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Script 431 gives information only, not legal advice. If you have a legal problem or need legal advice, you should speak to a lawyer. For the name of a lawyer to consult, call Lawyer Referral at 604.687.3221 in the lower mainland or 1.800.663.1919 elsewhere in British Columbia.
The legal profession in BC is closely involved with several different organizations. Their various roles and functions can be confusing. This script clarifies who does what.
1. What is the Law Society of BC?
The Law Society is the governing body for the legal profession in BC. The main duty of the Law Society, as set out in the Legal Profession Act, is to regulate the legal profession in the public interest. The Law Society works to ensure the public is well served by lawyers who are honourable, competent and independent. The Society sets and enforces educational, ethical and professional conduct standards for lawyers in BC.
Law Society directors are called Benchers
A board of 31 directors, known as “Benchers,” governs the Law Society. Twenty-five of the Benchers are lawyers elected by other lawyers and serve two-year terms. They represent districts across BC. In addition, the provincial government also appoints six non-lawyers, known as lay-Benchers, to ensure the public interest is represented in all Law Society decisions. The senior Bencher is the President of the Law Society.
The Law Society ensures that lawyers do their work properly
The Law Society sets standards for the licensing, competence, professional conduct and discipline of lawyers in BC. It sets the qualifications to become a lawyer and practise law in BC. Only members of the Law Society of BC can practise law in BC, although lawyers from other provinces may practise here on a short-term basis.
The Law Society also deals with complaints from the public about lawyers' conduct
Most complaints result from simple misunderstandings. For some complaints, the Law Society may hold a hearing into the 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, impose conditions on, or suspend the lawyer for months or years. For the most serious misconduct, a lawyer can be disbarred. A disbarred lawyer is not allowed to practise law in any way.
Lawyers must have liability insurance
The Law Society requires lawyers to carry liability insurance to protect clients who suffer financial loss because of their lawyer's negligence. It also maintains a special fund to provide compensation to clients who suffer a financial loss through their lawyer misappropriating or stealing trust monies.
How do you contact the Law Society?
To contact the Law Society, call 604.669.2533 in the lower mainland or 1.800.903.5300 toll-free elsewhere in BC. Also, see its website at www.lawsociety.bc.ca.
2. What is the Canadian Bar Association?
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 is not involved in licensing or regulating lawyers.
There are also local bar associations found in most BC cities and towns. They are also voluntary organizations concerned with local matters affecting their lawyer members.
With funding from the Law Foundation (described later in this script), which collects the interest from lawyers’ trust accounts, the BC Branch of the CBA provides two public service programs:
- Dial-A-Law
- the Lawyer Referral Service
What is Dial-A-Law?
Dial-A-Law offers 127 scripts with free information on various legal topics. Scripts are available in English, Chinese and Punjabi and are accessible by telephone and the Internet. The Dial-A-Law phone number is 604.687.4680 in the lower mainland and 1.800.565.5297 elsewhere in BC. The website is www.dialalaw.org.
What is the Lawyer Referral Service?
If you phone the Lawyer Referral Service, it will give you the names and telephone numbers of lawyers, in your geographical area, who will give you up to a half-hour consultation for $25 plus tax. In the lower mainland, call 604.687.3221. Elsewhere in BC, call 1.800.663.1919.
How do you contact the CBA?
To contact the BC Branch of the CBA, call 604.687.3404 in the lower mainland or 1.888.687.3404 elsewhere in BC. The website is www.cba.org/bc.
3. What is the Law Foundation of British Columbia?
The Law Foundation is a non-profit foundation, created by legislation in 1969, to receive and distribute 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 the support of law libraries. The Dial-A-Law program is one legal education program funded by the Law Foundation.
How do you contact the Law Foundation?
For more information on the Law Foundation, call 604.688.2337. Also, check their website at www.lawfoundationbc.org.
[updated September 2007]
Dial-A-Law© is a library of legal information that is available:
- by phone, as recorded scripts, and
- in writing, on the CBA BC Branch website.
To access Dial-A-Law, call 604.687.4680 in the lower mainland or 1.800.565.5297 elsewhere in BC. Dial-A-Law is available online at www.cba.org/bc in Public & Media.
The Dial-A-Law library is prepared by lawyers and gives practical information on many areas of law in British Columbia. Dial-A-Law is funded by the Law Foundation of British Columbia and sponsored by the Canadian Bar Association, British Columbia.
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