Number of paralegal benchers to
increase by three
New legislation that received Royal Assent
on December 12, 2013 will enhance Law Society governance by increasing the
number of elected paralegal benchers from two to five.
This means that the five licensed paralegals to be elected on March 31, 2014
will be benchers in Convocation and members of the Paralegal Standing
Committee.
Bill 111, Modernizing
Regulation of the Legal Profession Act, 2013 , was first introduced by
Attorney General John Gerretsen on October 1, 2013, following governance
reforms adopted by Convocation
last spring. Full Storyback to top
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PSC election nominations close January 17
Are
you or your colleagues interested in having a say in the governance of licensed
paralegals in Ontario?
As noted above, the second
province-wide election for the five paralegal members of the Law Society’s
Paralegal Standing Committee, all of whom will become benchers, will be held in
March 2014.
The deadline for submitting
nominations is 5 p.m. ESTJanuary 17, 2014. Full Story
back to top
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Election eligibility criteria
To be
eligible to run for election, candidates must:
• Be a
paralegal who is licensed by the Law Society to provide legal services and
whose licence is not suspended;
• Have a business address
(or home address if there is no business address) that is in Ontario and on
record with the Law Society;
• Be 18 or more years of age;
• Not be an undischarged bankrupt;
•
Consent to be a candidate. back to top
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Election primer webcast available online
If you missed out on the Law Society’s free webcast for paralegal election
candidates, you can watch it online.
The video provides an overview of election processes
and rules, a discussion of the role and duties of elected paralegals and
includes a question and answer session. back to top
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MAP provides valuable help
When
work becomes overwhelming or life takes a difficult turn, the Members
Assistance Program (MAP) is available to help. MAP is a confidential, free
program, funded by the Law Society to help licensees who may need assistance
from time to time.
Licensees can get professional help
with issues related to addictions, mental or physical health, work-life
balance, career, family and more. Full Storyback to top
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Advising your clients about access to legal services in
French
If you have clients who speak French, you have a
responsibility to advise them of their French language rights, as set out in
the Paralegal Rules of Conduct Rule 3.02(13).
If you are not able to offer services in French, refer your clients to lawyers
or paralegals who are competent in that language. Full Storyback to top
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Advertising rule reminder
When
promoting your legal services, it’s important to make sure all your advertising
content complies with the Paralegal
Rules of Conduct.
This includes advertising on
websites — even if the website is being managed by a third party. Full Storyback to top
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Reminder to log your
CPD hours by end of year
Due to the annual high volume of traffic on
the LSUC Portal during the last weeks of December, it’s important to ensure
your 2013 CPD hours are completed and recorded as soon as possible.
The deadline is December 31, 2013.
An online step-by-step
guide is available to help you through the process.
The CPD section of the LSUC
Portal is being simplified along with the reporting process. The new
section will feature a single entry for all programs and activities and
free-form entry of Professionalism Hours. Overall, fewer steps will be involved
and navigation will be improved.
As a result of
these changes, this section of the portal will be unavailable
from January 1 to 19, 2014.
Late fee policy
reminder
The default period during which lawyers and paralegals may
pay their annual fee or file their annual report without penalty is now 60
days.
Deadlines
January 1, 2014: Annual Fees due
March 2, 2014:
Final date to pay Annual Fees (not applicable to those enrolled in the
pre-authorized payment plan)
March 31, 2014: Annual
Reports due
May 30, 2014: Final date to file Annual
Reports
Other important 2014 dates are available in
the Gazette.
Communication
Accommodation
The Law Society is committed to maintaining an accessible
environment in the delivery of its goods and services to people with
disabilities.
A communications
access form is available online to help us ensure that we communicate
effectively with all of our licensees. The form can be submitted to the Equity
Department at equity@lsuc.on.ca.
Additionally, in accordance with the Customer Service
Standards and the Integrated Accessibility Standards adopted under the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, the Law
Society maintains documents describing its policies, practices and procedures
and will provide copies to anyone requesting them.
If you have any questions, please contact the Equity Department at
416-947-3300 or 1-800-668-7380.
Paralegal Welcome
Reception
The Law Society congratulated about 200 newly licensed
paralegals at a Paralegal Welcome Reception on November 21, 2013, at Osgoode
Hall.
The event is held twice annually for
newcomers to the profession.
Attorney General John
Gerretsen, Treasurer Thomas Conway and Paralegal Standing Committee Chair Cathy
Corsetti offered words of welcome to the audience.
Event coverage and photos are available in the Gazette.
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