Law Society news
Annual General meeting results
The Law Society held its Annual General Meeting virtually on Wednesday, July 8. The agenda included the consideration of eight resolutions.
Learn more about the AGM results.
Bencher changes
First Vice-President Michael F. Welsh, KC and Bencher James Struthers have resigned as Benchers, effective July 4 and June 12, respectively. Per the Law Society rules, Second Vice-President Katrina Harry, KC is now First Vice-President and Second Vice-President-elect Cheryl D’Sa, KC is now Second Vice-President. We thank both Mr. Welsh and Mr. Struthers for their contributions to the Law Society. Following his resignation, Mr. Welsh is now a Life Bencher. By-elections will be held in the District of the Okanagan and the County of Vancouver to replace Mr. Welsh and Mr. Struthers, and further information will be provided to the profession regarding the calls for nominations and overall timelines.
The Second Vice-President for 2027 position does not officially become a vacancy recognized by the Rules until January 1, 2027, when Ms. Harry and Ms. D’Sa have transitioned roles; however, Rule 1-5(6)(a) provides for the Benchers’ nominee for Second Vice-President for 2027 to hold office until a ballot of all members, the next general meeting or December 31, whichever comes first. Benchers will determine the Benchers’ nominee for Second Vice-President for 2027 later this year, with confirmation taking place at the 2027 AGM.
Coming soon: One-time practice fee rebate pilot program
In September 2025, Law Society Benchers approved a one-time practice fee rebate pilot program to support lawyers who are experiencing financial hardship.
To be eligible for the rebate, you must be a current member in good standing who:
- Held practising membership at any time during 2025;
- Paid the applicable practice fees for 2025; and
- Met the total income requirement of equal or less than $65,000 reported on line 15000 on your 2025 T1 income tax return.
The rebate will, by default, be applied as a credit towards your 2027 annual fee billing invoice.
Applications will be available through the Member Portal in the coming weeks. More information, including FAQs, will be posted on our website shortly.
Survey findings: Discrimination, harassment and bullying in BC’s legal profession
In 2025, the Law Society conducted a voluntary, anonymous survey to better understand experiences of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment and bullying in BC’s legal profession. The survey was intended to inform evidence-based recommendations and also explored reporting rates, barriers to reporting and potential pathways to address these issues.
Extensive outreach yielded 787 responses. Among key findings, roughly 80 per cent of respondents reported personally experiencing at least one of the behaviours examined in the survey.
The full report is available on our website.
Have your say: Provide feedback on proposed changes to Bar admission training
There is still time to provide feedback on the proposed implementation of the Western Canada Competency Profile. The Law Societies of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the Canadian Centre for Professional Legal Education are seeking input on proposed changes to the sequence of Bar admission training and articling, the role of principals in teaching and assessing competencies, and resources to support articling.
Review the consultation paper and complete the survey by Thursday, July 16.
Congratulations to the 2026 Law Society Gold Medal Award winners
Each year, the Law Society awards gold medals to the students who achieved the highest cumulative grade point average over their three-year law degree program at Thompson Rivers University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Congratulations to this year’s recipients: Christopher Wiebe (TRU), Dylan Nouri (UBC) and Nicole Green (UVic).
Further information is available on our website.
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.
Read the latest discipline outcomes.
News from the legal profession
Practice Direction 75 – Chambers Practice
Effective July 9, 2026, Chief Justice Skolrood has issued Practice Direction 75 – Chambers Practice. This Practice Direction clarifies expectations regarding chambers practice, including compliance with the Supreme Court Civil Rules and the Supreme Court Family Rules governing chambers proceedings and the consequences which may follow if those requirements are not met.
View the Practice Direction on the Supreme Court’s website.
Call for new members: Indigenous Advisory Council
The Indigenous Advisory Council (IAC) of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada is seeking to fill two positions, one for a Métis individual and one for an Indigenous individual who may be a member of the profession, a Law Society representative, a Bencher or former Bencher.
If you are interested in joining the IAC, please send the following documents to info@flsc.ca by September 11, and mark in the subject line “Re: Interest in Indigenous Advisory Council”:
- Full name and Indigenous nation
- Contact information
- Who recommended you/how you heard about the opportunity
- Whether you are a member of the Indigenous Bar Association
- A brief paragraph on why you are interested in joining and/or what you can contribute to the IAC
See the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s website for more information on the IAC.
Discount available for Law via the Internet conference
CanLII and Lexum are hosting the Law via the Internet (LVI) conference from October 13–14 in Montréal. Legal professionals in BC have access to a 25 per cent discount code (BAR*26) on registration fees, which can be combined with early-bird pricing.
To register and for more information, visit the LVI website.
