Tuesday 27 April 2010

Simplifying Pro Bono

The Law Society of Upper Canada recently agreed to modify the standards for conflict of interest for lawyers participating in pro bono “brief” programs. The amount of time that it was taking to search and clear conflicts for lawyers volunteering at their Help Center and in their Small Claims Project was taking from 20 minutes to 3 hours. Clients were getting frustrated and law firms were being forced to drop out of the program altogether because they were being overwhelmed by the number of conflict searches required.

Denise McCourtie of the Law Society of Upper Canada provides this interesting update in the April 2010 edition of Ontario Bar Association’s official magazine Briefly Speaking.

Posted by
Robin Sully
IBA Pro bono and Access to Justice Committee

Author: Denise McCourtie
Source: Ontario Bar Association’s Briefly Speaking Magazine, April 2010

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