Law societies launch national campaign to unite Canadians around the rule of law
As concerns over the strength of democratic freedoms dominate international headlines, a coalition of Canadian law societies have come together to launch Ours to Protect, a national campaign aimed at raising awareness for the rule of law. As legal professionals, we carry a shared duty to uphold and defend this cornerstone of our democracy. The rule of law isn’t just a legal principle, it ensures that everyone, from individuals to governments, is accountable under the same laws. It safeguards rights, promotes equality, and prevents power from being used unfairly.
Now, more than ever, it’s essential for all Canadians to understand and value the principles that work behind the scenes to sustain our democracy.
New LawCast BC episode: How threats from the US highlight our history of colonization in Canada
When US President Donald Trump began threatening to make Canada the country’s 51st state, Canadians reacted with anger, outrage and a renewed sense of patriotism. One Indigenous organization has pointed out in a blog post that Trump’s annexation rhetoric is drawing parallels to our own shared history of the colonization of Indigenous peoples. Lyson Rivest, a consultant, trainer and speaker with Indigenous Corporate Training Incorporated, invites us to empathize with the similarities between how we may feel about Trump’s threats and the experiences of Indigenous peoples with colonization. She also provides advice on how lawyers can more effectively and respectfully work with Indigenous peoples and communities by looking at emerging challenges through a lens of empathy instead of fear.
Law Society launches new Practice Coverage Network
On December 3, the Law Society launched the Practice Coverage Network (PCN), a new resource designed to support lawyers who are seeking to take time away from practice, whether for a leave, a sabbatical, a vacation or a time for reflection and wellness. Through the PCN, lawyers can now create profiles through the Member Portal that list their practice areas, availability and geographic location and view the profiles of lawyers who are available to provide temporary coverage. The PCN replaces the now retired locum registry.
Lawyers seeking coverage for their practice and those who are interested in offering coverage may create their profiles by logging into the Law Society Member Portal and clicking on the link for the Practice Coverage Network.
Information and FAQs about the PCN are available on our website.
Bar admission training course: An update on the transition to PREP
In late October, the Law Society of BC announced an upcoming change to its Bar admission training program. PLTC will be retired after the May 2026 session. After that, candidates in BC’s Bar admission program will take the Practice Readiness Education Program (PREP) course offered by the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education (CPLED). Since the announcement, we have hosted meetings with a range of external interest holders. We will hold an additional joint seminar targeting employers and principals on January 8, 2026, from 12 to 1:30 pm. You can register on CPLED’s website.
The most up-to-date information about BC’s transition to PREP and its effect on the articled student licensing journey can be found on our transition webpage. Questions can also be sent to PLTCtransition@lsbc.org.
Full details about the PREP course are available on the CPLED website.
2026-2028 strategic plan approved by Benchers
The Law Society’s strategic plan for 2026-2028 has been approved by Benchers. This plan will guide the organization through the next three years. It establishes key objectives, including leading as a modern and innovative regulator of legal services, improving access to legal services and continuing to advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
Following the November election, six new Benchers were elected and 16 Benchers were re-elected, three by acclamation. Congratulations to the newly elected and re-elected Benchers. The Law Society also wants to thank those who stood for election, as well as the non-returning Benchers for their years of service.
Reminder: Report Continuing Professional Development by December 31
The deadline for practising lawyers to complete and report their required Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is December 31, 2025. To report your completed CPD or to check the number of hours required, login to the Member Portal. Still require CPD credits? Access the Law Society’s courses through the Brightspace Platform or review upcoming courses.
If you require access to Brightspace or have any issues with signing on or using the platform, email ProfessionalDevelopment@lsbc.org. In order to ensure sufficient time to provide access to Brightspace or to assist with any questions about completing or recording CPD credits, please reach out as soon possible and in advance of the December 31 deadline.
Submit your 2025 Annual Practice Declaration
Pursuant to Rule 2-8, all practising lawyers must complete and deliver an Annual Practice Declaration (APD) to the Law Society in each calendar year. To complete your APD or to find out if you have any outstanding APDs, log into your Member Portal account and select “Annual Practice Declaration” under “Online tools and reporting.”
Deadline extended to December 15: Survey on addressing discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying
The Law Society’s Bullying, Harassment, and Discrimination Task Force is conducting a survey to learn more about experiences of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, and bullying within BC’s legal profession. We have already received hundreds of responses from the legal community, including legal professionals and those who work and interact with them. Given the importance of this issue, the deadline has been extended to December 15, 2025 to give more time for those who have not responded yet to provide their feedback. You can participate by completing the 15- to 20-minute online survey. Participation is anonymous, voluntary and confidential.
Maintaining work-life balance over the holidays: The holiday season can bring both celebration and stress, especially for those in the legal profession where year-end demands often compete with personal commitments. Between client deadlines, court dates and social obligations, finding time to rest and recharge can feel like a challenge. As we approach this busy season, it’s important protect our well-being. Read our news story for tips on maintaining work-life balance over the holidays.
Breaking silence and stigma in the legal profession: Mental health in the legal profession has long been defined by silence and stigma, where acknowledging struggle is often seen as weakness. Lawyers are expected to perform under constant pressure while maintaining composure. Over time, this mindset has made it difficult for many to seek support, reinforcing the belief that resilience means working through exhaustion rather than addressing its causes. See our news story for steps lawyers and law firms can take.
Latest discipline news
To read the latest discipline outcomes, including conduct review summaries and admitted discipline violations, head to our Discipline Outcomes section. You can read summaries of discipline outcomes in our news section.
Threats to physical safety of lawyers and victim support services
The Law Society is aware of recent incidents in which lawyers have been threatened with serious physical harm unless they provided substantial sums of money. If you are threatened in this manner, immediately contact the police in your jurisdiction. The police may involve the BC Extortion Task Force, which also incorporates the Canada Border Services Agency. On November 28, the federal and provincial government announced new funding for investigations and resources to support BC victims.
While incidents involving lawyers are not widespread at this time, they are serious. If lawyers have questions about reporting such threats to the Law Society or accessing resources, contact practice advisor Barbara Buchanan, KC at 604.697.5816 (direct) or bbuchanan@lsbc.org.
Government of Canada lists four new terrorist entities
Lawyers should be aware that terrorist entities may try to engage them to provide legal services. On December 10, the Government of Canada listed four new terrorist entities, defined as “terrorist groups,” in the Criminal Code list.
New Ethics Advisory regarding undertakings and trust conditions
A new Ethics Advisory regarding undertakings and trust conditions is available. This Ethics Advisory serves as a clarification and compendium of the opinions previously issued by the Ethics Committee and the Ethics and Lawyer Independence Advisory Committee, further to the rules regarding undertakings and trust conditions and as previously provided in the commentaries to BC Code of Professional Conduct rules 5.1-6 and 7.2-11.
Ethics Advisories are intended to assist lawyers as they navigate specific ethical and practice-related issues and can be found on the Practice Resources webpage. Each Ethics Advisory is also hyperlinked in the annotated BC Code and is associated with the relevant Code rule(s). To date, Ethics Advisories have been published on topics such as billing contract lawyer fees, law firm names, lawyer as witness, use of recording devices and more.
A free online webinar, updated to take the Law Society’s 2024 rule changes into account, is available to help lawyers comply with anti-money laundering obligations and avoid being targeted by criminals, including those who seek to launder the proceeds of crime. The webinar counts for three hours of CPD credit.
Assess your firm’s money laundering risks and take action
Lawyers are encouraged to assess their practice for inherent risks of money laundering and terrorist financing and to adopt risk mitigation measures. Establishing proactive measures is especially important when providing legal services to high-risk clients and in high-risk sectors such as securities, real estate, private lending and international trade, and creating companies, trusts and complex ownership structures. High-risk clients include politically exposed persons, cash-intensive businesses, non-residents, clients with a criminal history and clients in high-risk occupations or from high-risk jurisdictions. Understand the risks associated with transactions you are asked to perform, including those involving cryptocurrency assets and international wire transfers.
More families get free, faster access to family law support
More families in the Lower Mainland now have access to faster, more affordable family-law solutions through the expansion of the Early Resolution Process (ERP). The ERP is now available in Provincial Court family registries in Pemberton, Richmond, Sechelt, North Vancouver and Vancouver (Robson Square). The process is a free service that applies to family-law matters, such as parenting arrangements, contact, child and spousal support, and companion animals. It is designed to reduce conflict, resolve disputes out of court and develop plans in the best interests of children.
Law Society of BC participates in anti-money laundering evaluation by FATF
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) sets global standards to mitigate the risks of money laundering and terrorist financing and assesses countries against those standards. On November 18, representatives from the Law Society of BC, other law societies and the Federation of Law Societies of Canada participated in a session about how law society regulation conforms to the standards. The law societies described how preventative measures — such as verifying client identity, limitations on legal practice structure, education and guidance, together with audits, trust accounting rules and sanctions for misconduct — demonstrate a commitment to combatting the risks. Law societies were asked to elaborate on their anti-money laundering (AML) educational requirements and compliance measures, explain how audits specifically focus on AML measures and describe how they assess risks in their jurisdiction.
The FATF’s final report on Canada’s AML regime is expected in June 2026.
Latest from Lawyers Indemnity Fund
Stay alert: Holiday season is prime time for fraud
Fraudsters enjoy the holiday season as much as everyone else — and they exploit it. With reduced staff and increased distractions, this time of year presents ideal conditions for fraud. Lawyers continue to be targeted. Before paying out funds in any matter, verify that the payment instructions your firm received by email are legitimate through direct phone or in-person contact with the instructing party using a trusted number. Use a checklist for every payment.
Traditional red flags — such as a change in payment instructions, spelling mistakes or reference to a foreign bank — are rarely seen. Today’s sophisticated fraudsters break in and monitor communications, waiting for opportunities. They sometimes get in at the front end by providing the initial payment instructions. Secondary verification of all payment instructions is therefore essential.
If you will be away from the office, arrange for a competent lawyer to supervise your practice and provide the lawyer and staff with your contact information. Ensure that the lawyer and staff comply with the anti-money laundering obligations in the Law Society Rules Part 3, Division 11 – Client Identification and Verification and BC Coderule 3.2-7. Further, staff may not deal with trust funds, except in accordance with the Law Society Rules Part 3, Division 7 – Trust Accounts and Other Client Property.Ensure you and your staff are aware of different scams, including the bad cheque scam (which has recently targeted a number of lawyers). We also recommend reviewing the names and ruses that fraudsters, posing as real clients with real legal matters, have used in attempts to dupe BC lawyers to pay money out of trust.
The buck stops with you: Avoid common delegation traps
Your law practice thrives thanks to your dedicated team — but even the most reliable staff can make mistakes. When an assistant or paralegal slips up, it’s you who must answer for it to the client. The responsibility — and the buck — always stops with you.
Take three minutes to watch this video of Director of Claims, Leanne Wood, who describes common pitfalls when delegating tasks, illustrated with real examples from our claim files. Then learn the practical steps you can take to avoid claims.
