Federation of Law Societies of Canada

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Federation of
Law Societies of Canada
Fédération des ordres professionnels de juristes du Canada
AbbreviationFLSC
PredecessorConference of Governing Bodies of the Legal Profession in Canada
Formation1972; 50 years ago (1972)
Membership
14 law societies
President
Sheila M. MacPherson
Main organ
Council of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada
SubsidiariesCanLII
Websiteflsc.ca

The Federation of Law Societies of Canada (French: Fédération des ordres professionnels de juristes du Canada) is the national coordinating body of Canada's 14 law societies.

History[]

The Conference of Governing Bodies of the Legal Profession in Canada, formed in 1927, was the precursor of the Federation. The Federation was formed in 1972 to coordinate policies of provincial and territorial law societies.[1]

The Federation recommended that a proposed[when?] law school at Trinity Western University be approved by individual law societies.[2][3] A number of law societies did not agree to accredit the school.[2]

Reforms[]

In 2002, it formulated the National Mobility Agreement [4] which facilitated the practice of law across provincial jurisdictions.

The Federation's Task Force on the Common Law Degree released its final report in 2009. The report recommended that law societies for Canada's common law jurisdictions (all provinces and territories except Quebec) adopt a national minimum requirement for those seeking to enter bar admission programs. [5] It proposed that law schools teach certain minimum competencies, a stand-alone ethics course, and possess certain institutional minimums. It would also affect the Federation's National Committee on Accreditation which permits the admittance of foreign educated students.

CanLII[]

Main article: CanLII

The right of access to the law has been asserted through the Montreal Declaration. The Declaration was first promulgated in 2002 through the Legal Information Institutes of the world.[6] In Canada, the National Virtual Law Library Group had presented a proposal for a free data base to the Federation of Law Societies of Canada in August 2000. Out of this initiative CanLII was created. CanLII is a non-profit organization that provides free access to legal information. It is funded by the Federation. The Board of Directors of CanLII reports to the Federation. CanLII's role is to address the interests of the provincial and territorial law societies as well as the needs of the legal profession and the general public for free access to law.[7]

Member organizations[]

The FLSC is made up of 14 member organizations with one law society from each province and territory. The exception is Quebec which has two law societies, one for lawyers and one for civil law notaries.

Jurisdiction Society Founded
 Alberta Law Society of Alberta 1907
 British Columbia Law Society of British Columbia 1869
 Manitoba Law Society of Manitoba 1907
 New Brunswick Law Society of New Brunswick 1846[8]
 Newfoundland and Labrador Law Society of Newfoundland and Labrador 1834[9]
 Northwest Territories 1978[10]
 Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Barristers' Society 1825
 Nunavut Law Society of Nunavut 1999
 Ontario Law Society of Ontario 1797
 Prince Edward Island 1876[11]
 Quebec Bar of Quebec 1849
Chamber of Notaries of Quebec 1870[12]
 Saskatchewan Law Society of Saskatchewan 1907
 Yukon Law Society of Yukon 1971[13]

References[]

  1. ^ Federation history
  2. ^ a b "Jessie Legaree: Will I be a future victim of ever-narrowing diversity?". National Post. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  3. ^ "B.C. Supreme Court rules in favour of Christian law school". CTVNews. Retrieved 2016-02-23.
  4. ^ National Mobility Agreement
  5. ^ Common Law Degree Report
  6. ^ Montreal Declaration 2002
  7. ^ About CanLII
  8. ^ "History". Law Society of New Brunswick. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  9. ^ Baker, Melvin. "History of Newfoundland and Labrador Summary Chronology of Events" (PDF). Royal Commission on Renewing and Strengthening Our Place in Canada. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  10. ^ "About Us". Law Society of the Northwest Territories. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  11. ^ "History". Law Society of Prince Edward Island. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  12. ^ [http://www.cnq.org/fr/histoire-quebecoise-notariat.html Histoire québécoise du notariat - Chambre des notaries du Québec
  13. ^ "Yukon Law Society". Alberta on Record. Archives Society of Alberta. Retrieved August 25, 2019.

External links[]

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