Annotations to Chapter 6 - Relationship to Students, Employees, and Others

Annotations to rule 6.1-1  Direct supervision required

Lawyers may refer work that involves the practice of law to private contractors. The real issue is whether the lawyer can properly supervise the work and ensure confidentiality. The lawyer must consider, among other things, the trustworthiness of the contractor, the nature and sensitivity of information that might be imparted to the contractor, how that information is to be protected, and the environment in which the contractor will be working.  [PCH]
EC March 2005, item 4

A lawyer may accept instructions from an insurer regarding the use of non-lawyer staff in a matter provided the instructions are not contrary to the lawyer's professional obligations regarding the use of non-lawyer staff and do not compromise the lawyer's ability to provide adequate representation to the insured as well as the insurer.  [PCH]
EC April 1999, item 7

Annotations to rule 6.1-4 Suspended or disbarred lawyers

Since the updating of a publication is not the practice of law, it is not improper for a lawyer to employ as a volunteer a former lawyer who is suspended from the practice of law because of his failure to satisfy continuing professional development requirements.
EC January 2012

[BC Code] refers to an annotation that was created during the time the BC Code was in effect (from January 1, 2013) and is not based on or does not refer to a provision of the Professional Conduct Handbook.

[PCH] refers to an annotation to the former Professional Conduct Handbook, which was in effect from May 1, 1993 to December 31, 2012. Lawyers should consider the possible differences between the Handbook and the BC Code when determining the extent to which an annotation is still relevant.

EC refers to Ethics Committee minutes. For example, the reference "EC March 2005, item 6" refers to item 6 of the Ethics Committee minutes in March 2005.

DD refers to Discipline Digest. For example, the reference "DD 04-05" refers to discipline digest number five in 2004.

DCD refers to Discipline Case Digest. For example, the reference "DCD 01-27" refers to discipline case number 27 in 2001. (Note that in 2007 Discipline Case Digests were phased out and became Discipline Digests.)

LSBC refers to Law Society hearing reports. For example, the reference "2003 LSBC 20" refers to hearing report number 20 in 2003.

For more information on the annotated BC Code, see the Introduction to the Code of Professional Conduct for BC.