The Law Society is considering amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct as a result of the implementation of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada Model Code of Professional Conduct and is seeking the comments and views of lawyers on the proposed amendments prior to Convocation’s consideration of the proposals. The submission deadline is August 31, 2012.

The Federation of Law Societies of Canada, which is the national coordinating body of Canada’s 14 provincial and territorial law societies, recently approved its Model Code of Professional Conduct (“the Model Code”). The Law Society of Upper Canada’sRules of Professional Conduct (“the Rules”) were used as the basis for the Model Code. Since October 2011, the Law Society’s Professional Regulation Committee has been reviewing the Model Code for the purpose of implementing it in Ontario.

While implementation of the Model Code would result in a series of minor and clarifying changes to the Rules, some of the changes are more substantive and, in certain cases, introduce new standards.

• Information report explaining the more substantive proposed amendments to the Rules
• Appendix 1 – Blackline version of the current Rules showing proposed changes 
• Current Rules of Professional Conduct

Written submissions in response to the call for input should be sent to the Law Society no later than August 31, 2012 to:
Professional Regulation Committee
Model Code Implementation
Policy Secretariat
The Law Society of Upper Canada
130 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON M5H 2N6
or by email to jstrawcz@lsuc.on.ca