2021 Committees and Task Forces
2021 Committees
- Audit Committee
- Competency Committee
- Conduct Investigation Committee
- Discipline Policy Committee
- Equity and Access
- Ethics Committee
- Executive Committee
- Firm Regulation Committee
- Future of Legal Services Committee
- Governance Committee
- SLIA/Insurance Committee
- Trust Safety Committee
- Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Group
| Committee | Members and Staff |
|---|---|
Audit Committee:The Audit Committee monitors the financial affairs of the Law Society including oversight of the audit of the annual financial statements. | Members:
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Competency Committee:The Competency Committee assists the Benchers in upholding the standards for admission to the Law Society by ensuring that only those individuals who are qualified are admitted and continue as members of the Law Society. Competency is responsible for overseeing and developing policy related to admissions, membership, and education (including both continuing professional development and the Bar admission program), and as appropriate, recommending amendments to the Rules, Code and Act. Competency also considers and determines applications, and conducts hearings and appeals, referred to the Committee or required by the Law Society Rules to be determined by the Committee, which relate to admissions or education matters. The Competency Committee also reviews practice-related trends and issues that arise as a result of complaints, practice advisor reviews, and concerns raised by the membership, from which it creates policies and best practices to help members maintain good practice management and competence standards. Members of the Competency Committee also consider complaint matters referred to them by Professional Responsibility Counsel. The Competency Committee also oversees the Practice Advisor Program, including the New Solo/Small Firm Program and the Expanded Practice Advisor Program. | Members:
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Conduct Investigation Committee:The Conduct Investigation Committee (CIC) considers complaint matters referred to it by Professional Responsibility Counsel, investigating any conduct of a member that may constitute conduct unbecoming, and determining the direction to be taken in relation to potential discipline matters. The CIC is responsible for decisions regarding the appointment of trustees, interim suspensions, referrals to Conduct Review Committees, and/or directing the appointment of Hearing Committees to hear and determine charges of conduct unbecoming. | Members:
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Discipline Policy Committee:The Discipline Policy Committee develops policies to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and fairness of the Law Society of Saskatchewan’s investigation and disciplinary proceedings; and recommends amendments to the Rules, Code, and Act which pertain to disciplinary proceedings of the Society. The Committee was also responsible for making recommendations to the Benchers respecting professional ethics and the development of, and revisions to, the Code of Professional Conduct. | Discipline Executive (Policy)
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Equity and Access Committee:The Equity & Diversity Committee assists the Benchers by monitoring developments and providing advice on issues affecting equity and diversity in the legal profession, and access to legal services in Saskatchewan; exploring and recommending actions and/or initiatives to be taken with respect to equity and diversity within the legal profession, and access to legal services in Saskatchewan; identifying deficiencies in the delivery of legal services in Saskatchewan; making recommendations for and supporting ongoing education and awareness training for members of the legal profession relating to equity and diversity; and making recommendations to improve access to legal services in Saskatchewan and to provide solutions for appropriate regulation. | Members:
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Ethics Committee:The Ethics Committee meets several times during the year to review matters of ethical concern which come to the Committee by way of either complaint or voluntary Request for Ruling by members. The Committee applies the provisions of the Code of Professional Conduct to the facts at hand and provides helpful interpretation of specific Code sections. Following their consideration of the issues in each matter, the Committee issues Ethics Rulings (“Lawyer X” Rulings) for the guidance of the membership generally. | Members:
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Executive Committee:The Executive Committee provides direction and oversight for the strategic and operational planning of the Law Society and develops agendas for Bencher meetings to ensure that Benchers exercise their oversight, regulatory and policy development responsibilities. | Members:
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Firm Regulation Committee:In December 2018, the Benchers of the Law Society of Saskatchewan approved, in principle, the necessary framework for the implementation of proactive firm regulation and approved the creation of the Firm Regulation Committee. The Committee is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of the framework to support proactive law firm regulation. This work includes drafting rules and the required policies and procedures relating to law firm registration requirements, coaching and collaborative approaches, compliance and enforcement requirements and complaint procedures. The ultimate goals of law firm regulation and the Committee are, to foster a more collaborative relationship between the Law Society and its members, including firms, and to help lawyers and firms manage risk so that the likelihood of conduct leading to a complaint or negligence is minimized. | Members:
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Future of Legal Services CommitteeThe Law Society of Saskatchewan is working towards implementation of recommendations from the Final Report of the Legal Services Task Team following amendments to the Legal Profession Act and Rules of the Law Society. The Future of Legal Services Committee facilitates the development and implementation of new initiatives pertaining to alternative legal service providers including: dissemination of Legal Information Guidelines; a discovery process to identify existing alternative legal service providers; consideration for exemptions to the unauthorized practice of law; examination of restrictions on direct supervision requirements in the Code of Professional Conduct; development and oversight for regulatory sandboxes or pilot projects; and initiation and recommendations for a limited license framework. | Members:
Staff:
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Governance Committee:The Governance Committee oversees the overall governance and management of policy of the Law Society to ensure that the Benchers fulfill their legal, ethical and functional responsibilities. This includes: Developing, reviewing and implementing governance policies and procedures, and monitoring compliance; overseeing Bencher elections and appointments; directing Bencher orientation and ongoing training; and conducting Bencher performance evaluations. | Members:
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SLIA/Insurance Committee:Saskatchewan Lawyers’ Insurance Association Inc. (SLIA) is a non-profit corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Law Society of Saskatchewan. SLIA provides mandatory errors and omissions insurance to the members of the Law Society of Saskatchewan pursuant to The Legal Profession Act, 1990. SLIA is a member of the Canadian Lawyers Insurance Association (CLIA). CLIA is a reciprocal insurance exchange, which offers mandatory liability insurance to lawyers licenced by a law society, and a voluntary excess insurance program. The program is run by in-house counsel and a claims coordinator, who report to a board of directors composed of both Bencher and non-Bencher members. By establishing local control of files within the limits of the group deductible, lawyers insured through SLIA are assured that: their files are being both adjudicated and litigated by local counsel; their interests are being represented as stakeholders on the advisory board of their insurer; and profits following any given claims years are retained locally for their benefit. | Members:
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Trust Safety Committee:The Trust Safety Committee was established as an ad hoc Committee to review and make recommendations regarding Rules and practices governing trust accounts, the Special Fund and related matters. The work of the Committee also includes supporting the modernization of trust safety policies, practices and requirements, and supporting the Society’s program development and delivery of education and training to increase the legal profession’s understanding of, and engagement with trust safety policies, practices and requirements. | Members:
Staff:
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Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Group:The Truth and Reconciliation Advisory Group provides advice to the Society on issues within the mandate of the Society affecting Indigenous people in Saskatchewan. The Advisory Group achieves this purpose by assisting the Society in understanding the needs of its current and prospective Indigenous members, and Indigenous people both in the regulatory processes of the Society and in the Saskatchewan legal system and makes recommendations to the Society on how to address those needs. | Members:
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