2022, the Law Society, in partnership with the SCJ and the OCJ, launched a pilot project which allows eligible lawyer licensing candidates (namely articling students, LPP students and candidates completing their placements as part of the integrated practice curriculum program at Lakehead or Ryerson) to attend an increased number of matters related to family law cases without first needing the permission of the court pursuant to Rule 4(1)(c) of the Family Law Rules. 


Further information about the pilot project, including information with respect to when advance permission is not required but stand-by availability is required, as well as when advance permission is required, can be found on the Law Society website here.  


A short video about the Rights of Appearance project, which was initially presented at the 16th Family Law Summit, can be found at the link here.


Please feel free to send comments to PolicyConsultation@lso.ca. 

LEARN MORE

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

In April 2022, Convocation confirmed a policy of mandatory minimum compensation for articling and other experiential training positions. The decision follows a debate and input from the profession on whether the minimum compensation requirement should be replaced with a best practices approach that encourages but does not require minimum compensation. 


Mandatory minimum compensation for articling, the Law Practice Program and the Programme de pratique du droit was initially approved by Convocation in December 2018, as part of a series of enhancements to the lawyer licensing process, but implementation was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.  


The target date for implementation is May 1, 2023.


This vote followed a comprehensive consultation period and both the TLA''s & FOLA's Submission can be found below.


TLA Submission

VIEW FOLA'S SUBMISSION

FAMILY LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS REPORT

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

FAMILY LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS REPORT

In advance of the February 2022 Convocation, FOLA, The Advocates’ Society, the Toronto Lawyers Association, and Family Lawyers Association have issued a Joint Communiqué on the LSO’s FLSP licencing Report to Convocation in response to the LSO’s Report on Family Legal Services Provider Licence. 


The LSO has received input from various stakeholders across the justice sector (including from FOLA) and now think this requires consideration.  As a result, the Access to Justice Committee Report on the FLSP Licence will not be on the agenda for the meeting of Convocation on February 24, 2022.  The LSO will be considering next steps and how best to move access to legal services forward and will share further updates as they move ahead.


Background

In June 2020, the Law Society’s Access to Justice Committee invited lawyers, paralegals, legal organizations and members of the public to provide comments on a FLSP Licensing model.

The proposed scope of permissible activities, required competencies and outline of the training program were detailed in the Access to Justice Committee: Family Legal Services Provider Licence Consultation Paper.


Following extensive consultations with Law Association members, FOLA  presented the Law Society with our Submission on November 30, 2020.

OTHER ASSOCIATION SUBMISSIONS

Toronto Lawyers Association


JUMP TO :  

ONTARIO's FAMILY LAW LIMITED SCOPE SERVICES PROJECT

VIEW FOLA'S SUBMISSION

ACCESS TO INNOVATION (A2I)

MANDATORY MINIMUM COMPENSATION FOR EXPERIENTIAL TRAINING

FAMILY LEGAL SERVICE PROVIDERS REPORT

On November 3, the Law Society’s Access to Innovation (A2I) project began accepting applications from providers of innovative technological legal services (ITLS).
 

A2I opens up avenues for improved access to justice and offers new ways to reach consumers, while protecting the public. In addition to supporting providers of technological legal services with a framework to develop responsible and innovative tools, the A2I project helps legal professionals understand the opportunities associated with ITLS and how they can enhance their work by using, adapting to, or developing their own ITLS tools. 


 Access to Innovation fact sheets: 

English and French 

Information about eligibility, the application process and more

COVID-19 - FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE

COVID-19 - FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE

COVID-19 - FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: LSO EMERGENCY FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE 


In response to the suspension of regular court operations, the LSO set up an Emergency Family Law Referral Line ("EFLRL") with support from the OBA, FOLA, the courts and various family bar groups. The EFLRL call centre has LSO staff who will connect self-represented litigants with lawyers for 30 minutes of pro bono legal advice to assist in determining whether their matters are “urgent” as defined by the Courts and to help those with urgent matters get further assistance.

 

If you are interested in joining the roster of lawyers providing this pro bono service, please email advocacy@oba.org with the following information: (1) Your contact information; (2) Whether you are able to take on domestic violence and child protection matters; (3) Whether you provide legal services in French.

CONTINGENCY FEE REFORMS

COVID-19 - FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE

COVID-19 - FAMILY LAW REFERRAL LINE

In 2017, Convocation approved a set of reforms to the contingency fee regime to enhance consumer protection, improve transparency and fairness for clients, and facilitate access to justice. Amendments to the Solicitors Act and regulations, as well amendments to the Law Society’s rules of conduct are required to fully implement the reforms.

On October 22, 2020, Convocation approved amendments to the lawyer and paralegal conduct rules to implement certain transparency requirements, previously approved in principle by Convocation. The amendments, which come into effect July 1, 2021, include:

  • requirement to disclose the maximum contingency fee percentage charged
  • requirement to provide potential clients with the standard form consumer guide entitled Contingency Fees: What you need to know  (to come)
  • requirement to provide certain fee-related reporting to clients on completion of the agreement.


See the Professional Regulation Committee report to Convocation for more information. The Paralegal Professional Conduct Guidelines were also amended (see report).

LEARN MORE

Downloads

Governance Task Force - FOLA Submission Oct 2018 (pdf)Download
TLA Submission: LSO Governance - Oct 2018 (pdf)Download
Thunder Bay LA LSO Governance Task Force Submission - Oct 2018 (pdf)Download
HLA Submissions re LSO Governance - Oct 2018 (pdf)Download
LSO Governance Task Force Review - Call for Comment - Aug 2018 (pdf)Download
Tribunal Committee Report - Convocation Feb 2019 (pdf)Download
Tribunal Committee Report - Convocation Feb 2019 (pdf)Download
LSO Convocation From - COVID19 (pdf)Download
CCLA-Competency-Task-Force-Comment (pdf)Download
FOLA Response to the Competence Task Force - Nov 2021 (pdf)Download
fact-sheet-access-to-innovation-en (pdf)Download
fact-sheet-access-to-innovation-fr (pdf)Download
HLA Competence Task Force Submission (pdf)Download
TLA submission re Competence Task Force (pdf)Download
RODA.LSO.ContinuingCompetencyFramework.2021 (pdf)Download

Downloads

TLA Submission on Mandatory Minimum Compensation - March 2022 (pdf)Download
FOLA Submission on Mandatory Minimum Compensation - March 2022 (pdf)Download
competence-task-force-report - May 2022 (pdf)Download
FOLA Statement re LSO Competence Task Force - May 2022 (pdf)Download
2022 06 01 - LT Metrolinx re Osgoode Hall (pdf)Download
FOLA RE Metrolinx at Osgoode Hall - The Lawyer's Daily (pdf)Download
TLA Letter to Metrolinx June 13 2022 (pdf)Download
Metrolinx Response to TLA July 2022 (pdf)Download
Metrolinx Response to FOLA July 2022 (pdf)Download
FOLA letter - ID Verification - LSO (pdf)Download
2022 11 25 - LT Mayor Tory with Enclosures (pdf)Download
CCLA-Consultation-Mandatory-Succession-Planning (pdf)Download
LSO consultation-report-mandatory-succession-planning - 2022 (pdf)Download
FOLA LT LSO re Mandatory Succession Planning (pdf)Download
ACJO Fairburn letter to AGl Downey re Metrolinx (pdf)Download

Downloads

Letter to LSO re PAC Remedial Measures January 13 2022 (pdf)Download
FOLA LT to Metrolinx Jan 30 2023 (pdf)Download
LSO v. Metrolinx - Endorsement dated Feb. 5 2023 - Chalmers J (pdf)Download

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