Description
Ontario has become the first jurisdiction in North America to license and regulate paralegals. This session will outline paralegal regulations and how it affects law firms.
Focus will be on the following areas:
1) The history of a paralegal regulation
2) The current status of the implementation of paralegal regulation
3) Question and Answer period (roundtable discussions)
Our Speakers: Julia Bass is Policy Counsel at the Law Society of Upper Canada, a position she has held for nine years. Her work involves conducting research and developing policy options for consideration by the benchers who make the policy decisions for the Law Society. She has recently focused on the development of the new mandate of the Law Society in paralegal regulation. She previously spent 16 years as a lawyer and civil servant for the Ontario government, mainly in the ministry of finance, the ministry of the Attorney General and the ministry of labour. She also has experience in running an international trade promotion office and a national charity. She hold an Honours MA in Economics from the University of Cambridge and an LL.B. from the University of Toronto.
Sheena Weir is the Manager of Government Relations at the Law Society of Upper Canada. In her fourteen years at the Law Society, Sheena has spent a lot of time working on issues related to paralegal regulation including the Access to Justice Act legislative initiative. Sheena is the primary contact from the Law Society to the Provincial Government but has interactions at both the federal and municipal governments as well. Previously, Sheena held successive positions in the governments of Ontario and Saskatchewan, primarily as a political advisor. Her involvement across a broad range of public policy areas includes, housing, economic development, crown corporations, first nation, justice and legal issues. Sheena has a history and classic degree from Laurentian University. She is a member of Equal Voice and a past director of the Public Affairs Association of Canada.