In April 2026, the Law Society filed a notice of appeal of the decision of the Supreme Court of BC to dismiss our challenge to the constitutionality of the Legal Professions Act. In August, we submitted an appellant factum, and our appeal is currently scheduled to be heard in the BC Court of Appeal on November 16 and 17, 2026.
Benchers have approved the 2027 practice fee and indemnity fee, as recommended by the Finance and Audit Committee. The overall objective when setting the fees is to ensure that ongoing operations are appropriately funded to enable the Law Society to effectively fulfill its statutory mandate of protecting the public interest in the administration of justice.
To maintain Law Society programs, support the needs of the profession, implement new initiatives and advance the goals set out in the Law Society’s 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, this budget includes an increase of $171 in the practice fee. Of the increase, $150 is allocated to Law Society operations and $21 is allocated to external organizations funded by the practice fee.
The full-time indemnity fee remains the same at $1,800, despite increased claim levels. The indemnity fee has remained at this level for the past 10 years.
On September 25, Law Society Benchers made the decision to implement a 2027 special assessment of $210 per practising lawyer in order to recover the Law Society’s share of transition costs (projected to December 2026) imposed by the new Legal Professions Act.
The cost to fulfill our legal obligations to transition to a single legal regulator under the new Act is expected to be $3.3 million by the end of 2026, and another $2.1 million is projected for 2027. These transition costs include meeting fees and travel costs for the transitional board and the transitional Indigenous council, consulting services, IT, staffing, advisors and other miscellaneous costs.
The Law Society's annual budgeting and fee-setting process, led by the Finance and Audit Committee, begins each spring and culminates in a Bencher decision in September that applies to the following fiscal year. This process includes a review of anticipated draws on net asset reserves over the next several years and options for maintaining fiscally-prudent reserve balances.
The decision to impose any special assessment is taken very seriously by the Law Society. We carefully consider all decisions that impact lawyers’ fees and the financial impacts to the profession.
Amendments to Law Society Rules approved by Benchers
At the September 25 meeting, Benchers approved amendments to the Law Society Rules, including those related to accounting, client verification and trust, that will come into effect on July 1, 2027. These amendments include updated guidelines on education requirements for being a signatory to a trust account as well as rules surrounding receipts, trust cheques and more.
In the September 2026 Bencher by-elections, Derek LaCroix, KC was elected in Vancouver County and Jessica N. Saris was elected as in the District of the Okanagan. To learn more about the newly elected Benchers, please see the news posting. Congratulations to Derek and Jessica and thank you to all those who stood for election.
Call for nominations: November Bencher by-election in the County of Westminster
A by-election will take place in the County of Westminster (District No. 4) on Tuesday, November 17 to elect a Bencher to fill the vacancy that will be left by the conclusion of President Thomas L. Spraggs, KC’s term. The term of the successful candidate will be from January 1 to December 31, 2027. The nomination period is currently open and will close at 4:30 pm on Thursday, October 15. To submit a nomination, complete and submit the relevant forms, which can be found on the elections webpage.
Competency profile name changed as Nova Scotia joins initiative
In 2024, the Law Society of BC worked with the law societies of Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan to develop the Western Canada Competency Profile (WCCP). As the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society has joined the initiative, the WCCP has been renamed to Competencies for Entry to Legal Practice (CELP) to reflect the fact that the initiative has expanded beyond Western Canada.
New LawCast BC episode: How public legal education supports access to justice and the rule of law
Public legal education is an essential part of improving access to justice and it supports a fundamental principle in our society: the rule of law. In this episode of LawCast BC, Nora Bergh, Director of BC Programs at the Justice Education Society, explores how public legal education supports individuals and communities, what programs the Justice Education Society offers and how a well-informed public can help reinforce the rule of law.
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.
Financial Action Task Force releases mutual evaluation report
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Asia-Pacific Group on Money Laundering recently released a mutual evaluation report, assessing measures taken against money laundering, countering terrorist financing and proliferation financing. The report recognizes significant progress made by Canada’s legal regulators, including BC, to strengthen their anti-money laundering framework through preventative, educational, supervisory and disciplinary measures. The Law Society is in the process of reviewing the full report to determine opportunities to strengthen our efforts in this area.
Obtain CPD credit by watching our anti-money laundering measures webinar
A free online webinar is available to help lawyers comply with their 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.
Discipline Advisory: Know your obligations before accepting cash
In September, the Law Society published an update to the Discipline Advisory originally issued in 2013. All lawyers who may receive cash are encouraged to review the update. Lawyers must know whether they may accept cash, the limits on the amount they may accept and when they must make any refund in cash. The Discipline Advisory includes helpful scenarios.
Law Foundation of BC's 2025 Annual Report now available
The Law Foundation of BC’s 2025 Annual Report is now available on their website. Last year, the Law Foundation provided more than $109 million across more than 240 grants to advance access to justice in communities around BC.
Seeking expressions of interest for 2027 Law Society committees
The Law Society is seeking expressions of interest from individuals who wish to be considered for appointment to the Law Society’s 2027 Committees for a one-year term starting January 1, 2027. To apply, review the information about each of the Law Society’s committees and task forces and submit an application form and supporting resume online, along with an explanation of why you are interested in the opportunity. The deadline for applications is 4:30 pm on Monday, October 26.
Law Foundation of BC Appointment
The Law Society is seeking expressions of interest from practising lawyers from Vancouver County, Prince Rupert County and Cariboo County who wish to be considered for a three-year term as a Law Society appointee to the Law Foundation of BC’s Board of Governors. Further information about this opportunity can be found on our website. Eligible lawyers are encouraged to submit an application and supporting resume online along with an explanation of how they meet the detailed criteria. The deadline for applications is4:30 pm on Friday, November 6.
For more information about the appointments process and requirements for each board position, see our Appointments Guidebook.
Latest from Lawyers Indemnity Fund
Real estate identity frauds continue — be on high alert
A lawyer recently contacted LIF about a sophisticated — and successful — real estate identity fraud in which the lawyer acted for individual borrowers (who were in fact fraudsters). A $500,000 loan from a private lender was obtained and secured by a second mortgage registered against a property in Surrey.
Take three minutes to watch this video of Claims Counsel Sherry Kooner describing an actual real estate identity fraud involving corporate-owned real estate and sharing key tips.
Coalition cybersecurity webinar on October 29
Coalition is offering a free cyber security webinar on October 29. Lawyers and staff, including IT resources, can register with this link. This webinar is approved for one hour of CPD for the practice management and ethics requirement.
