As part of its mandate to regulate the practice of law in Saskatchewan in the public interest, the Law Society of Saskatchewan (“Law Society”) recognizes the importance of high-quality adjudications for professional discipline matters that require a hearing. The Law Society has appointed an independent Hearing Administrator to lead a process to select a roster of diverse and well-qualified individuals to populate Hearing Committees.
The Hearing Committee Adjudicator Position Description is provided in Annex I.
The Law Society of Saskatchewan is looking for up to 10 members of the public and up to 10 members of the Law Society (lawyers licensed through the Law Society of Saskatchewan) to join its Hearing Committee Adjudicator Roster. Successful candidates will receive adjudicator training. Apply online by Monday, October 10 at 5 p.m.
The following principles will guide the Hearing Administrator in the development of the inaugural Hearing Committee Roster and in the future as new roster members are required:
Balanced Composition
The Hearing Committee Roster will consist of between 20 and 30 individuals and include an approximately equal mixture of Law Society Board members (Benchers), members of the Law Society (lawyers licensed through the Law Society), and members of the wider public.
Diversity
The Law Society and the public it serves will benefit from a Hearing Committee Roster comprised of people with a diverse set of skills, experiences, and perspectives. In line with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission Equity Program, we encourage applications from equity-seeking groups. This includes candidates who are Indigenous, women, persons with disabilities, from racialized groups, 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals, and others who hold unique and complex lived experiences.
Greater representation within the Hearing Committee Roster from diverse communities will serve the public interest by bringing more varied perspectives into the hearing context. Proactive measures will be taken to encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.
Eligibility
Members of the Hearing Committee Roster will be:
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to provide a name-based criminal record check. Shortlisted candidates who are or have been members of a regulated profession (including members of the Law Society) will be asked to provide information about their histories of involvement with those regulatory bodies and may be asked to provide consent to release information, up to and including certificates of standing issued by those regulatory bodies. The existence of a minor or dated criminal or regulatory matter in an applicant’s history is not a determinative factor. The Hearing Administrator will consider all information provided by applicants including information as to how an applicant has conducted themselves since moving on from any past criminal or regulatory difficulties.
Qualifications
Members of the Hearing Committee Roster must possess the following qualifications:
Additional Considerations
While not expressly required as training will be provided, the following qualifications will be considered beneficial:
Lived experience as a member of an equity-seeking group will also be considered an asset.
Recruitment of Candidates
The initial creation of the Hearing Committee Roster and future vacancies to be filled will be advertised on the Law Society website as well as other appropriate media to promote a transparent recruitment process and encourage a diverse and competent candidate pool. Additionally, outreach to groups that may assist in recruiting candidates will occur.
Recommendation of Candidates
The Hearing Administrator will be responsible for recommending candidates for appointment to the Hearing Committee Roster by the Board of the Law Society (Benchers). Before recommending candidates, with the Law Society’s Director of Human Resources, the Hearing Administrator will:
The Hearing Administrator shall recommend candidates to the Board of the Law Society (Benchers) and will provide a report that includes:
Appointment of Candidates
Following appointment by the Board of the Law Society, successful candidates will be informed that they have been selected for the Hearing Committee Roster by the Hearing Administrator. The Hearing Administrator will contact each successful candidate to welcome them to the Roster and to discuss the Adjudicator Training Program. Timelines for completion of the training may be established by the Hearing Administrator. Roster members may only be appointed to a Hearing Committee after the Adjudicator Training Program has been completed, or in exceptional circumstances, where the Hearing Administrator has verified that a member of the Hearing Committee Roster has obtained appropriate training elsewhere or is appropriately trained by way of practical experience.
Law Society of Saskatchewan Hearing Committee Adjudicator Roster
Introduction
As part of its mandate to regulate the practice of law in Saskatchewan in the public interest, the Law Society of Saskatchewan (“Law Society”) recognizes the importance of high-quality adjudications for professional discipline matters that require a hearing. The Law Society has appointed an independent Hearing Administrator to oversee a roster of diverse and well-qualified individuals to populate Hearing Committees.
Composition
The Law Society Hearing Committee Roster (the “Roster”) consists of between 20-30 individuals and includes an approximately equal mixture of Law Society Board members (Benchers), members of the Law Society, and members of the wider public. People appointed to the Roster form a pool of adjudicators who may be assigned by the Hearing Administrator to carry out adjudicative responsibilities typically as a member of a three-person Hearing Committee.
Term and Reappointment
Appointments are for terms of three years. Reappointment of a Roster member for subsequent terms is recommended by the Hearing Administrator to the Board of the Law Society based on the Roster member’s performance of the duties set out in this position description.
Key Competencies and Duties
Core adjudicative responsibilities include presiding over hearings (typically as a Hearing Committee of three), determining matters in accordance with the law and in a manner consistent with the public interest, and rendering high quality written decisions.
The following is a list of key competencies and duties that adjudicators are expected to fulfill following completion of the Law Society’s Adjudicator Training Program (approximately 16 hours of video-based course content):
1. Fairness and Collegiality
2. Quality and Continuous Improvement:
3. Transparency
4. Timeliness
5. As a Hearing Committee Member
6. When Assigned as a Hearing Committee Chair
7. When authoring reasons