News Release
April 09, 2013

Vancouver – Coinciding with Law Week, the Law Society of BC has launched a new online database to help protect the public from unauthorized practitioners of law.

Unauthorized practice is when a person who is not a lawyer performs or offers to perform legal services for a fee, in violation of the Legal Profession Act. To protect the public, the Law Society can take legal action against people who are unqualified, unregulated and uninsured to practise law.

“Unauthorized practice can be very damaging to the public,” said Michael Kleisinger, unauthorized practice counsel with the Law Society. “People get shoddy legal advice that can derail their cases or claims, or they pay money and get nothing for it.”

The Law Society has launched an online database of unauthorized practitioners with links to court orders and reasons for judgment. See the database. The goal is to help educate the public about the risks of unauthorized practice and make it easier for the public to get information on those who present a risk.

More information about the Law Society’s public education for 2013 Law Week is available on the website.

The Law Society of British Columbia regulates the more than 10,000 lawyers in the province, setting and enforcing standards of professional conduct that ensure the public is well-served by a competent, honourable legal profession.

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For further information or to arrange an interview contact:

Ben Hadaway
Communications Officer
604.443.5708
bhadaway@lsbc.org

Robyn Crisanti
Manager, Communications and Public Affairs
604.697.5845
rcrisanti@lsbc.org