Difference between revisions of "The Law Society, Bar Associations, and Law Foundation"

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{{REVIEWEDPLS | reviewer = [https://www.gilchristlaw.com/team/ Steven Gjukich], Gilchrist & Company|date= March 2018}} {{Dial-A-Law TOC|expanded = help}}
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Several organizations play roles overseeing and supporting the legal profession in British Columbia. Learn how between them, they regulate lawyers, promote the interests of lawyers, and support access to justice.


==Understand the legal framework==


The legal profession in BC is closely involved with various organizations. These organizations and their roles can be confusing. This script explains 3 key organizations – the Law Society of BC, the Canadian Bar Association, and the Law Foundation. It also explains what they do and how to contact them.
===The Law Society of BC regulates lawyers===
The '''Law Society of BC''' is the governing body for the legal profession in British Columbia. Under the ''[https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/stat/sbc-1998-c-9/latest/sbc-1998-c-9.html#sec3_smooth Legal Profession Act]'', its duty is to protect the public interest in the administration of justice. A board of directors, called '''benchers''', governs the Law Society. The board consists of 25 elected lawyers and six appointed non-lawyers (called lay benchers). The lawyer benchers are elected to represent districts across BC.  


==The Law Society of BC==
====Protecting the public====
The Law Society is the governing body for the legal profession in BC. Located in Vancouver, its main duty, under the ''Legal Profession Act'', is to regulate the legal profession in the public interest. A Board of 31 directors, called Benchers, governs the Law Society. The Board consists of 25 elected lawyers and 6 appointed non-lawyers (called lay-Benchers). The lawyer Benchers are elected by other lawyers and serve 2-year terms. They represent districts across BC. The 6 lay-Benchers are appointed by the BC provincial government to represent the public interest in all Law Society decisions. The senior Bencher is the President of the Law Society.
The Law Society works to ensure that lawyers do their work properly and that the public is well served by lawyers who are honourable, competent and independent. It sets and enforces standards for licensing, competence, education, ethics, and professional conduct. The Law Society also sets the qualifications to become a lawyer and to practise law in BC.


==What does the Law Society do?==
The Law Society requires lawyers to carry '''liability insurance''' to protect clients who suffer financial loss because of their lawyer's negligence. It also has a fund to pay clients who lose money because their lawyer steals trust money.
The Law Society works to ensure that lawyers do their work properly and that the public is well served by lawyers who are honourable, competent, and independent. It sets and enforces standards for licensing, competence, education, ethics, professional conduct, and discipline. The Law Society also sets the qualifications to become a lawyer and to practise law in BC. Only members of the Law Society can practise law in BC, though lawyers from other provinces may practise in BC temporarily. The Law Society recently started a mandatory continuing professional development program. All practicing members must complete a certain number of hours of both educational and ethical courses.


The Law Society deals with complaints from the public about lawyers' conduct. Most complaints result from misunderstandings. In some cases, the Law Society holds a hearing into a lawyer's conduct. All Law Society hearings are open to the public. If the hearing finds the lawyer guilty of professional misconduct, conduct unbecoming, or a breach of the ''Legal Profession Act'' or Law Society rules, the Law Society may reprimand, fine, or suspend the lawyer for months or years. It can also put conditions on the lawyer. And for serious misconduct, the Society can disbar a lawyer, meaning that the lawyer can’t practise law.
====Dealing with complaints====
The Law Society deals with [[If You Have a Problem with a Lawyer (No. 436)|complaints from the public]] about lawyers' conduct. In some cases, the Law Society holds a hearing into a lawyer's conduct. All Law Society hearings are open to the public. If the hearing finds the lawyer guilty of professional misconduct or a breach of the rules or laws governing lawyers, the Law Society may reprimand, fine or suspend the lawyer. It can also put conditions on the lawyer. And for serious misconduct, the Law Society can '''disbar''' a lawyer, meaning that the lawyer can’t practise law.


The Law Society requires lawyers to carry liability insurance to protect clients who suffer financial loss because of their lawyer's negligence. It also has a fund to pay clients who lose money because their lawyer steals trust money.
To contact the Law Society, visit [https://www.lawsociety.bc.ca lawsociety.bc.ca], or call 604-669-2533 in the Lower Mainland or 1-800-903-5300 elsewhere in BC.


===To contact the Law Society===
===The Canadian Bar Association promotes the interests of lawyers===
Call 604.669.2533 in the lower mainland, 1.800.903.5300 elsewhere in BC, or see [http://www.lawsociety.bc.ca www.lawsociety.bc.ca].
The '''Canadian Bar Association''', or CBA, is a voluntary national organization that promotes the interests of the legal profession and promotes law reform. The '''British Columbia Branch''' of the CBA helps its lawyer members in BC stay current in their areas of practice. Lawyers with similar professional interests meet regularly and exchange information and ideas. Unlike the Law Society, the CBA does not license or regulate lawyers. To contact the BC Branch of the CBA, visit [https://www.cbabc.org/Home cbabc.org], or call 604-687-3404 in the Lower Mainland or 1-888-687-3404 elsewhere in BC.


==The Canadian Bar Association==
====Local bar associations====  
The Canadian Bar Association, or CBA, is a voluntary national organization that promotes the interests of the legal profession and promotes law reform. The BC Branch of the CBA helps its lawyer members in BC stay current in their areas of practice. Lawyers with similar professional interests meet monthly and exchange ideas and information. Unlike the Law Society, the CBA does not license or regulate lawyers.
There are also local bar associations in most cities and towns in British Columbia. They are voluntary organizations concerned with local matters affecting their lawyer members.


There are also local bar associations in most BC cities and towns. They are voluntary organizations concerned with local matters affecting their lawyer members.
===The Law Foundation of BC advances access to justice===
 
The '''Law Foundation of BC''' is a non-profit organization, created by law in 1969. It receives and distributes the interest on clients' funds held in lawyers' pooled trust accounts. The Foundation uses this money to fund programs and projects throughout BC that benefit the public in the areas of legal education, legal research, legal aid, law reform, and law libraries. These initiatives advance a just society and the public’s access to justice. Dial-A-Law is one of the legal education programs that the Foundation funds.
With funding from the Law Foundation (described below), which collects the interest from lawyers’ trust accounts, the BC Branch of the CBA provides two public service programs:
*'''Dial-A-Law''' provides free legal information on more than 130 topics. Scripts are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi and accessible by telephone and the internet. Call 604.687.4680 in the lower mainland or 1.800.565.5297 elsewhere in BC. The website is [http://www.dialalaw.org www.dialalaw.org].
 
*the '''Lawyer Referral Service''' provides the names and telephone numbers of lawyers in your area who will give you up to a half-hour consultation for $25 plus tax. Call 604.687.3221 in the lower mainland or 1.800.663.1919 elsewhere in BC.
 
====To contact the CBA====
Call 604.687.3404 in the lower mainland or 1.888.687.3404 elsewhere in BC. Or go to [http://www.cbabc.org www.cbabc.org].
 
==The Law Foundation of British Columbia==
The Law Foundation is a non-profit entity, created by law in 1969. It receives and distributes the interest on clients' funds held in lawyers' pooled trust accounts. All interest earned on these accounts goes to the Law Foundation. The small amounts earned by the funds of many clients held for a short time in their lawyers’ trust accounts add up to a substantial income for the Law Foundation. The Foundation uses this money for legal education, legal research, legal aid, law reform, and law libraries. Dial-A-Law is one of the legal education programs that the Law Foundation funds.
 
====To contact the Law Foundation====
Call 604.688.2337 or go to [http://www.lawfoundationbc.org www.lawfoundationbc.org].
 
 
[updated June 2012]
 
 
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To contact the Law Foundation of BC, visit [https://www.lawfoundationbc.org lawfoundationbc.org] or call 604-688-2337.


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Revision as of 17:54, 31 March 2019

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Steven Gjukich, Gilchrist & Company in March 2018.
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Several organizations play roles overseeing and supporting the legal profession in British Columbia. Learn how between them, they regulate lawyers, promote the interests of lawyers, and support access to justice.

Understand the legal framework

The Law Society of BC regulates lawyers

The Law Society of BC is the governing body for the legal profession in British Columbia. Under the Legal Profession Act, its duty is to protect the public interest in the administration of justice. A board of directors, called benchers, governs the Law Society. The board consists of 25 elected lawyers and six appointed non-lawyers (called lay benchers). The lawyer benchers are elected to represent districts across BC.

Protecting the public

The Law Society works to ensure that lawyers do their work properly and that the public is well served by lawyers who are honourable, competent and independent. It sets and enforces standards for licensing, competence, education, ethics, and professional conduct. The Law Society also sets the qualifications to become a lawyer and to practise law in BC.

The Law Society requires lawyers to carry liability insurance to protect clients who suffer financial loss because of their lawyer's negligence. It also has a fund to pay clients who lose money because their lawyer steals trust money.

Dealing with complaints

The Law Society deals with complaints from the public about lawyers' conduct. In some cases, the Law Society holds a hearing into a lawyer's conduct. All Law Society hearings are open to the public. If the hearing finds the lawyer guilty of professional misconduct or a breach of the rules or laws governing lawyers, the Law Society may reprimand, fine or suspend the lawyer. It can also put conditions on the lawyer. And for serious misconduct, the Law Society can disbar a lawyer, meaning that the lawyer can’t practise law.

To contact the Law Society, visit lawsociety.bc.ca, or call 604-669-2533 in the Lower Mainland or 1-800-903-5300 elsewhere in BC.

The Canadian Bar Association promotes the interests of lawyers

The Canadian Bar Association, or CBA, is a voluntary national organization that promotes the interests of the legal profession and promotes law reform. The British Columbia Branch of the CBA helps its lawyer members in BC stay current in their areas of practice. Lawyers with similar professional interests meet regularly and exchange information and ideas. Unlike the Law Society, the CBA does not license or regulate lawyers. To contact the BC Branch of the CBA, visit cbabc.org, or call 604-687-3404 in the Lower Mainland or 1-888-687-3404 elsewhere in BC.

Local bar associations

There are also local bar associations in most cities and towns in British Columbia. They are voluntary organizations concerned with local matters affecting their lawyer members.

The Law Foundation of BC advances access to justice

The Law Foundation of BC is a non-profit organization, created by law in 1969. It receives and distributes the interest on clients' funds held in lawyers' pooled trust accounts. The Foundation uses this money to fund programs and projects throughout BC that benefit the public in the areas of legal education, legal research, legal aid, law reform, and law libraries. These initiatives advance a just society and the public’s access to justice. Dial-A-Law is one of the legal education programs that the Foundation funds.

To contact the Law Foundation of BC, visit lawfoundationbc.org or call 604-688-2337.

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