October 26, 2023

2024 Budget: Today, Convocation approved the organization’s 2024 budget, focused on maintaining operations and continuing to build for the future. Following several years of significant program, administrative and policy burden reduction for licensees and operations, the Law Society has achieved many efficiencies. In 2024, the organization will continue to transform business processes and the related technology required to do so, while maintaining adequate fund balances for potential financial pressures.
 
Budget year 2024 will see a slight decrease in licensee fees — $45 for paralegals and $25 for lawyers. This decrease was achieved through continued improvements in the Law Society’s client service, regulatory and file management activities, and by using excess fund balances. Candidate licensing fees will remain the same in 2024. Read the news release. Read the report.
 
Practice essentials course: The Implementation date for the practice essentials course has been extended from January 2024 to January 2025. Recommended by the Competence Task Force, the online practice essentials course will be mandatory for lawyers or paralegals who become sole practitioners in or after January 2025. Read the report.
 
Rules of Procedure for Summary Orders: The Rules of Procedure for Summary Orders have been amended to allow for notices of summary orders to be served through LSO Connects, the Law Society’s new secure online communication channel. Licensees will receive an email notification whenever a document is posted to their LSO Connects account. Minor editorial changes to the rules were also approved. Read the report.
 
Other decisions

• Tribunal Committee report - deferred