Document covers licensee demographics, complaint statistics and progress in key initiatives
The Law Society of Ontario’s 2024 annual report noted a trend toward more interlocutory suspensions in response to the rising number of apparent serious financial misconduct matters and more summary hearings to encourage cooperation at the risk of suspension.
The regulator’s report noted that interlocutory suspensions are those based on reasonable grounds for seeing a significant risk of harm.
The annual report discussed the law society’s recent achievements and progress regarding key initiatives.
First, the regulator said it expanded LSO Connects, which seeks to streamline business processes and replace outdated legacy systems, to all licensees and licensing candidates in August 2024.
Second, the law society said it continued developing its family legal services provider (FLSP) program last year, with Fanshawe College as the sole provider. In August 2024, it opened enrolment for the FLSP program, which commenced last January.
Third, the regulator said it worked on launching its mandatory 30-hour course on the foundations of sole practice in 2024. The new course covers client services and communications, financial and practice management, the business of running a legal practice, and professional responsibility.
Fourth, the law society noted the approval of a new requirement in April 2024 for lawyers and paralegals in private practice to create and keep a client contingency plan for preserving, carrying on, or winding up their professional business, beginning last Jan. 1.
“I am so proud of the LSO team,” said Priya Bhatia, acting CEO, in a message in the report. “These initiatives demonstrate a commitment to high standards for the organization and striving to meet them, despite some challenges along the way.”
In its 2024 report, the law society shared statistics on new and total licensees, their demographics, and practising status. The data also covered professional regulation, specifically the complainants, allegations, and legal areas in complaints received.
Regarding its membership, the regulator said it licensed 2,701 lawyers and 897 paralegals in the relevant period. Ontario had:
On licensee demographics, the law society said the average age of lawyers was 48. Among its lawyers, 47 percent were women and 52 percent were men. Meanwhile, the average age of paralegals was 42. Of its paralegals, 68 percent were women and 31 percent were men.
Among both lawyers and paralegals, the regulator noted that one percent of its licensees were non-binary.
The law society also provided information regarding its professional regulation function. The 6,478 complaints it received within the relevant period pertained to 4.08 percent of its lawyers and 3.77 percent of its paralegals.
The regulator shared data on who brought these complaints:
The law society said the complaints raised allegations concerning the following issues:
The regulator noted that special applications – including capacity, interlocutory suspension, reinstatement, or terms disputes and licensing matters – comprised 1.5 percent of complaints received.
The law society said the complaints fell within the following areas of law:
The regulator shared that it exceeded the national discipline standards for investigations. Specifically, it resolved or referred 91 percent of complaints for disciplinary or remedial response within 12 months (compared with the 80 percent standard) and 94 percent within 18 months (against the 90 percent standard).
“I believe we are now on a path to restoring the trust of licensees and the public in our organization, and ensuring our governance procedures and policies are stronger than ever before,” said Peter Wardle, the law society’s treasurer, in a message in the report.
